The Classical Beat: All Systems Go At Tanglewood

Tanglewood, the nation’s largest and most prestigious summer music presenter, officially opens its 75th classical festival season.

Here’s a rundown of the concerts that will take center stage during the coming week. Why go? Read below for all the stellar music making, with superstar performers interpreting great music from across historical eras – much of it beloved favorites by audiences worldwide.

• Thursday July 2, 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall: The Cleveland-based Baroque chamber orchestra Apollo’s Fire will present a program titled “A Night at Bach’s Coffee House.” A veritable festival of Baroque hits, the musical masterpieces include Bach’s thrilling Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 4 and 5, Handel’s “Chaconne” from the ballet “Terpsichore,” an arrangement of Vivaldi’s “La Folia” and excerpts from the music to Telemann’s orchestral suite “Don Quixote.”

• Friday, July 3, 8 p.m. in the Shed: The Boston Symphony Orchestra opens its 2015 Tanglewood season with an all-American program: “Opening Night at Tanglewood.” The concert features the acclaimed Russian pianist Kirill Gerstein the soloist in George Gershwin’s scintillating Piano Concerto in F, a piece that strikes an unlikely but inspired balance between the composer’s muscular1920s jazz-influenced style and 19th century rhapsodic and voluptuous Russian romanticism – a Charleston mingling with passionate love themes; Aaron Copland’s patriotic and profound “Lincoln Portrait,” with guest narrator John Douglas Thompson intoning excerpts from some of Abraham Lincoln’s greatest speeches, including the Gettysburg Address, accompanied by Copland’s stentorian fanfares; Boston-based composer and longtime BSO composer John Harbison’s Roaring Twenties-inspired “Remembering Gatsby” – a foxtrot for orchestra, and to conclude, Duke Ellington’s Toscanini-commissioned orchestral jazz tone poem “Harlem.” Jacques Lacombe, Music Director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, will conduct the program. This program will be a veritable feast of adored, joyous and celebratory Americana. Enjoy!

• Saturday, July 4, 7 p.m. in the Shed: What can I say? The fans of local conquering hero James Taylor will be in ecstasy as he returns to Tanglewood with his all-star band for this performance. Seats in the Shed are sold out, but check for lawn ticket availability. The gates open at 4 p.m.

• Sunday, July 5, 10 a.m. in Ozawa Hall: A Tanglewood Music Center Chamber Music concert, featuring TMC instrumental Fellows performing music by Brahms (“Variations on a Theme by Haydn”,) Shields, Rorem (two works – one a TMC world premiere,) Kovler, Chen and Shostakovich.

• Sunday, July 5, 2:30 p.m. in the Shed: The Boston Pops, with guest artist Tony Award-winning singer/actor Bernadette Peters.

• Sunday, July 5, 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall: The TMC Orchestra, led by maestro Stefan Asbury and TMC Conducting Fellows perform Britten’s “A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra,” Brahms’ “Variations on a Theme by Haydn,” John Williams’ “JUST DOWN WEST STREET…on the left” – a TMC premiere, and the Fifth Symphony of Sibelius.

• Monday, July 6, 7 p.m. in the Shed: A rousing “Tanglewood Brass Spectacular,” featuring members of the Boston Pops brass and percussion sections performing a concert in collaboration with the Boston Crusaders and the California-based Blue Devils Drum Corps.

• Wednesday, July 8, 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall: The legendary pianist and former TMC Artistic Director Leon Fleisher is joined by pianist Katherine Jacabson in a program of duo piano music by Bach, Debussy, Brahms, Schubert (the deeply heartfelt Fantasy in f minor, D. 940, for piano four-hands) and Ravel (the Viennese-inspired, over-the-top orchestral “La Valse,” arranged for piano four-hands.

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.

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