Pittsburgh Symphony’s Team Effort Superb
Andrew Druckenbrod, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 6/1/2013
Richard Strauss’ “Ein Heldenleben,” or “A Hero’s Life,” has some of the most demanding of all solos that happen within a piece. In fact, the music the composer gave the concertmaster is easily violin concerto-worthy. Noah Bendix-Balgley was absolutely fantastic here, heartfelt but honest, in the depiction of his wife (the “hero” of the piece is Strauss himself, complete with a heroic them in the horns). He did more than hit all the notes with crafted beauty — he developed her character. He ever so slightly altered similar musical sentiments as the solo and its interaction with the orchestra went on.
