Piano recital by Inon Barnatan with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Karina Canellakis, featuring Beethoven's Second Piano Concerto and Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances.
Inon Barnatan takes the stage at Heinz Hall on Sunday, October 25, for a matinee with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He's on piano, with Karina Canellakis conducting, and the program pairs two very different works: Beethoven's Second Piano Concerto and Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances.
Barnatan, an American-Israeli pianist, handles the Beethoven with a refined touch and expressive nuances, and Canellakis leads the orchestra in a playful, sparkling dialogue with the piano that brings out the work's wit and energy. Beethoven wrote the concerto between 1787 and 1789, so it comes from his early years, when he was still finding his voice as a composer and pianist. The second half of the program shifts gears entirely with Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances, which opens up a world of vivid colors and blends Russian folk music, liturgical chant, and lush orchestral writing. It's a stark contrast to the Beethoven—one a bright, conversational concerto, the other a rich, atmospheric orchestral piece.
Both are backed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, which was founded in 1895 by British composer, conductor, and organist Frederic Archer. It's one of the oldest and most prestigious orchestras in the country, and it's performed all over the world, including a 2004 concert for Pope John Paul II. This performance is also available live on WQED 89.3 FM, so you can listen in from home if you can't make it to the hall.
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The concert runs from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM at Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave, and tickets range from $32 to $119.
