Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Dvorak: Symphony No. 9; Simon: Four Black American Dances Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

The highly acclaimed “Pittsburgh Live!” series from the Fresh! label reaches its 17th installment with Reference Recordings: this time featuring Manfred Honeck’s masterful interpretation of Antonín Dvořák’s “Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 (From the New World)” as well as the first commercial release of Carlos Simon’s “Four Black American Dances.” The “Pittsburgh Live!” series won a Grammy in 2025 for its recordings of Bruckner’s “Symphony No. 7 / Bates: Resurrexit” and in 2018 for Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 5 / Barber ‘Adagio for Strings’.” The album was recorded live in February 2025 at the beautiful and historic Heinz Hall, home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, in outstanding sound quality.

Maestro Honeck once again graces us with his insightful and personal commentary on the music, offering a magnificent insight into this most famous of all Dvořák symphonies. Carlos Simon is currently Composer in Residence with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., and holds the position of First Composer Chair at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His musical spectrum ranges from concert music for large and small ensembles to film scores with influences from jazz, gospel, and neo-romanticism. He was nominated for a 2023 Grammy® Award in the “Best Contemporary Classical Composition” category for “Requiem For The Enslaved,” which commemorates the stories of the 272 enslaved men, women, and children sold by Georgetown University in 1838. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra looks back on a long tradition and is deeply committed to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. Since 2008, the orchestra has been led by Manfred Honeck, its internationally renowned music director. The orchestra has always been a pioneer in promoting new works and boasts a long and illustrious history of recordings and live radio broadcasts dating back to the 1930s. It has toured regularly both domestically and internationally since 1896. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra continues to be celebrated by critics as one of the world’s finest orchestras.

This release and the entire “Pittsburgh Live!” series were produced, recorded, and mastered by the Soundmirror team, whose outstanding orchestral, solo, opera, and chamber music recordings have received over 140 (!) Grammy nominations and awards to date. Reference Recordings has been responsible for many award-winning CDs, Hybrid SACDs, and LPs in the fields of classical, jazz, blues and world music in recent years. All releases are recorded with the conviction that the sound of a recording is just as important as the music itself.

MUSICIANS

Manfred Honeck (music director) Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Recorded Live, February 2025, at Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

We recommend the use of "L'Art du Son" CD/DVD conditioner for even more sonic improvement.