Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 - Schulhoff: Five Pieces / Honeck, Pittsburgh Symphony

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony has accompanied me since my earliest years as a conductor. Additionally, it took on special significance for me as it was the first major work that I conducted together with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 2006, unaware that they were looking for a new Music Director at the time. I take pleasure in returning to this symphony and continually discovering new elements in the score and it gives me the greatest joy to record this work with the fantastic musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. When I heard Erwin Schulhoff ’s Five Pieces for String Quartet in a wonderful concert by the Pittsburgh based Clarion Quartet a few years ago, I immediately had the idea to arrange these five jewels for large orchestra. Upon listening to them again, it was quite clear to me how to orchestrate this effectively for full orchestra and I knew that I wanted this to be the next in our line of new works performed and recorded for the first time. - MH In late 1888, aft