By MIRANDA SOUSA
On a rainy October Friday, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra presented Romantic Rachmaninoff, a BNY Classics program consisting of Sergei Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 125 and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s monumental Symphony n. 2 in E Minor, Op. 27. Under the baton of Houston Symphony’s Music Director Juraj Valčuha and featuring cello soloist Alisa Weilerstein, the program opened with Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante (1952), a three-movement piece derived from the composer’s first drafts of his own Cello Concerto, published in 1951. Between 1950 and 1952, the composer and cello virtuoso Mstislav Rostropovich worked extensively on the Sinfonia Concertante, which premiered in 1952 in Moscow, featuring Rostropovich as soloist.
Once the orchestra is set and tuned, Valcuha and Weilerstein walk onstage. The soloist wears red sequined overalls, showcasing charisma and a magnetic presence. She sets up her cello position, and after a few seconds, the first movement starts. The solo part overflows with double stops and scale runs of extreme technical difficulty. During the central part of the movement, the orchestra and soloist dialogue, with rich participation of the woodwinds. This part likely justifies the title Sinfonia Concertante: a piece that combines characteristics of both the symphony and the concerto, with the orchestra as a second soloist commenting on the main part. Weilerstein’s domain of the instrument and impeccable technique show throughout the movement, and she captures the audience with her fierce energy and attitude; following the principles of a concertante piece, the orchestra supports the soloist but also dialogues with her constantly.
The second movement features a cello part replete with wild scales and chords. The movement has an extended cadenza-like solo part, where Weileirstein brings Prokofiev’s melodic romanticism to the forefront. This part features a long and lyrical melody that contrasts with the virtuoso technical chords and runs that close the movement.
The third movement starts with variations of a folk theme that pass from the soloist to the rest of the orchestra, followed by a brass choir. The concertante trait shows throughout this movement, with soloist and orchestra presenting variations of the opening theme. Prokofiev uses varied orchestral colors in this movement, including dialogues between the soloist and strings, woodwinds, percussion, and celesta. Once again, Weilerstein demonstrates her command of the instrument, tackling every technical difficulty and bringing out the piece’s passionate, romantic character. The audience, captivated by her performance, explodes in a standing ovation. After three curtain calls, she performs the Sarabande of Bach’s Fourth Suite for solo cello as an encore, closing her participation with brilliance and lyricism.
The second part of the concert features Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony, a 55-minute symphonic work traditionally performed with several cuts due to its length. For this concert, the PSO presents the symphony in its full form, with a total 55-minute performance. If during the first part of the concert the PSO served commentary, harmonic and rhythmic support to the soloist, in the second part the orchestra sections demonstrate all their power in the interpretation of a staple of the symphonic repertory. The first movement starts with a theme on the basses that rapidly spread to the violins and the entire string section. The movement is in sonata form, with the woodwinds presenting the contrasting second theme. The solo parts in the woodwinds are all praiseworthy, but it is paramount to highlight the English horn, whose warm sound translated all the expressiveness of Rachmaninoff’s romanticism.
The second movement starts with an ostinato in the upper strings, resembling a scherzo. The French horns (one of the best sections in the PSO, in my opinion) present the main theme, based on the Dies Irae (an ancient chant of the Roman Catholic mass for the dead). The movement, however, is essentially rhythmic, and the scherzo-like quality returns one more time, only to quiet down at the end.
During the third movement, Valčuha lays down his baton and uses his hands to convey the fluidity and lyricism of the melodies. This movement probably best captures the idea of a Romantic Rachmaninoff: the entire movement features lyrical, expressive melodies, reminiscent of the operatic stage. The highlight of the movement is the lengthy clarinet solo, performed with remarkable musicality by principal clarinetist Michael Rusinek. The first movement’s introduction is cited again, revealing the composer’s intention to revisit previously presented material, which he fully develops in the last movement of the symphony. The finale starts with a fanfare-like energy, and after presenting fragments of the previous movements, Rachmaninoff builds up tension that resolves in a festive tutti. While the third movement featured the woodwinds and brass, the strings (and particularly the violins) rule in this finale, bringing the majestic symphonic work to a close.
A word about Juraj Valčuha’s performance: while Alisa Weilerstein’s charisma obfuscated the conductor’s presence in the first part of the concert (all eyes and ears were on her, no doubt), in the second part his performance and musical choices undoubtedly showed: he communicated with the musicians using not only gestures, but also his eyes and body language. His choice of abandoning the baton on the third movement of the symphony to convey the lyricism of the piece definitely paid off, as the music appeared more fluid and the phrasing more ample.
How is it possible for me to be original when commenting on the PSO’s performance? This is a state-of-the-art orchestra, probably among the best in the country, and its performances typically display a high quality and musicality that only comes after an ensemble has performed together for quite a while. This rainy Friday was no different: the audience watched a wonderful performance by an ensemble that not only has a strong command of Rachmaninoff’s and Prokofiev’s romantic language, but also presented a refreshing and vibrant rereading of a repertoire that’s almost a hundred years old, yet still has much to communicate. Speaking of the audience, while the demographics tended to a majority of senior patrons, there were many young people at Heinz Hall appreciating the concert. The PSO has been making an effort to create a closer rapport with these new audiences, commissioning new music, having their Friday concerts broadcast at WQED, having pre-concert activities where audiences can meet members of the orchestra, and presenting short lectures about the repertory. In addition, the PSO recently released promotional prices, where patrons can purchase select single tickets for US $25, which includes this concert. The PSO will repeat Friday’s performance on Sunday, October 18, at 2.30 pm. Twenty-five bucks, state-of-the-art musicianship, an international soloist, and a fabulous concert hall with many Instagrammable options. I wouldn’t miss it if I were you.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
The Pittsburgh Symphony presents Romantic Rachmaninoff, part of the BNY Classics series at Heinz Hall. The next performance is October 18th, 2026. Tickets at: https://pittsburghsymphony.org/production/104552/romantic-rachmaninoff \
In addition to Sunday’s concert, you can hear acclaimed cellist Alisa Weilerstein while sitting on the Heinz Hall stage as part of the PSO360 series this Saturday, October 17th at 7:30. For PSO360 tickets and more information, visit: https://pittsburghsymphony.org/production/108382/pso360-alisa-weilerstein
Miranda Sousa is a Musicology PhD candidate at the University of Pittsburgh. Beyond her scholarly work, Miranda is an accomplished bassist and conductor with extensive experience across orchestral, musical theater, and educational settings — she worked as an orchestral musician, teacher, and researcher in Brazil for over a decade before coming to Pittsburgh to pursue her PhD.
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