In the 1950s, under William Steinberg, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra never reached the same level as, say, the Philadelphia Orchestra of the same decade under Ormandy. Although sustained by fair enough precision and virtuosity, the playing throughout maintains a rough quality echoed by the conductor’s earthbound and careful phrasings. No matter how colorful some of these pieces may be, Steinberg infuses no magic or poetry into them, preferring thick textures and a square, all-purpose beat instead of expressive rubato, thrilling virtuosity, and delicate alchemy of timbres. The dynamic “full dimensional sound” only adds to the frustration, for it allows the music to come out with great clarity and balance. The two Tchaikovsky “pièces de résistance” sound heavy and not the least exciting, while Night on Bald Mountain completely omits the devilish side of Mussorgsky’s masterpiece. Give it a try only if you’re interested in the evolution of sound engineering.
