Photos - Slatkin, Bates and Danielpour at Heinz Hall

I read in a review by the New York Times that the PSO's program seems to some how be lacking in new music.... Well I'm not sure their definition, but judging by the evening's performance, there were two new pieces, one by Danielpour who we've seen several times this season, and an amazing Techno fusion with the orchestra and the composer Mason Bates playing 'Electronica' which could hardly be called anything but new music, something very close to popular culture, yet not lacking in interesting symphonic elements.

I was very pleased with the new music. There were quite an array of instruments here this evening (see some below). There was this large drum which I suppose made a storm like sound for the 'Liquid Interface' composition, and there was a washboard, played very interestingly, and there were even multiple glasses filled with water - the musician played it by running his wet finger along the edge!

There was also Bernstein's On the Town, and finally, Gershwin's An American in Paris, how could I go wrong?

It was nice to see Leonard Slatkin return and I'm glad he is as energetic as ever.

Leonard Slatkin at PSO - does only music that 'touches me', as in 'the music of this country' 

Mason Bates and Richard Danielpour post concert chat - Discuss their compositions Liquid Interface and Pastime

Leonard Slatkin, conductor

Mason Bates: 'Liquid Interface'

Richard Danielpour: 'Pastime'

Video Harp on display at Heinz Hall

Creator: Paul McAvinney

Finger tracking and gesture interpretation software

Paul McAvinney and Dr. Joe Newcomer

Produced by the Sensor Frame Corp, Pittsburgh 1991

Presented for the PSO by Joe Newcomer

Various instruments used for the concerts this evening

javadoug standing at the banister at Heinz Hall

Young artists in the lobby before the concert

The moon, before the concert :)