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The Europadisc Review
Dvorak: Symphony no.9; Carlos Simon: Four Black American Dan...
Manfred Honeck, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (orchestra)
£14.26
They’ve done it again! Manfred Honeck and his splendid Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra have established a formidable reputation for their refreshing recordings of orchestral repertoire favourites in enterprising couplings, often with works by living composers. Now they turn to one of the most recorded works in the catalogue and, coupling it with a vibrant new set of dances by a rising American composer, they’ve created a disc that is as fine a way as any of celebrating this year’s USA semiquincentennial. Few conductors have developed s... read more
They’ve done it again! Manfred Honeck and his splendid Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra have established a formidable reputation for their refreshing recordings of orchestral repertoire favourites in ent... read more
Dvorak: Symphony no.9; Carlos Simon: Four Black American Dan...
Manfred Honeck, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (orchestra)
They’ve done it again! Manfred Honeck and his splendid Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra have established a formidable reputation for their refreshing recordings of orchestral repertoire favourites in enterprising couplings, often with works by living composers. Now they turn to one of the most recorded works in the catalogue and, coupling it with a vibrant new set of dances by a rising American composer, they’ve created a disc that is as fine a way as any of celebrating this year’s USA semiquincentennial.
Few conductors have developed such a distinctive interpretative partnership with an orchestra as Manfred Honeck has with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Over nearly two decades together, they have cultivated a style marked by meticulous attention to orchestral colour, dramatic pacing, and an unerring sense of long-range architecture. Honeck’s interpretation combines deep knowledge of and respect for tradition with a forensic reevaluation and attention to detail of the scores. This latest release for Reference Recordings couples that perennial audience favourite, Dvořák's Symphony no.9, ‘From the New World’, with the first commercial recording of Carlos Simon's Four Black American Dances, recorded live in Heinz Hall during concerts in February 2025.
The pairing is inspired. Dvořák famously urged American composers to build their musical identity upon African American spirituals and Native American traditions. More than a century later, Simon responds not by imitating those traditions but (following Dvořák's precedent) by presenting living Black American musical culture through a contemporary orchestral language. The dialogue between the two works feels both historically informed and musically natural.
Honeck approaches the ‘New World’ Symphony with the interpretative freedom and care over detail that have become his trademarks. His performances rarely sound routine, and this account is no exception. Tempos breathe organically, phrases expand and contract naturally, and countless details emerge from the orchestral texture without ever seeming artificially spotlighted.
The opening movement (complete with exposition repeat) unfolds with remarkable patience. Rather than rushing toward the Allegro, Honeck allows the introduction to accumulate tension, making the arrival of the principal theme all the more compelling. He eases the tension for the famous, delicately-hued second subject in a way that feels totally appropriate and unmannered. The Pittsburgh strings possess warmth without heaviness, while the brass section projects power without overwhelming the orchestral balance. Throughout the movement, Honeck demonstrates an exceptional ability to clarify inner voices, allowing woodwind counter-melodies and harmonic transitions to register with unusual vividness.
The famous Largo benefits particularly from Honeck's refusal to sentimentalise, and he pays special attention to the movement’s quieter dynamics. The cor anglais melody sings with quiet dignity rather than excessive nostalgia, supported by beautifully graded string playing. Every phrase seems carefully shaped, yet nothing feels mannered. The movement unfolds as one continuous meditation, its emotional power arising from restraint rather than indulgence.
The Scherzo zips dizzyingly along with infectious rhythmic vitality. Honeck captures both the rustic exuberance of Dvořák's Czech heritage and the work's broader American associations. The Pittsburgh percussion provides crisp definition while the woodwinds contribute characterful playing throughout the trio sections, which have a beautiful Schubertian lilt. Among countless details throughout the performance, I particularly like the naughty-but-nice extension and crescendo to the upper strings’ final note before plunging into the coda.
In the finale, Honeck maintains impressive structural control despite the movement's episodic nature. Climaxes are carefully prepared, and the recurring thematic references to earlier movements emerge naturally within the musical narrative. The coda, often treated as merely bombastic, instead becomes genuinely triumphant, bringing the symphony to a satisfying and hard-earned conclusion.
If Dvořák provides the familiar centrepiece, Carlos Simon's Four Black American Dances prove to be far more than an attractive filler. Premiered in 2023, the four-movement work explores dance as an essential expression of Black American cultural identity, encompassing ritual, celebration, elegance, virtuosity, and worship.
The opening ‘Ring Shout’ immediately establishes Simon's distinctive voice. Layered rhythms, vibrant orchestration, and compelling momentum evoke communal ceremony while avoiding straightforward quotation. Instead, Simon transforms historical practices into a thoroughly contemporary orchestral language rich in colour and energy.
The ‘Waltz’ offers striking contrast. Here Simon subtly reimagines a European dance form through a Black American cultural lens, creating music that is graceful yet quietly questioning. The result is a sardonic slow waltz that is constantly getting ‘stuck’ in itself. Honeck shapes its lyrical lines with the same care he brings to Dvořák, allowing the music's harmonic richness to emerge naturally.
‘Tap!’ is perhaps the score's most immediately engaging movement. Percussion assumes a central role, suggesting the astonishing rhythmic complexity of tap dancing without attempting literal imitation. The Pittsburgh players execute its intricate rhythms with remarkable precision, creating an exhilarating sense of propulsion.
The concluding ‘Holy Dance’ draws upon the ecstatic traditions of Black church worship. Beginning in an atmosphere of mystery, the movement gradually builds toward an overwhelming climax that feels both spiritual and theatrical. Simon's orchestration here is especially impressive, balancing brilliance (a particularly jazzy brashness to the brass) with transparency while allowing the music's emotional sincerity to shine through.
Honeck deserves considerable credit for presenting Simon's work with exactly the same seriousness and interpretative commitment that he brings to Dvořák. There is no sense of a modern obligatory companion piece; instead, these Four Black American Dances emerge as a substantial artistic statement fully worthy of sharing the programme.
Audiophiles will find much to admire in the engineering. Reference Recordings has long established a reputation for natural, spacious orchestral sound, and this release continues that tradition. The live recording preserves the excitement of the performance while maintaining exceptional clarity and dynamic range. Individual instrumental lines remain clearly defined even during the largest tuttis, and Heinz Hall's warm acoustic enhances rather than obscures the orchestral detail.
This release succeeds on every level. It offers a deeply considered and blazingly fresh interpretation of a cornerstone of the symphonic repertoire (an easy match for the legendary recordings of the past), introduces an important contemporary work in a superb first recording, showcases one of America's finest orchestras at the height of its powers, and benefits from demonstration-quality recorded sound. It also illuminates an enduring (and timely) musical conversation about America that stretches from Dvořák's late nineteenth-century vision to Carlos Simon's vibrant twenty-first-century voice. Few recent orchestral releases combine such artistic excellence with such thoughtful programming.
The Spin Doctor Europadisc's Weekly Column
Music of the Iberian Peninsula Part 4: The Spanish and Portuguese Baroque 30th June 2026
30th June 2026
For many music lovers, the Baroque era immediately conjures images of Bach's intricate counterpoint, Handel's majestic choruses, Vivaldi’s dazzling violin concertos or Charpentier’s sumptuous vocal music. Yet on the southwestern edge of Europe another remarkable musical tradition flourished during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. The Iberian Peninsula developed a distinctive Baroque voice that combined religious intensity, courtly sophistication and popular vitality. Drawing upon centuries of cultural exchange between Christian, Jewish and Islamic traditions, Iberian composers created music that was both deeply rooted in local customs and fully conversant with European trends.
Today, thanks to pioneering performers and musicologists, the works of these neglected masters are finally emerging from the archives. Their music reveals a colourful landscape of... read more
