When William Steinberg took over from 1952-76 he took them on tour to Europe and made many recordings. He was followed by André Previn who helped the orchestra to make a television series "Previn and the Pittsburgh". Lorin Maazel, who came from Pittsburgh, conducted them until 1996, taking them on several international tours. Mariss Jansons followed Maazel from 1997-2004. After he left the orchestra had guest conductors but not a musical director (main conductor) for four years. In 2008 the Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck was made music director. Leonard Slatkin is the main guest conductor.
In 2004, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra with conductor Gilbert Levine became the first American orchestra to play for the Pope.
Andrea del Verrocchio
Andrea del Verrocchio (c. 1435 – 1488) was an Italian sculptor, goldsmith and painter. He had an important workshop in Florence. Many other Renaissance painters were Verrocchio's apprentices or worked in his workshop. These included Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and Perugino. Verrocchio's most famous apprentice was Leonardo da Vinci.
Verrocchio was born in Florence in 1435. His father was Michele di Francesco Cioni who was not married to Verrocchio's mother. Michele made tiles and bricks. Later he worked as a tax collector. He worked for the Medici family of bankers, then he moved to Venice.
When Verrocchio was born, he was named Andrea di Francesco di Cioni. His name was changed to Andrea del Verrocchio when he was apprenticed to a goldsmith called Verrocchio (who was probably Francesco di Luca Verrocchio, who was very rich and successful). As an apprentice to a goldsmith, Verrocchio learnt how to make jewellery and golden tableware such as plates, dishes, jugs and salt containers. He learnt how to hammer gold into thin sheets called "gold leaf" and use it to decorate picture frames, statues and illuminated manuscripts. He also learnt how to make bronze statues. Verrocchio's bronze statues are his most famous works.
At this time Verrocchio met Donatello. Donatello became one of the most famous sculptors ever. He made many more statues than Verrocchio. However, Donatello and Verrocchio both made a statue of David with the head of Goliath, and both made a huge statue of a famous soldier on horseback (equestrian statue). Art historians often compare the two Davids and the two equestrian statues.
It is thought that Verrocchio began painting in the 1460s, when he worked at Prato with the painter Fra Filippo Lippi. There is only one known painting that was signed by Verrocchio. This is an altarpiece of the "Madonna and Child with Saints" in the Cathedral of Pistoia, painted in the late 1470s. There are several more paintings from Verrocchio's studio. They have probably been painted partly by Verrocchio and partly by his students.
The most famous of these paintings was done between 1472 and 1475. It is a "Baptism of Christ". Giorgio Vasari writing in his book "Lives of the Great Artists" says that the angel on the left was painted by Leonardo da Vinci. Vasari says that when Verrocchio saw how beautifully the eighteen-year-old apprentice could paint, he put down his brush and never painted again. On close examination, it can be seen that most of the painting is painted in old-fashioned tempera, but the angel, parts of Jesus' body, and the background landscape have been painted in the new technique of oil painting. This makes art historians think that Leonardo worked on many parts of this picture. It has also been suggested that Botticelli painted the second angel.
Verrochio made two large beautiful things out of stone, a coffin and a wash basin. He is thought to have also carved a Madonna and Child in low relief (an almost-flat stone picture).
Verrocchio's most famous sculptures are made in bronze which is a sort of metal. To make a bronze statue, Verrocchio made the statue in wax. Then plaster was put over the wax, and the wax was removed, leaving a mould. The metal was heated over a furnace until it melted and became molten (liquid). The molten metal was poured into the mould and slowly allowed to cool. When the plaster was chipped away, the bronze statue was inside. The statue then needed to be finished and polished.
The Church of San Lorenzo (St Lawrence) was a new church in Florence. It was built by the architect Brunelleschi in the new style of the Renaissance. The Medici family were the most important patrons of this church. The family chose Verrocchio as the sculptor to make three works for San Lorenzo.
In 1465 Verrocchio made a wash basin for the room of San Lorenzo's where the robes and Communion vessels were kept. (It is now called the "Old Sacristy".) Above the basin is carved an eagle, the symbol of St John the Evangelist. On the bowl of the basin is carved the Medici coat of arms. Verrocchio then had to design a tomb for Cosimo, the famous banker, and grandfather of the Medici family.
In the early 1470s Lorenzo de' Medici gave him the job of designing the tomb of Lorenzo's father Piero and uncle Giovanni. The tomb that Verrocchio designed was very unusual. He made a large "sarcophagus" (stone coffin) out of beautiful dark red stone, trimmed with green stone and sculptured leaves of bronze. Instead of being placed against a wall in the usual way, the tomb was designed to stand in an archway leading into the Sacristy. Verrocchio designed a net that looks as if it is made of rope, but is made of bronze. This network makes a screen in the archway, so that people who look at the tomb can see through into the sacristy.
The most unusual church in Florence is Orsanmichele. This building is an ancient corn-market that had, painted on the wall, a precious image of the "Madonna and Child". The corn-market was turned into a church, and the sides of the building, which used to be open, were given walls. The walls had "niches" which is a hollow that a statue can stand in. The niches were big enough for life-sized statues. Many people worked at different jobs in the city of Florence. The people of different jobs belonged to organisations called "guilds". Every important guild in the city wanted to have a statue of their patron saint in a niche at Orsanmichele Church. The statues were made by some of the finest sculptors of Florence.
In 1466 the Guild of Traders gave Verrocchio the job of making a bronze statue of their saint, St Thomas. Verrocchio made a group of two figures which shows the most important moment in the story of St Thomas. At the back of the niche stands the figure of Jesus, raising one hand to Heaven. St Thomas stands at the edge of the niche, looking at Jesus in amazement and reaching out his hand to touch the spear-wound in Jesus' side. Verrocchio's statue was admired for the way in which he had fitted the two figures into the space, and the way in which he had told the story.
At about this time Verrocchio also made a huge brass candlestick for the Palazzo Vecchio (the town hall). This candlestick is now in Amsterdam.
In the 1470s, Lorenzo Medici and his brother Giuliano gave Verrocchio the job of making a statue of David. David, a shepherd boy in a story from the Bible, had killed the giant, Goliath. He was one of the patrons of the city. Nowadays there are at least eight statues of David in Florence, the most famous one being by Michelangelo.
When Verrocchio made his statue, the most famous "David" in Florence was a life-sized bronze statue by Donatello. This statue shows David naked, except for his boots and hat. The figure stands gracefully, looking down at the giant head at his feet. It looks very much like an Ancient Greek statue. Verrochio's statue of David is very different, even though it is a similar size and is also made of bronze.