July 10: Scenes from the Arts-burgh

REVIEWS

Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble

There are no summer doldrums when the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble performs. Friday night's season opener at City Theatre on the South Side was a scintillating experience that combined excellent contemporary music and smart theatricality.

Excerpts from Roger Zahab's "Ohio Entelechron" began with musical miniatures interspersed with wickedly funny political satire. Paul Ford played the proto-politician, with a ringing rhetorical style for nonsense designed to hit our hot buttons.

Young Chinese composer Wang Jie's "The Joy of Sextet" proved to be a scrupulously crafted composition that embraces both Chinese and Western modern classical expression and was a delight to encounter.

Artistic director Kevin Noe used Steve Reich's "Clapping Music" boldly, with the music passing to pairs of clapping musicians spread all around and above the stage. Noe also created funny videos, including a version of a repeated text delivered by four of the musicians in bed, with a surprise finish.

Clarinetist Kevin Schempf was eloquent in the staged performance of Michael Lowenstein's "But Would She Remember You?" -- which is about the women in our lives we can't forget.

Finally, Kevin Puts' "Einstein on Mercer Street" raised deep emotions inspired by the famous scientist's life, including his love of playing the violin and the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Baritone Timothy Jones was the magnificent singing actor, while the ensemble for this piece gained strength from the mastery of Pittsburgh Symphony principal trumpet George Vosburgh.

I haven't had more fun at any concert this season.

-- Mark Kanny

Beautiful music and weather rewarded a large family crowd that attended the Pittsburgh Symphony's Sunday evening concert at Hartwood Acres in Hampton Township.

Resident conductor Daniel Meyer began with a winning account of "The Marriage of Figaro Overture," in which the first violins stepped up to their leading role and prominent woodwind balances added to the personality.

Next, the orchestra's associate principal second violin Lou Lev gave a remarkable performance of Antonin Dvorak's Violin Concerto. He played with true soloist flair, using his gorgeous tone and technical assurance as the foundation for both deeply expressive lyricism and panache in contrasting passages. It was a more impressive performance than some by guest artists at Heinz Hall this season.

Felix Mendelssohn's "Scottish" Symphony provided a big-scale finale. Meyer's well-conceived interpretation sang eloquently in the slow movement and took full advantage of the orchestra's power to build to a rousing conclusion.

-- Mark Kanny

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