Tanglewood

Tanglewood on Parade 2017

August 2, 2016 Tanglewood concert review by Dave Read

Tanglewood on Parade is one of those events that qualifies as the coolest thing in the world, an event you’d make a point of attending, if you knew enough to. It is an all-day celebration of all things classically musical, in a variety of venues spread amid the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s million-acre campus in the Berkshires. You could catch two full symphonic concerts plus several recitals, while picnicking in the company of true picnic hobbyists, all on the same nickel.

Tchaikovsky’s simple and triumphant 1812 Overture caps the Gala Concert – the lithe Keith Lockhart conducting a massive ensemble combining the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops, including live mortar rounds while the Overture climaxes, followed by a twenty minute fireworks display over nearby Stockbridge Bowl.

Even the musically challenged, people who don’t know an allegro from a concertante, can witness it once, then again annually for a decade or more and still retain his utter naivete. The place hath charms that soothe even the rustic’s breast.

Tanglewood on Parade Concert Program

Tuesday, August 1, at 8pm
THE GREGORY E. BULGER FOUNDATION CONCERT
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER ORCHESTRA
BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRA
CHARLES DUTOIT, MORITZ GNANN, KEITH LOCKHART,
KEN-DAVID MASUR, BRAMWELL TOVEY, and
JOHN WILLIAMS, conductors
GARRICK OHLSSON, piano
DAWN UPSHAW, soprano

COPLAND Fanfare for the Common Man
FELLOWS OF THE TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER,
KEN-DAVID MASUR conducting

COPLAND Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
Andante sostenuto—
Molto moderato—Allegro assai
GARRICK OHLSSON, piano
TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER ORCHESTRA,
BRAMWELL TOVEY conducting

KODÁLY Suite from Háry János
Prelude. The Fairy Tale Begins Viennese Musical Clock Song
The Battle and Defeat of Napoleon
Intermezzo
Entrance of the Emperor and his Court
TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER ORCHESTRA,
CHARLES DUTOIT conducting

INTERMISSION

MENDELSSOHN Overture, The Hebrides (Fingal’s Cave), Opus 26
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA,
MORITZ GNANN conducting

GERSHWIN / KERN (arr. Nelson Riddle)
“Love is Here to Stay”
“I Won’t Dance”
DAWN UPSHAW, soprano
BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRA
KEITH LOCKHART conducting

John WILLIAMS Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
A New Beginning from Minority Report
Throne Room & Finale from Star Wars
BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRA
JOHN WILLIAMS conducting

TCHAIKOVSKY 1812 Overture, Opus 49
TMC ORCHESTRA and
BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
KEITH LOCKHART conducting

Tanglewood tickets, : box office info.

Hotels near Tanglewood

Find hotels near Tanglewood with user reviews, check amenities, nearby attractions, availability and then book your room reservations at these lodging establishments through our partner, International Hotel Solutions (IHS), the leading provider of secure online hotel reservations.

Getting around the Tanglewood campus

The Tanglewood campus, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Tanglewood Music Center comprises several hundred acres in the towns of Lenox and Stockbridge. It is the location of the Koussevitsky Music Shed and Ozawa Hall, where hundreds of thousands attend concerts and a variety of events, including picnics. We always advise new visitors to arrive early and take their daily walking exercise wandering the beautiful Tanglewood grounds. This dynamic map of the Tanglewood grounds includes photos and information for such points of interest as Aaron Copland Library, Highwood Manor House, The Glass House, and The Lion’s Gate.

2016 Opening week at Tanglewood

Tanglewood concert review by Dave Read

For the first time in seventeen years, our Tanglewood season got underway with James Taylor and his All-Star Band, instead of with Garrison Keillor and A Prairie Home Companion. During Keillor’s run, which began in the last days of the Clinton Administration and ended at the same point in Obama’s, one could always count on a refreshing dose of patriotism, particularly during pre- and post-show singalongs.

James Taylor and his All-Star Band play tanglewood, July 4, 2017. — James Taylor and his All-Star Band play tanglewood, July 4, 2017; Hilary Scott photo.

James Taylor delivered our dose this year, when he opened his July 4th show with a plaintive rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, which had the vast lawn audience on its feet, maybe not at attention, but clearly sharing a moment of quiet reflection. It was nice and easy, in typical James Taylor fashion, no polemics, just a respectful reading of the anthem of the nation that remains mankind’s best chance for a fully realized life.

Followed immediately by another in a long line of outstanding rock n’ roll performances by Taylor and his band, nearly annual events here since the millenium. It’s not unusual for him to have a special musical guest in tow, from Taylor Swift to Carole King, and this time Bonnie Raitt took the stage for a couple of numbers, including a searing, soaring rendition of Johnny B.Goode, the anthem of the nation of rock ‘n roll, written by founding father Chuck Berry, who died in March.

Another perspective of Keillor’s Tanglewood run is that it opened during the Music Directorship of Seiji Ozawa, spanned James Levine’s, and concluded during Andris Nelsons’, who returned to the Koussevitsky Music Shed July 7th to open the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood season with Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Resurrection.

Andris Nelsons leads BSO and TFC in performance of Mahler Symphony No. 2, Resurrection

In his third sason as Music Director, Meestro Nelsons stode purposely to the podium Friday night, following the slow, row-by-row assembling of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus on the risers behind the orchestra, cued the austere opening measures of the piece that will develop into an overwhelming, opulent musical experience. He is a compelling figure, marshalling the forces arrayed before him from the podium which he occupies with a deliberateness not seen from dozens of oher conductors we’ve watched here.

This performance was folllowed by several curtain-calls and an ovation that lasted ten minutes or more. Here is a link to the BSO’s video podcast on Mahler 2. To read a “detailed explanation of how Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 is a heart-shattering work of genius,” including video clips and animated gifs, follow this link.

The BSO customarily sees to it that the opening night program is “Gala” worthy; beyond ticking off that box, this year they’ve also adorned the season with a sort of symmetry, since the season-closing Beethoven’s 9th is as thoroughly soul-stirring as the Mahler, both concluding with orchestral and choral paroxysms.

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Getting around the Tanglewood campus

Andris Nelsons conducts Beethoven’s Ninth at Tanglewood

August 28, 2016 Tanglewood concert review by Dave Read

Andris Nelsons conducted Beethoven’s Ninth at Tanglewood August 28, 2016, in a program that included Aaron Copland’s Quiet City, which gave the Boston Symphony Orchestra the opportunity to bid farewell to trumpeter Thomas Rolfs and English hornist Robert Sheena. Before proceeding with Beethoven’s beloved symphony, almost always programmed to close the BSO’s Tanglewood season, music director Nelsons addressed the audience, going on at unexpected length, to voice the organization’s gratitude and best wishes to the departing players, but also to speak of his excitement with the day’s program and with the setting, expressing his gratitude to the audience and inviting them this fall to Symphony Hall in Boston “another great place to make music.” He said also that he is looking forward to returning to the Berkshires next year for the the first two and last two weeks of the Tanglewood season – news that was announced today.

Andris Nelsons addresses audience before leading BSO, Tanglewood Festival chorus, and soloists in Beethoven's Ninth at Tanglewood, Aug. 28, 2016; Hilary Scott photo. — Andris Nelsons addresses audience before leading BSO, Tanglewood Festival chorus, and soloists in Beethoven’s Ninth at Tanglewood, Aug. 28, 2016; Hilary Scott photo.

It feels as if Maestro Nelsons is settling in, and perhaps we’re at the beginning of another long tenure, to close out the ferquently unsettled interregnum since the departure of Seiji Ozawa during the 1st Geo. W. Bush administration. Last month, the BSO announced the extension of Nelsons’ contract through the 2021-2022 season, with an evergreen clause for automatic renewal. Today’s concert ratified the wisdom of that bit of business, as the performance was brilliant, with the audience erupting in applause at the glorious conclusion – leading the ovation from his seat in Sec. 3 was another Tanglewood stalwart, James Taylor.

Andris Nelsons is kinetic sculpture on the podium

So soon after determining that the greatest concert we’ve attended was last week’s performance of Aida, which itself was close on the heels of 5 star shows by The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma and the Chick Corea Trio, it’s time to recognize that such absolutes cannot obtain here, at Tanglewood, where breathtaking excellence may be acheived more than once, even a few times in a single month!

Besides the ineffably beautiful music Maestro Nelsons inspires the orchestra and vocalists to produce, he also becomes a work of kinetic sculpture on the podium – balletic, athletic, military, and architectural by turns. And I’ll wade all the way into a metaphorical morass to state that observing his baton gestures close up is like getting to watch the stitchery at the same time as you’re marveling at a beautiful tapestry.

Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Thomas Rolfs, trumpet
Robert Sheena, English horn
Rachel Willis-Sørensen, soprano
Ruxandra Donose, mezzo-soprano
Joseph Kaiser, tenor
Wilhelm Schwinghammer, bass
Tanglewood Festival Chorus
COPLAND Quiet City
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9

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Berkshies transportation

For how to get to the Berkshires and public transportation within Berkshire county, see this page: Amtrak and Peter Pan bus schedules.

Tanglewood tickets and box office information

Tickets for Tanglewood concerts are available through Tanglewood’s website, www.tanglewood.org, SymphonyCharge at 888-266-1200, and at the Symphony Hall Box Office at 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston MA. Download the 2018 Tanglewood season brochure.

Andris Nelsons conducts Acts I and II of Verdi’s Aida at Tanglewood

August 20, 2016 Tanglewood concert review by Dave Read

BSO Music director Andris Nelsons conducted Verdi’s Aida, Acts I & II at Tanglewood, in the Koussevitsky Music Shed on Aug. 20, 2016, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, soloists Kristine Opolais, Violeta Urmana, Andrea Carè, Alfredo Nigro, Franco Vassallo, Morris Robinson, Kwangchul Youn, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, leading a performance that was as beautiful as any we’ve ever heard.

We knew, going in, that it would be an exciting concert, given the venue, program, and the artists involved (especially the always-awesome Tanglewood Fetival Chorus), but never expected to be so thouroughly engaged and stimulated that we felt a pang of sadness as it came to a close. Of course, to an opera aficionado, the end of this performance would’ve only marked the midway point of Aida, which consists of four Acts.

Aida is about conflict bertween Egypt and Ethiopia

Music Director Andris Nelsons leads the BSO and soprano Kristine Opolais in Verdi's Aida at Tanglewood, Aug. 20, 2016; Hilary Scott photo. — Music Director Andris Nelsons leads the BSO and soprano Kristine Opolais in Verdi’s Aida at Tanglewood, Aug. 20, 2016; Hilary Scott photo.

My interest in the libretto extended only to its role distributing parts to the soloists and the TFC, so they could produce the singing that was so perfectly married to the instrumental score. I did keep up with the English supertitles – because they were there and impossible to ignore, but would’ve been happy without them. They alone wouldn’t tell you enough of the backstory for the plot to be particularly meaningful, except that there was some brouhaha between Egypt and Ethiopia. Regardless the righteousness of either side’s cause, however, the King, as portrayed by bass Morris Robinson, was so compelling in Act 1 that I went looking for where to enlist in his army during intermission.

And you may be aware that soprano Kristine Opolais, who sang Aida tonight, is married to Maestro Nelsons; banish the thought that there’s any nepotism involved with this casting, as she totally rocked the role! Since the operatic lexicon is beyond my ken, suffice it to say all of the soloists sang beautifully, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, led tonight by guest conductor James Burton, was spectacular, not missing a beat since the retirement last season of founding conductor John Oliver.

About Tanglewood: box office, tickets, getting there, nearby hotels

Tickets for the 2016 Tanglewood season, $12-$124, go on sale January 24 starting at 10 a.m. through Tanglewood’s website, www.tanglewood.org, SymphonyCharge at 888-266-1200, and at the Symphony Hall Box Office at 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston MA. Tanglewood brochures with complete programs and information on how to order tickets will be available in early February by calling 617-638-9467. For further information, please call the Boston Symphony Orchestra at 617-266-1492 or visit www.tanglewood.org. 2016 Tanglewood schedule – PDF.

Follow this link for Berkshires travel information, including public transportation within Berkshire county and Amtrak and Peter Pan bus schedules.
Find hotels near Tanglewood with user reviews, check amenities, nearby attractions, availability and then book your room reservations at these lodging establishments through our partner, International Hotel Solutions (IHS), the leading provider of secure online hotel reservations.

Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Kristine Opolais, soprano (Aida)
Violeta Urmana, mezzo-soprano (Amneris)^^
Andrea Carè, tenor (Radames)^^
Alfredo Nigro, tenor (Messenger)^^
Franco Vassallo, baritone (Amonasro)^^
Morris Robinson, bass (The King)
Kwangchul Youn, bass (Ramfis)^
Tanglewood Festival Chorus
VERDI Aida, Acts I and II
Sung in Italian with English supertitles
^Tanglewood debut – ^^BSO and Tanglewood debuts

Getting around the Tanglewood campus

Here is a dynamic map of the Tanglewood grounds, with photos and information for such points of interest as Aaron Copland Library, Highwood Manor House, The Glass House, and The Lion’s Gate.

2016 Tanglewood on Parade

August 2, 2016 Tanglewood concert review by Dave Read

2016 Tanglewood on Parade gala concert included four guest conductors, Stefan Asbury, Stephane Denave, Ken-David Masur, and Giancarlo Guerrero besides Boston Pops Conductor Laureate John Williams, who also is a composer of movie scores, including Star Wars, an excerpt of which was on tonight’s program. Even though March of the Resistance, from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, was just a small part of the program, it is noteworthy because George Shultz was in the audience. He was secretary of state during the Reagan administration, who’s Strategic Defense Initiative was nicknamed Star Wars, following the runaway success of the original movie in 1977.

The format for this program differs from every other BSO concert on the Tanglewood schedule. There are always more orchestras and more conductors leading the musicians in more musical selections. What remains static year after year is the presence of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops Orchestra, and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, each presenting a segemnt of the program and then all massing for the grand finale performance of the 1812 Overture, Tchaikovsky’s celebration of the defeat of Napolean’s army, which always blows the roof off the joint! Maestro Giancarlo Guerrero, music director of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and native of armed-forces-free Costa Rica, was the aptly named choice to conduct the 1812 Overture, and he succeeded brilliantly in unifying the 140 or so musicians into one triumphant orchestra.

Returning to lead the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra was Stephane Deneve, chief conductor of the Stutgart Radio Symphony and Brussels Philoharmonic, who can be heard here talking about working with the Tanglewood Music Center fellows – “…each year it is a different orchestra, but every year they seem to get better…” – and about La Valse, Ravel’s choreographic poem which he conducted tonight. The performance was spell-binding; hard to believe the orchestra was convened little more than a month ago, and wistful to know that it will disband later this month!

Opening the concert was Stefan Asbury, head of the TMC conducting program, with the BSO performing Night Train to Perugia, by Michael Gandolphi, who was called to the podium afterwards to share in the audience’s warm reception to the orchestra’s performance of his work. Next, Ken-David Masur, BSO assistant conductor, led a reduced orchestra and soloists Elizabeth Rowe on flute and Jessica Zhou on harp in a sublime performance of Mozart’s Concerto in C for Flute and Harp.

And in addition to the Star Wars piece, John Williams led the Boston Pops in the world premiere of Of Grace and Majesty, Suite from The BFG, before yielding the podium to Maestro Guerrero.

About Tanglewood: box office, tickets, getting there, nearby hotels

Getting around the Tanglewood campus

Chick Corea Trio at Tanglewood

July 31, 2016 Tanglewood concert review by Dave Read

Lenox, MA – The Chick Corea Trio, with Christian McBride on bass and Brian Blade on drums, performed a thrilling set of hyphen-free jazz before a capacity audience in Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood, bringing to a close one segment of a year-long 75th birthday celebration by the NEA Jazz Master, who was born June 12, 1941 in Chelsea, MA. Mr. Corea will conclude the celebration with an unprecedented eight week stint at New York’s Blue Note Jazz Club between October 19 and December 12, when he’ll perform with more than a dozen bands, including versions of Return to Forever: an acoustic combo with Hubert Laws on flute and Ravi Coltrane on tenor saxophone, and a fusion powerhouse with John McLaughlin on guitar, Victor Wooten on bass and Lenny White on drums.

The Chick Corea Trio, with Christian McBride and Brian Blade at Tanglewood July 31, 2016; Hilary Scott photo.

Tonight’s setlist was drawn from Trilogy, the widely acclaimed 2014 album of popular Chick Corea compositions, previously unreleased material, plus an array of jazz standards. Besides Thelonius Monk and Bud Powell, Corea also paid tribute to Miles Davis, in whose employ he burst upon the scene in the late ’60s, a musician whose stagecraft was diametrically opposed to Corea’s, a most relaxed and affable artist who opened and closed tonight’s show engaged in dialogue with an impromptu Tanglewood chorus that he drew into the performance.

Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Bud Powell, Thelonius Monk

Davis’ On Green Dolphin Street and All Blues, were highlights of the concert, along with Alice in Wonderland, which he dedicated to pianist Bill Evans, because “when he played it he owned it, even though he didn’t write it.”