Renee Fleming headlines PSO gala with stellar vocals

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Orchestra concerts and music aren’t as ubiquitous a part of American life as they once were, but there’s still one place that most everyone interacts with orchestra music: film scores.

When Renee Fleming, one of the world’s great sopranos, planned her gala program with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, she included music from three films that feature her voice: “The Shape of Water,” “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and “Bel Canto.”

“I was the voice of Julianne Moore in ‘Bel Canto,’ and I’ve never looked so good,” Ms. Fleming said from the stage of Heinz Hall, Downtown, at Saturday’s gala concert. “Some people said she’d never sounded so good, so there’s a trade-off.”

Ms. Fleming’s skill lies in the ability to control a long phrase — a slow crescendo or diminuendo, subtle changes of energy, different shadings of vocal color — while tossing off her melodies with effortless freshness. Like most music, this involves a tough balance between meticulous planning and spontaneity. And a gorgeous, rich, clear voice makes listening a transportive experience.

PSO music director Manfred Honeck led the orchestra in this season kickoff, taking listeners on a lighthearted tour of some of orchestra music’s greatest hits, beginning with Bernstein’s Overture to “Candide,” continuing through Satie’s “Gymnopedie” No. 1, Rossini’s Overture to “The Barber of Seville” and Saint-Saens’ “Bacchanale” from “Samson et Dalila.”

The mood was festive, evanescent even. Mr. Honeck’s tempos erred on the quick side, which kept the evening dancing along in high spirits but occasionally led to some rhythmic incoherence.

Ms. Fleming, an Indiana, Pa., native, began with Manuel Ponce’s “Estrellita,” a gorgeous, schmaltzy tune, continuing with Carlos Castellano Gomez’s “La Morena de mi Copla” (here the orchestra was a touch loud, though the exuberance suited the piece), and Ruggero Leoncavallo’s “Mattinata.”

Bellini’s “Casta diva” from the opera “Norma” was the highlight of the evening, musicians and singer alike delivering the aria with sublime grace and sensitivity.

The symphony announced that next season’s gala artist will be pianist Lang Lang, who also performed at last year’s PSO gala, although an injury led to some unorthodox programming choices.

Something new

In 2016, conductor Edward Leonard founded the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh to perform works from that niche in the classical music repertoire that calls for a smaller orchestra than appears at Heinz Hall. The 17member orchestra opened its season on Friday at the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh in Shadyside with music by Haydn and Wagner before premiering a new work by local composer Chris Massa.

Mr. Leonard and the ensemble displayed an engaging attention to detail and phrasing and captured the feel of the music well. There were exciting bits and majestic moments, plenty of emotive range. On the other hand, rhythm and pulse were inconsistent at times. Intonation was weak, particularly in soft, sustained chords. The church’s acoustics are not good for instrumental music, which partly could be to blame.

Mr. Massa’s work is the complete opposite of much of the more experimental composers of today. It is simple, tuneful and tonal. The orchestra premiered his first symphony, “Apologia,” which the composer described as a “journey of faith.” It was a tranquil affair overall, inviting of self-reflection and borrowing from several famous hymn tunes. While pleasant, it did not leave much of an impression.

This ensemble shows great promise, and as it matures, attention to tuning and chord balances (these tended to be wind and treble heavy) need the most attention. Information about future chamber orchestra concerts can be found at copgh.com.