Classical Beat: Concerts at Tanglewood, Manchester This Week

By Stephen DanknerPrint Story | Email Story

Visiting ensemble U.S. National Youth Orchestra, led by Maestro David Robertson will perform Benjamin Britten’s Violin Concerto at Tanglewood on Thursday, July 24.

Tanglewood is the place to be for a dizzying array of music: from Joni Mitchell to Stravinsky; “West Side Story” to “Pictures at an Exhibition”; concertos by Mozart, Beethoven and Rachmaninoff, orchestral rarities by Sibelius, and to cap it all off: Gustav Mahler’s gargantuan symphonic/choral panorama, the ‘Resurrection’ Symphony No. 2.

Here’s a rundown of the six exceptional concerts:

• Wednesday, July 23, 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall: The Knights is a New York City-based orchestral “collective,” comprised of mostly young performers whose mission is to “… strive to play old music like it was written yesterday and inhabit new music in a way that’s familiar and natural.” This hip ensemble will perform an eclectic mix of popular, jazz and modern classical music by Hungarian master Gyorgy Ligeti (“New and Old Ballroom Dances”), transcriptions for trumpet and orchestra of songs by Joni Mitchell, Kurt Weill, Michel Legrand and Argentinian tango king Astor Piazzolla, Stravinsky’s Concerto in E flat for Winds (‘Dumbarton Oaks’) and more. Featured soloists soprano Dawn Upshaw and the brilliant virtuoso trumpeter Hakan Hardenberger (Did you hear him last week with the BSO in the Martinsson Trumpet Concerto?) will add their unique talents to the mix. Why go? This grab bag of selections, I predict, will raise the roof in Ozawa Hall. This, folks, is where classical music is heading (actually, it’s here). You’ll have fun – that’s a sure bet.

• Thursday, July 24, 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall: Visiting ensemble U.S. National Youth Orchestra, led by Maestro David Robertson will perform Benjamin Britten’s Violin Concerto, with the featured soloist Gil Shaham, the Mussorgsky/Ravel “Pictures at an Exhibition, and a contemporary work by Samuel Adams (b. 1985 - the son of modern master John Adams) – “Radial Play.” Why go? It’s always thrilling to hear young, brilliant musicians, and you won’t hear any more proficient and talented than these. The “Symphonic Dances” is a thrilling piece – the best of ‘West Side Story” in 25 minutes. And the “Pictures…” – well, you just know that the exuberant performance these kids will deliver will leave you reeling.

• Friday, July 25, 8:30 p.m. in the Shed: Maestro Manfred Honeck leads the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a program of masterworks by Beethoven (Overture to “The Creatures of Prometheus”), Mozart (Piano Concerto No. 12 in A Major) and Mendelssohn (Symphony No. 4 [‘Italian’] in A Major. Why go? Beethoven based the final movement of the ‘Eroica’ Symphony on the music from the overture he composed for the ballet “The Creatures of Prometheus.” It’s a lovely and glittering 5-minute curtain raiser in the high classical style. The Mozart Concerto No. 12 is again, a charming work. The superb pianist Paul Lewis is the soloist (recall his stunning Schubert final three piano sonatas recital last summer in Ozawa Hall). He’s the perfect pianist for this intimate early Mozart concerto from 1783. To conclude, Mendelssohn’s miraculous Fourth Symphony, with its scintillating last movement makes for a rousing finale to this enchanting concert.

• Saturday, July 26, 8:30 p.m. in the Shed: Maestro Honeck again leads the BSO, with soprano Camilla Tilling, mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, in a performance of Mahler’s unparalleled Symphony No. 2. Why go? In the Symphony No. 2 (‘Resurrection’), composed 1888-1894, Mahler the sonic architect has constructed a cathedral of sound that tells the story of a life – our lives – as he spreads before us his five-part panoply of human existence. The final movement, lasting nearly 40 minutes, and with the entrance of the huge chorus, is a symphony within a symphony. Taken together, this 90-minute masterpiece moves us, transports us, and teaches us. This will be a great highlight of the summer; and is definitely a not-to-be-missed concert.

• Sunday, July 27, 2:30 p.m. in the Shed: Canadian conductor Jacques Lacombe makes his BSO/Tanglewood debut leading a program of Rachmaninoff and Verdi, and the fabulous Venezuelan-American pianist Gabriela Montero performs Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. The operatic second half of the program features soprano Marjorie Owens, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Bishop, tenor Issachah Savage, baritone Stephen Powell, and basses Morris Robinson and Julien Robbin and the magnificent Tanglewood Festival Chorus in music of Verdi, including the Overture and “Va, pensiero” (Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) from the opera “Nabucco” and the Finale of Act II from “Aida.” Why go? Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is full of passionate emotions and unforgettable melodies (e.g. the 1945 pop tune “Full Moon and Empty Arms” – extrapolated from the second theme in the third movement, with lyrics by Buddy Kaye and Ted Mossman. The song was recorded by, among others, Eddie Fisher, Sarah Vaughn, Jerry Vale and Bob Dylan [!]) that stick with the listener long after the performance has ended. Verdi’s great choruses excerpted from his operas successfully stand alone and apart as choral masterworks. This is a great opportunity to hear vibrant instrumental and choral music. Don’t miss this one.

• Monday, July 28, 8:00 p.m. in Ozawa Hall:  BSO Associate Conductor

Marcelo Lehninger and Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Fellows Daniel Cohen and Karina Canellakis present a concert of music by Beethoven and Sibelius. The program, which also features TMC vocal Fellows soprano Laura Strickling and mezzo-soprano Loralee Songer, includes Beethoven’s ‘Leonora’ Overture No. 3 and the Symphony No. 6, (‘Pastoral’), as well as three works by Jean Sibelius for orchestra and voice(s): “Luonnotar” for soprano and orchestra, “Autrefois, Scène pastorale” for orchestra and two voices; and “Den judiska flickans sang,” – two pieces of incidental music composed by Sibelius to accompany the play “Balshazzar’s Feast,” written by his friend, the playwright Hjalmar Eugen Procope. Why go?  This is a rare opportunity to hear lesser-known Sibelius. And you’ll want to hear the young TMC Fellows play their hearts out in the great ‘Leonora’ Overture No. 3, and the beloved Symphony No. 6 of Beethoven. Can any piece be more appropriate than the ‘Pastoral’ Symphony on a mid-summer night in the bucolic hills and dales of Tanglewood? Ask a silly question…

Tickets for all Tanglewood events can be purchased online at tanglewood.org, via SymphonyCharge, 888-266-1200 or 888-266-1200, and at the Tanglewood box office located at the main gate, on West Street in Lenox. For further information call 413-637-1600.

 

Manchester Music Festival

On Thursday, July 24, at 7:30 p.m., the Manchester Music Festival presents a diverse program of classical masterpieces and new music dubbed “Spanish Poetry/German Romanticism” featuring the works of Brahms, Ludwig Thuille (1861-1907) and Joaquin Turina (1882-1949).

Performers include Joana Genova and Austin Hartman, violins, Ariel Rudiakov, viola, Alexis Pia Gerlach, cello and Michael Brown, piano. Why go? The contrast between mysterious Spanish exoticism and German weltschmertz makes for a heady blend of styles. Go, and experience this intriguing musical concoction.

The performance venue for “Vim, Vigor and a Touch of the Modern” is located at the Arkell Pavilion, Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, Vt. To purchase tickets and for complete information about the Manchester Music Festival, go online at mmfvt.org, or call 802-362-1956.

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MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prepare for traffic impacts around Berkshire Medical Center through May for a state Department of Transportation project to improve situations and intersections on North Street and First Street.

Because of this, traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel on First Street (U.S. Route 7) and North Street between Burbank Street and Abbott Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through at least May 6.

BMC and Medical Arts Complex parking areas remain open and detours may be in place at certain times. The city will provide additional updates on changes to traffic patterns in the area as construction progresses.

The project has been a few years in the making, with a public hearing dating back to 2021. It aims to increase safety for all modes of transportation and improve intersection operation.

It consists of intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, the conversion of North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue to serve one-way southbound traffic only, intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection improvements at Springside Avenue and North Street, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of First Street, North Street, Stoddard Avenue, and the Berkshire Medical Center entrance.

Work also includes the construction of 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps.  

Last year, the City Council approved multiple orders for the state project: five orders of takings for intersection and signal improvements at First Street and North Street. 

The total amount identified for permanent and temporary takings is $397,200, with $200,000 allocated by the council and the additional monies coming from carryover Chapter 90 funding. The state Transportation Improvement Plan is paying for the project and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the design cost and rights-of-way takings.

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