Gramophone Magazine reviews the Pittsburgh Symphony and Manfred Honeck’s recording of Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 & Leshnoff: Double Concerto in the September 2020 issue:
“Manfred Honeck… [in Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4] conveys a strong sense of structural integrity while simultaneously portraying the unfolding drama in vivid colours. … the playing itself is exquisite. In the Scherzo, Honeck is meticulous in his observance of piano and pianissimo markings, while the finale packs a wallop. Indeed, the symphony’s final moments are absolutely thrilling, conveying not only the frisson of a live performance but a satisfyingly riotous explosion of pent-up emotion. … Jonathan Leshnoff’s Double Concerto (2018) may seem an odd bedfellow to the Tchaikovsky on paper but the overarching lyricism of its first two movements has a peculiarly Slavic bent – note the first movement’s Shostakovich-like climax at 4’28” – despite its strong American accent. … it’s wholly engaging… and played with affection and finesse by the orchestra’s first-desk clarinettist and bassoonist.”
—Andrew Farach-Colton, Gramophone