I am enjoying the entire Mahler symphony cycle by the Pittsburg Symphony orchestra.  I became somewhat familiar with this orchestra as well as that of Cleveland back in the early 1970’s when my work colleague was a violinist in both. 

We were psychotherapist colleagues employed in the same clinical psychiatric hospital. I believe he was a Jewish fellow, Goldman, but this never came up for discussion between us.  We were more or less the same age.  He visited my middle Georgia shared cabin surrounded by the Piedmont National Forest (north of Macon, GA) one long weekend.  It was my place to stay in the woods, thanks to my college friend, Bob.  Goldman brought along a box of album music, and lots of discussion about the production of these major pieces in the two orchestras.  In the deep silence of the mid Georgia pine forests, this music was glorious.  It was as if Goldman himself was conducting the orchestra.

We were listening to this on my JB Lansing speakers in cabinets I built, and stereo electronics I built from monoaural, analog circuits.  But, frankly, my turntable there was terrible compared to what I know about turntables today and I own today.  Nevertheless, we both enjoyed it. A memorable experience for sure.

Worthy of mention, these senior black gentlemen in their Sunday go-to-church suits enjoyed it also.  As it happened, Beethoven’s 9^th was playing on my speakers on Snday afternoon when these gentlemen came to sit on concrete blocks around the cow pond on the property and cast their fishing lines from cane poles into the cow pond about 50 yards downhill from our cabin. They would catch black bass from time to time and become excited, food for their table.  Imagine guys dancing round in black pants with starched white shirts around a mud pond. But they became much more excited by the loud 9^th symphony playing from our nearby cabin…literally dancing around the mud cow pond…celebrating the choral music, no fish.  My JB Lansing speakers were 12 inch diameter, they could hear it.  These gentlemen could hear the music loud and clear.

The 435 acre farm my friend Bob and I rented was owned by a black man in New York City.  Mr. Dewitt Hawes inherited this farm from generations of his ancestors since the Civil War.  It is grandfathered to him and at that time (early 1970s) was the only private property within the huge Piedmont National Forest.  Bob and I rented the farm for $35 per month with the obligation to feed the horse and slop the pigs.   

So, Goldman and I in the woods listened to the Beethoven cycle, the Mahler cycle, the Tchaikovsky cycle, part of Wagner’s Ring, with a few interesting introductions in the timeline.  So, for example, the Moonlight serenade was included in the Beethoven cycle with explanations from  Goldman.

There were several large parties in these woods attended by lots people and artists whose names you might recognize.  The sixties and seventies were memorable with regard to these music festivals.

As I write this, I am listening to Mahler’s 6^th by Pittsburg on Pandora. I wish I had the recording.

Until now, I have not heard another recording from this Pittsburgh orchestra.  I recommend it.  The orchestral balance is excellent.