Concerts at Tanglewood, Sevenars Are Not To Be Missed
Tanglewood in Lenox is the place to be this week for unforgettable music. Why go? To experience the symphonic and solo concerto masterworks of Mozart, Sibelius and Aaron Copland in the Shed, as well as stirring, not-to-be-missed, stellar performances in Ozawa Hall. Fabulous guest artists – the masterful pianist Emanuel Ax, brilliant violinists Pamela Frank and Christian Tetzlaff and the phenomenal Emerson String Quartet – will take center stage.
For something uniquely special and just as eagerly anticipated, consider attending Sevenars Concerts in South Worthington, Ma., for an exhilarating program of cello/piano masterpieces by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Prokofiev. This concert promises to be especially satisfying – intimate and soul searching.
Tanglewood
• Wednesday, July 18, 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall: The fabulous violinist Pamela Frank, accompanied by the luminous pianist Emanuel Ax, present a joint all-Mozart recital of three violin/piano Sonatas (Nos. 9, 10 and 13); Ax will also perform Piano Sonata No. 15, in F Major, K. 533.
• Thursday, July 19, 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall: The renowned Leon Fleisher-Katherine Jacobson Piano Duo will perform masterpieces of Bach, Brahms, and Leon Kirchner, and to conclude, Maurice Ravel’s 4-hand arrangement of his own scintillating ‘choreographic poem,' "La Valse."
• Friday, July 20, 8 p.m. in the Shed: Maestro Herbert Blomstedt, a longtime collaborator with the BSO, conducts the Orchestra in an all-Mozart program. Ax joins the orchestra for the Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, K. 453. The second half of the program is devoted to the Symphony No. 41 ("Jupiter") - the composer's final work in the genre and one of the greatest symphonies ever composed.
• Saturday, July 21, 8 p.m. in the Shed: Blomstedt begins the program with Mozart's Symphony No. 34. Following is Haydn's majestic "Missa in angustiis," ('Lord Nelson Mass') featuring soprano Hannah Morrison, mezzo-soprano Elisabeth Kulman, tenor Nicholas Phan, baritone Michael Nagy and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. At the heart of the program is Leonard Bernstein's "Halil - nocturne for flute and orchestra," featuring BSO principal flutist Elizabeth Rowe.
• Sunday, July 22, 2:30 p.m. in the Shed: Composer/pianist/conductor Thomas Adès, this year named the BSO's "Artistic Partner," makes his first Tanglewood appearance of 2018, leading the BSO in his own Suite from "Powder Her Face," which comprises music from Adès's first opera, a musical depiction of the scandalous affair of the Duchess of Argyll’s 1963 divorce. The program also includes two works by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) - the thrilling Symphony No. 5, one of the composer's most popular and gripping works, and the sweepingly lyrical Violin Concerto, featuring the dazzling German violinist Christian Tetzlaff.
• Monday, July 23, 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall: Conductor Stefan Asbury leads the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra in a performance of Aaron Copland's quintessentially American Symphony No. 3. TMC Conducting Fellows lead Leonard Bernstein’s music from the composer's second ballet, "Facsimile, Choreographic Essay for Orchestra," dedicated to Jerome Robbins - and the world premiere of "In America," for six voices and orchestra by Michael Gandolfi, Director of the TMC Composition Program. Featuring six TMC vocal Fellows, "In America" was commissioned by the TMC in honor of Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday as a response to Bernstein's seminal song cycle "Songfest," which will be performed by the BSO under maestro Bramwell Tovey on Aug. 4.
• Tuesday and Wednesday, July 24 and 25, 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall: The world-renowned Emerson String Quartet returns to Tanglewood for two performances of all six of Beethoven's late string quartets. These final quartets comprise Beethoven's most philosophical, inward-looking works. The July 24th program includes the String Quartet No. 12 in E-flat, Op. 127, the String Quartet No. 16 in F, Op. 135, and the String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131. The following evening the Emerson Quartet performs the remaining two pieces in the group, the String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132, and the String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Major, Op. 130. The magisterial, uniquely forward-looking "Grosse Fuge," Op. 133 concludes the program.
For tickets for all Tanglewood/BSO concerts (lawn and Shed seating) and special events, call 617-266-1200 or 888-266-1200 (TDD/TTY at 617-638-9289). For local information, call 413-637-1600. You can also order tickets and get information online.
$20 tickets for attendees under 40, one of the BSO’s most popular discount ticket offers, will be available for select BSO and Boston Pops performances in the Shed. In addition, Tanglewood continues to offer free lawn tickets to young people age 17 and under, as well as a variety of special programs for children, including Kids’ Corner, Watch and Play, and the Young People’s Concert on Friday, Aug. 10.
Sevenars Concerts
Sevenars Concerts presents cellist Christopher James and pianist Luis Ortiz in a magnificent recital of great classics for cello and piano, and for solo cello.
• Sunday, July 22, 4 p.m.: The concert opens with Beethoven's "Seven Variations on Mozart's 'Bei Männern,'" Welche Liebe Fühlen, from “The Magic Flute,” followed by the Sonata for Cello and Piano in C Major, Op. 119 by Sergei Prokofiev. After intermission, Bach's solo Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BVW 1008, and to conclude the recital, Brahms' Sonata No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 38 for cello and piano.
The Sevenars Academy is located at 15 Ireland St., just off Route 112 in South Worthington, Mass. Admission is by donation (suggested $20) and refreshments are included. Call 413-238-5854 or visit the website for information.
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