In a special one-night-only performance just ahead of the end of the season, the Pittsburgh Symphony brought Yo-Yo Ma back to Heinz Hall to an enthusiastic, sold-out crowd. One could feel the spirit of celebration wandering through the hall, an ethos fittingly captured by Shostakovich’s Festive Overture which began the program. Not exactly a subtle opener, its brassy brilliance and ebullience saw the Soviet composer in a rare moment of jubilation.
Another brightly orchestrated work followed in Bizet’s L’Arlésienne. Four selections pulled from both the orchestral suites the composer drew from the incidental music were offered, beginning with an energetic and flexible Carillon. The graceful Adagietto contrasted with its inward lyricism, and the genteel Minuetto boasted an infectious lilt before matters landed on the flamboyant Farandole.
Following that festive prelude, it was time for Yo-Yo Ma to take the stage. A touching video segment saw members of the PSO and administration sharing personal stories and anecdotes about the cellist. Connecting the program to the city of Pittsburgh, Ma’s performance began with a medley of songs by Fred Rogers, written for his PBS show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Rogers was a native of Latrobe, Pennsylvania – about an hour east of Pittsburgh – and spent most of his professional life here.
The arrangement for cello choir was scored by Richard Powers, father of PSO cellist Charlie Powers, and was performed by a dozen players. The richness of the cello ensemble made for a striking sound, but above all, it conveyed a harmonious, congenial support for one another, a tenet Rogers devoted his life to conveying. Ma is something of a Fred Rogers figure himself with his unconditional love for all and way of bringing people together (and was once a guest on Rogers’ show). The medley closed with It’s Such a Good Feeling and the snappy rhythms imparted a love of life. For myself and I’m sure many others in the audience, these songs constitute core childhood memories, making for an all the more moving addition to the program.
Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B minor was the banner event, and under music director Manfred Honeck, Ma and the PSO offered a masterful and impassioned performance. One could feel the mutual admiration Ma and the orchestral musicians had for each other radiating from the stage. Mysterious, dark-hued material opened, with phrases deftly shaped. Almost as iconic as any of the cello passages is the horn solo, played with lustrous warmth by William Caballero.
Ma entered with blistering, burnished intensity, totally absorbed in the music, often playing with his eyes closed. More lyrical passages were gorgeous moments of repose and even more so in the slow movement with its sumptuous, long-bowed cello lines. The finale was not without a certain Slavic fire and flare, given a stylish reading and sharp rhythmic inflections. A more downtempo section offered a pensive interlude before the bold close, highlighted by a band of offstage brass.
The audience all but demanded encores, and Ma indulged with three, beginning with a pair of the spirituals that captivated Dvořák during his time in America. And lastly, a piece one invariably associates with Ma: the radiant prelude from Bach’s G major Cello Suite.
