2002 Tanglewood reviews

Seiji Ozawa’s Tanglewood farewell press conference

July 15, 2002 article by Dave Read

Maestro Ozawa’s opening remarks:

My private thoughts – its kind of rare in my profession, 1960, July, I came from Paris to Boston airport, on Pan American, first time in my life to come to America. And then I took autobus from there to Lenox, to join this school here, so – 1960, which is 42 years ago, I came here as a student, and to me, my kind of study in Japan with my great teacher, Professor Hideo Seiko, who was a wonderful teacher but kind of focused on areas like ear training, score reading and how to conduct Bach, how to conduct Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and some Tchaikovsky and never go out of that kind of repertoire.

Seiji Ozawa's Tanglewood farewell press conference, July 12, 2002; photos by Dave Read. — Seiji Ozawa’s Tanglewood farewell press conference, July 12, 2002; photos by Dave Read.

Mahler, for instance, I never faced a Mahler score. Here, when I arrived, in our room, my classmate is studying Mahler’s Sixth Symphony, very intensely, which I think he was conducting at the end of the summer somewhere and that gave me a shock, that I did not know one note of Mahler. And I never had any opera experience and here we had many students and conductors studying opera. So I had a shock… really my studying of wide repertoire, by shock, I started here.

I was invited as artistic director by the Boston Symphony to come here, at that time musical director William Steinberg had a health condition, he could not do hot, summer, outdoor concerts, so they invited me. That moment was really for me the beginning of surprise miracle – that I came back to Tanglewood permanently. And then I become conductor for the Boston Symphony, so all my circle – my repertoire, my studying, started here, using my knowledge from Professor Seiko in Japan.

For me, it’s a really special place, and now I must say goodbye. It’s really very amazing emotional thing for me.

I don’t have much thinking more than that, but this place has become my system, and the Boston Symphony is really in my system, and many of you know, the school here, where I came in 1960, I was really very involved in the school, so that also is in my system. And this nature here, same lake – we used to have a swim, now still we swim together, so it is something very special for me.

So this weekend for me is very special, and for you to come, I appreciate very much. Any questions from you?

Ellie Tesher, Toronto Star: Do you feel that going to Vienna is really the pinnacle of your career?

Seiji Ozawa: No. First, for my type of profession, orchestra or me, I think changes are good. That’s what people say and I accept that. And anyway between myself and my wife, we felt professionally I must finish my work. I did not know it would be opera, but I love opera and during my years here we tried from the stage – sometimes from the Shed and the Theatre, Peter Grimes.

But very limited opera repertoire I have, so when I got the opportunity to do opera, I thought very good chance for me to do it before I die, to enjoy opera. This is why I made the decision, so I will try anyway.

Dave Read: Maestro Ozawa, do you see any similarities between Vienna and the Berkshires, goegraphically, culturally, artistically?

Seiji Ozawa: I don’t know! Funny thing, last week in Boston a Japanese TV crew took me to the other side of the Charles River, to a beautiful area where I’ve never been, where the sailboats are. They asked me, where do you usually go?

Between my house in West Newton, Symphony Hall, 2 Japanese, 1 Chinese, 1 Italian restaurant – that’s it, and I don’t know those places in Boston. Viennna – I know the Musikverein, I know the Schonbunn Palace, I know around it, but I don’t – Yes, I know the wine area, that I know. But other places, I don’t know yet.

Dave Read: Are there any tips or advice you would pass along to your successor, Mr. Levine, regarding life in the Berkshires?

Seiji Ozawa: About a week ago, I was in Japan on the subway around noon on my way to rehearsal and my portable telephone rang. You’re not supposed to do this, but I answered and it’s Jimmy!

I had to tell Jimmy, “I”m on the train.” So I got off at the next stop so I could talk in quiet; two minutes later, I’m on the platform, same question, exactly. He asked me, “Hey Seiji, you give me all the information you can give me.”

So I said of course I’d love to do it, but really I have nothing to tell, because different conductors have different ways…So, the orchestra is ready.

The only thing that is sad for me is that he doesn’t come right now – you know, he’s so busy, so there’s a gap that’s sad for me.

Dave Read: Where was he calling from?

Seiji Ozawa: Ah! He was calling from Rome at five o’clock in the morning. I said where? and he said he just came from New York where it’s eleven o’clock at night. He was going to Verbier, Switzerland. it was so funny. (James Levine is Music Director of the UBS Verbier Festival Youth Orchestra.)

Dan Levy, WTEN TV: What are your over-riding emothions this weekend?

Seiji Ozawa: Last April when I said goodbye at Symphony Hall, I was so sad, so sad – inside of me was like catastrophe, I was sick. Next day, I was reallty sick.

So I thought this place, it is open, and the public and the nature, I thought this would be for me and for my group, symphony and students, a big, happy celebration. The program is made for that, I hope it will be. Mahler’s 9th Symphony in Symphony Hall, the orchestra played so good for me; nobody between me and the orchestra and that was the best communication. Two weeks ago I watched the performance on Japanese TV and I was in tears. Something I did not know, I was so busy that moment. When I see the faces of the orchestra members, it was very special.

James Taylor and the Boston Pops set Tanglewood attendance record – July 17, 2002

July 17, 2002 Tanglewood concert review by Dave Read

In an evening of Americana worthy of an Independence Day festival, three American icons familiar to Tanglewood audiences joined forces Wednesday night to entertain a record-setting crowd of 24,470, breaking the previous record (23,039) held by the Tanglewood on Parade celebration in 1999.

The combined draw of John Williams, the Boston Pops Orchestra and James Taylor filled the Shed, the lawn and the surrounding woods and parking lots with concertgoers, who were treated to a one-of-a-kind show that drew lines connecting the American spirit and the ongoing struggle for freedom to the musical heritage celebrating that spirited struggle.

The tone was set in the first half of the program, when Taylor joined the Pops to narrate an excerpt from Aaron Copland’s “A Lincoln Portrait.” It was a brilliant choice, underlining what indeed is a Lincolnesque quality in the pop-folk singer-songwriter, seen in public for perhaps the first time in suit and tie.

It also connected Lincoln’s brilliant, poetic oratory – read in Taylor’s typically understated delivery but with plenty of impact – to Taylor’s own politically-minded work, bringing to mind songs like “Shed a Little Light,” his tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., and even “Line ‘Em Up,” his semi-comic look at Richard Nixon’s resignation.

The Lincoln piece was part of an America-themed Pops program that included a peppy ride through Richard Rodgers’ “Carousel Waltz” and Williams’ “Call of the Champions,” which kicked off the evening with a brass fanfare. The meat, however, was in the Lincoln piece and Williams’ own portrait of that other much-loved, assassinated president, John F. Kennedy.

Written for the Oliver Stone film “JFK,” Williams’ suite ranged from a lyrical, Irish-tinged theme full of hope – quintessential Williams in its Coplandesque optimism – to a representation of Kennedy’s assassination full of sharp edges and harsh dissonance – more Stravinsky than Copland.

The curtain came down on the first half with a strut through a Yankee Doodle-like march composed by Williams for Steven Spielberg’s World War II comedy “1941.”

Still wearing a the suit, but without the tie, Taylor returned after intermission with a “Hi, how ya doin’?” instantly giving the evening a more relaxed feel. It also helped when, in his folksy manner – wasn’t Lincoln folksy, too? – he teased the audience by saying that he would play three new songs.

“I know you hate new material, but these songs sound just like the old ones,” he said, before launching into “On the 4th of July,” a ballad off his terrific upcoming album “October Road” that was indeed vintage James Taylor.

Vintage in a whole other way, however, was another new song, “Mean Old Man,” an old-fashioned, jazz-style pop tune that, in addition to offering showcases for the two bona fide jazz players in his band, guitarist John Pizzarelli and pianist Larry Goldings, proved that Taylor himself has jazz chops as a vocalist. The tune swung harder and with more personality than anything we’ve heard at Tanglewood in quite a while.

The Pops mostly stayed out of Taylor’s way on the tunes they accompanied. They provided stirring backup, however, on his version of the folk song, “The Water Is Wide,” another showcase for Taylor’s considerable vocal talent, during which you got to hear him ring long notes that built with vibrato. (Is this guy taking voice lessons? He never sounded so good.)

His riotously funny spoken introduction to “The Frozen Man” was first-rate comedy, and “Carolina In My Mind” was a mellow counterpoint.

The closest Taylor came to rocking out fully was on “Country Road,” which opened with a duet jam between Taylor on acoustic guitar and bassist Jimmy Johnson. Even with drummer Gregg Bissonette playing brushes, the song’s inner dynamic of tension and release threatened to explode fully several times. Williams, sitting behind Taylor during the song, got so caught up in the tune that he began clapping out the rhythm.

The orchestra backed Taylor on the set-closing version of “Fire and Rain,” which, taken at a slower pace than the original and with some additional orchestral swells and flourishes and an added crescendo at the end, taking on the aspect of a Williams composition.

Do I hear a full album’s worth of James Taylor songs as orchestrated by John Williams in the future? Do I hear a full album’s worth of pop standards sung by Taylor with the Boston Pops in the future? This concert suggested yes to both.

The Pops played some music from the score to the “Harry Potter” movie – more of which will be heard at Tanglewood on Parade later this month – while Taylor took a breather before officially bringing down the curtain backed by the orchestra on a chilling version of “America the Beautiful.”

With the orchestra released from its official duties as the clock struck 11 PM, Taylor then regrouped informally and generously entertained his fans with an impromptu solo set of favorites including “You’ve Got a Friend,” “The Secret of Life,” and, of course, the obligatory “Sweet Baby James,” with its invocation of the Berkshires and “the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston.”

It was a truly magical and memorable night.

2018 Tanglewood schedule

The 2018 Tanglewood schedulefeatures a season-long celebration of the centennial of Leonard’s Bernstein’s birth, culminating in the Aug. 25 Bernstein Centennial Celebration hosted by Audra McDonald, with Maestro Andris Nelsons, four guest conductors and soloists Yo-Yo Ma, Midori, and others.

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.

Tanglewood tickets and box office information

Tickets for the 2018 Tanglewood season 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.

Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra closes 2002 season

August 19, 2002 performance, reviewed by Dave Conlin Read

The Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, which made its debut only five weeks earlier with conductor Seiji Ozawa and soloist Mstislav Rostropovich, gave its valedictory performance under the artful guidance of guest conductor James Conlon to a rapt audience that drew a large audience to Ozawa Hall and to the gentle slope outside.

The program began with conducting fellow Scott Parkman leading the orchestra in a ringing and melodious performance of Hindemith’s Concert Music for Strings and Brass, Opus 50, which was commissioned by Serge Koussevitsky for the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1931.

After intermission, the youthful but cosmopolitan James Conlon, a native New Yorker, principal conductor of the Paris Opera and general music director of the City of Cologne, ascended the podium to conduct Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 in G major.

Whereas no debut could have been more auspicious than this orchestra’s, their farewell performance couldn’t have been more august, as they wrung every dollop of emotion from the symphony in which Mahler imposes his faith in a glorious afterlife onto the gloom of ineluctable death.

Conlon was a delight to watch on the podium, drawing nuances from sections of the orchestra with balletic precision; making it look like one fluid movement, he would alternately extend and curl his hand, little finger pointing separately, rotate the wrist and elbow, and raise, lower, and sweep his arm side-to-side from the shoulder, all the while indicating tempo with the baton and the other arm.

The synergy between orchestra and conductor was especially evident as the first three movements of the symphony came to quiet closes and when they ended the performance, and the life of this wonderful orchestra, with the most resonant silence imaginable.

Standing still next to the podium, with a child-like expression that seemed to say “Was that okay?,” Soprano Cynthia Haymon had finished singing:

There is just no music on earth that can compare to ours.
The angelic voices Gladden our senses, So that all for very joy awake.

while Conlon, who was turned away from her toward the double bass whence the last note came, slowly bent over from the waist, his left armed extended upward, and held that strange pose until a perfect quiet filled the hall.

The moment over, straightening up and turning to face the audience, Conlon first blew a kiss to Haymon and she finally smiled brightly as the audience burst into applause.

Afterward, the atmosphere in the grand yet intimate Ozawa Hall was ineffably warm. There was no rush to exit as the audience lingered to savor the moment and re-new their applause and shouts of bravo! while Conlon called upon individuals and orchestral sections to take their bows. Godspeed to them as they go out from the Berkshires to populate great orchestras and share their very special gifts with a world that needs them.

Hotels in the Berkshires

2019 Tanglewood schedule

The Boston Symphony Orchestra has released the schedule for the 2019 season at Tanglewood, which will be remembered for the opening of the Tanglewood Learning Institute, the four buildings overlooking Seiji Ozawa Hall on the Leonard Bernstein camopus.

Music director Andris Nelsons will be present for the month of July, conducting 13 programs, including the world premiere of a new work by Kevin Puts, The Brightness of Light, based on letters of Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz on July 20, and a concert performance of Wagner’s complete Die Walküre on july 27 and 28. Details of programs in the Tanglewood Learning Institute will be announced on Feb. 7, 2019.

Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos opens 2002 Tanglewood season

July 5, 2002 concert review by Dave Read

The first of this season’s 22 BSO concerts at Tanglewood concerts was performed Friday July 5, with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus on board and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos conducting Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection.”

Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos conducts BSO at Tanglewood — Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos conducting the BSO at Tanglewood

It was a perfect evening to sit still for a long time, the unbearable humidity of the previous 3 days abated, and sit still we did while the orchestra darted about the aural landscape, taking several right turns and maybe a few wrong ones, revving it up, idling down, before finally taking a back seat to John Oliver and his 120 voice chorus which brought down the checkered flag with a thrilling finale.

With the large chorus seated still above and behind the orchestra for nearly an hour it’s hard not to be anticipating their performance, especially when the several orchestral movements fail to coalesce. There was plenty to like in each movement, and some exciting transitions, but only the promise of the vocal payoff kept us trying to concentrate throughout.

The season will close on August 25 with the BSO and Tanglewood Festival Chorus together again in another program with a big vocal finale, Sir Roger Norrington conducting Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Beethoven’s Ninth seems to be becoming the traditional Tanglewood closing program; it makes for a nice symmetry to open with something similar, like the Mahler, providing musician and audience alike opportunity to travel the breadth and depth of the aural spectrum, to whet the appetite for a summer-long feast here where music alights for a while each year.

Tanglewood homecoming celebration features
Housatonic Philharmonic

And speaking of lighting, the Housatonic Philharmonic sparked up a spirited set of Celtic and American music in the tent overlooking Ozawa Hall, to cap off the special Tanglewood homecoming celebration which also featured Hickory Bill’s Barbecue (not a band, real ribs and suchlike) and the David Mullaney Band from Ballina, Co. Mayo, which is Pittsfield’s Irish sister city.

We arrived in time only to hear the swell-named local lads: Paul Rice: fiddle and guitar, Andy Gordon: banjo and spoons, and Tim Gray: piano, penny whistle and hammer dulcimer. Their set was a perfect sampler of their branch of roots music, ranging all the way back to the blind harpist and composer Turlough O’Carolan, revered as the last of the itinerant Irish bards (b. 1670) and up to the present, including Jay Ungar’s Woodstock-area composition Ashokan Farewell, and Paul Rice’s composition, Housatonic Hornpipe.

2002 Tanglewood reviews

July 17, 2002 Tanglewood concert review by Dave Read

2018 Tanglewood schedule

Hotels near Tanglewood

Tanglewood tickets and box office information

August 19, 2002 performance, reviewed by Dave Conlin Read

Hotels in the Berkshires

2019 Tanglewood schedule

July 5, 2002 concert review by Dave Read

Tanglewood homecoming celebration features Housatonic Philharmonic

Hotels in the Berkshires

2019 Tanglewood schedule

Tanglewood homecoming celebration features
Housatonic Philharmonic