Elizabeth Bloom, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 16th May 2015

“To keep the symphonic literature fresh, the only thing as effective as premiering a new work is giving a repeat performance of a slightly older one. To that end, Friday’s Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concert marked one of the most important artistic endeavors of the season.

Led by British conductor Michael Francis, music director designate of the Florida Orchestra, the program hinged on the world premiere of Jake Heggie’s “The Work at Hand,” a concerto for cello and mezzo-soprano commissioned by the PSO and Carnegie Hall. The performance featured PSO principal cellist Anne Martindale Williams and the Heinz Hall debut of the exciting young opera singer Jamie Barton…

…Against the tapping of bongos, the cello slid between the dueling halves of the pungent opening melody, followed by the cantorial entrance of the voice. A march-like second movement embodied the yoga pose, reflecting the speaker’s mixed feelings about predicting defeat. Rising melodies from the voice and cello mimicked the act of lifting hands in the yoga pose. The third part, opening with a long cello solo, is an ethereal appreciation of nature.

The work had a profound emotional intelligence, matching and uniting music and text…

…The concert opened with the PSO premiere of Mason Bates’ ‘Alternative Energy.’ The four-movement piece explores the notion of energy across time and space, from a Midwestern farm in 1896 to a Chinese nuclear plant in the future. With a large orchestra, including a car-parts drum-kit, the work from 2011 also employed the composer’s trademark electronics (which he was on hand to perform). It touched on elements as diverse as techno, jazz and the recordings of a particle collider, connected by an idee fixe, introduced by guest concertmaster Jonathan Crow of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The piece was effective when it offered varied rhythmic ideas and fully realized the timbres of the ensemble, such as the ballad-like Thai gongs in the finale.

Because Mr. Bates is the PSO’s composer-of-the-year, his music has been on several programs; this was the best performance. Mr. Francis enhanced these new pieces with his clear musical ideas and technique…”