United States Various: James Ehnes (violin), Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra / Kevin John Edusei (conductor). Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, 6.11.2026. (SJ)
Sophia Jani – I Wish You Daisies and Roses
Tchaikovsky – Violin Concerto in D major, Op.35
Encore: Bach – Andante from Violin Sonata No.2 in A minor, BWV1003
R. Strauss – Also sprach Zarathustra, Op.30
German conductor Kevin John Edusei debuted with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in a program bookended by German works. A contemporary composition opened the evening: I Wish You Daisies and Roses by Sophia Jani, composed in 2024. It was the first piece Jani wrote after becoming a mother, intended as a gift for her infant son. Its clangorous beginnings suggested an outpouring of emotion, the preciousness of its title belied by the weighty writing for brass and percussion. This gave way to music of stasis and repose, conveyed through a delicate lattice of strings. Unlike the Richard Strauss and Tchaikovsky works that made up the bulk of the program, this was music free of strife and turmoil, an unguarded expression of love and joy.
Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto brought back soloist James Ehnes, who noted that this year marks the thirtieth anniversary of his PSO debut. The expansive first movement began gentle and genteel, and Ehnes offered a tone poised and richly lyrical. He traversed the fingerboard with fluidity, and his thoughtful phrasing showed attention to subtlety and nuance. Orchestra and conductor were supportive partners, playing with appropriate swagger when needed.
The winds sounded somewhat harsh at the opening of the central Canzonetta, though their edge softened when Ehnes entered. Whereas the lyricism of the first movement was lush and unabashed, this was lyrical writing, distant and haunting. Quite a contrast was the sprightly finale, propelled forward by its relentless kinetic energy. Ehnes maintained a robust tone, even at great speed. For an encore, the Andante from Bach’s A minor Sonata made a radiant pendant to the concerto.
Occupying the second half was Richard Strauss’s tone poem, Also sprach Zarathustra. Despite being such a landmark of the orchestral repertoire, this was the first PSO performance in a decade. Edusei conducted the complex score from memory, not only marshalling the PSO for a technically remarkable performance but conveying its philosophical dimension with conviction as the music explored various approaches to the search for fundamental answers. The iconic opening ‘Sunrise’ showcased the power of the PSO brass, answered by timpani strokes. The strings were also a force to be reckoned with, resounding in the opulence of ‘Backworldsmen’ or the methodical, exacting fugue, ‘Of Science and Learning’.
In ‘Das Tanzlied’, concertmaster David McCarroll’s extensive solo was stylishly articulated and given with a gritty, earthy tone to evoke a Bavarian folk fiddle. The orchestral sound throughout was sumptuous and richly blended, with powerful but not bombastic climaxes. Despite its extravagance, the work came to a close shrouded in enigma, an introspective ending that left the questions posed all but unanswered.
Sam Jacobson