Ragtime

Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield, MA

www.barringtonstageco.org

through July 15, 2017

by Shera Cohen

Photo: Daniel Rader

Times have changed. Audiences, particularly summer audiences, liked and expected their musicals to be lite and frothy, with relatively unimportant plots. “Ragtime,” whose story is essentially about Change (yes, with a capital “c”), proves to be the exact opposite in tenor and substance, not to mention so apropos to 21st Century America that it is often uncomfortable. At the same time, “Ragtime” is more than a “must-see” – it is truly a “must-experience.”

The focus is on three ethnic groups at the turn of the last century in New York City: wealthy class whites, unprivileged blacks, and destitute newly-emigrated Jews. This trio of such diverse families and extended-families intertwine in what could easily have been a history lesson with generic people. Terrance McNally’s book immediately turns stereotypes into breathing human beings, who like it or not, live as neighbors.

The ever-present Ragtime music links the environs with various degrees of ethnicities; i.e. on one occasion, jazz with a clever Klezmer underscore. Composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens, who have each won numerous Tony Awards for this musical, create the early 1900’s changing sounds with McNally’s text about changing American values and kinship.

The cast of actors, singers, and dancers has been chosen with excellence as single individuals and in relationships to each other. Darnell Abraham, the proud yet flawed erstwhile leader of the African-American family, gives a tender performance in his hulk of a chiseled body. Whether speaking, singing, or just standing and watching, Abraham molds his Coalhouse Walker, Jr. character into a man to be admired. The other lead is Elizabeth Stanley, familiar to Berkshire theatregoers. Stanley’s voice is exquisite, her stance and nuances (an ever so slight tilt of her head, a small hand gesture) say far more than dialogue that her Mother role could.

There are so many actors to praise: David Harris as the stalwart Father, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka as the naïve Uncle, J. Anthony Crane as desperate Tateh, and Zurin Vilanueva as heart-driven Sarah. Their common denominator? Superb voices.

My guesses why “Ragtime” is not often produced are two: a very large cast, and sets that could easily challenge the best of scenic designers. Director Joe Cararco and scenic designer Brian Prather have demonstrated that what might seem difficult, is an enormous success in their hands. Except for the lead roles, triple and quadruple casting works perfectly, without any confusion for the audience. Less is more as the staging converts an old attic into numerous sites simply by movement of a chair.

Again – a must experience.

Million Dollar Quartet

Berkshire Theatre Group, Unicorn Theatre, Stockbridge MA

www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org

through July 15, 2017

by Mary Fernandez-Sierra

A swashbuckling, powerhouse production awaits lovers of rock and roll at Berkshire Theatre Group’s Million Dollar Quartet.

Written by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, based on Mutrux’s original concept, Million Dollar Quartet is inspired by a true 1956 meeting of some almost mythic talents: Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley.

They come together at the recording studio of Sam Phillips, the insightful manager who first discovered them; each one with plans for furthering his career in the music business. The drama of this juke box musical centers around whether Sam will become part of their futures, or left behind in their past.

Director/Musical Director James Barry’s inspired direction provides a completely unique experience in each musical number, showcasing the gifts of each performer onstage. He uses the different playing areas (such as a tiny recording booth, an alley, and even a hallway) as skillfully as his cast does their instruments, making it possible to enjoy this show as much for its staging as for its music.

Highlights of the production: the deep bass voice of Johnny Cash (Bill Sheets); sensuous moves and showmanship by Elvis Presley (Brycen Katolinsky); sensational guitar playing by Carl Perkins (Colin Summers); and the piano bravado and brilliance of Jerry Lee Lewis (Gabriel Aronson.) These performers light up the stage singly and as an ensemble, and are a treat to behold.

Equally remarkable are Brother Jay (Nathan Yates Douglass) on bass and Fluke (David W. Lincoln) on drums. Their musical skills shine as strong and bright as the boys of the quartet - and that’s saying a great deal. Kudos as well to Dyanne (Christy Coco), who rocks the stage with her “Fever” and “I Hear You Knockin’” solos. She holds her own in this production filled with outstanding musical talent.

The pivotal role of manager Sam Phillips is played by Ben Nordstrom with bold charm and conviction. He narrates this memory musical, smoothly drawing the audience back and forth in time with him. Nordstrom has sure theatrical savvy and impeccable timing, truly the leader of this pack.

Scenic and Costume Designer Jessica Ford’s period costumes and sets are stunning. Her attention to detail (down to each character’s shoes) makes this production a feast for the eyes. The historic projections designed by Nicholas Hussong glow softly in the background during many scenes, bringing a bygone era back to life.

Much praise also to Lighting Designer Oliver Wason for subtle changes in color to express the mood of each different song, and to Sound Designer Nathan Leigh for holding the sounds and music together without any one instrument or vocal overwhelming the other. Bravo!

Late, Great Mozart

Aston Magna Music Festival, St. James Place, Great Barrington, MA

www.astonmagna.org

June 24, 2017

by Barbara Stroup

Eric Hoeprich

Few accolades exist that adequately describe the Aston Magna sounds on Saturday at St. James Place. In a newly-restored venue fit for the finest chamber music acoustic, the Festival presented guest artist Eric Hoeprich in the familiar Mozart Clarinet Quintet. But there was nothing ordinary in his sound and his instrument - the basset clarinet (the 18th century ancestor of today’s more familiar reed) - nor in his mastery of this beloved work. Ably surrounded by a fine string cohort of Aston Magna regulars, his exceptional sound was soothing, assured, and masterful. The Larghetto movement was particularly rich. The basset clarinet used in the concert duplicates the instrument that Mozart would have heard, and was produced by Hoeprich’s own hands. Master composition meets master instrument maker and master performer, all in one afternoon.

The concert began with the Mozart Divertimento, a six part “diversion” for violin, viola and cello. Meant as a departure from the cares of life, Mozart wrote several for various instrumental combinations. Daniel Stepner, David Miller and Loretta O’Sullivan spoke in the friendliest terms through their music as themes presented themselves, were developed and returned in the familiar fashion of early classical form. With Julie Leven, an additional violin voice, they played the Adagio and Fugue after Intermission. Their individual abilities to both come forward and then retreat allowed the audience to follow the fugue entries successfully; this work has a darker complexity that contrasted well with the Quintet that followed.

St. James Place was a church where a wall fell down and its congregation dispersed. Through a long and loving restoration, it now takes on a new role as a first-class venue for performance, with comfortable pew seating and welcome air conditioning. Great Barrington can be proud of this accomplishment, and proud to have hosted 45 years of Aston Magna magic.

Mondays in the Berkshires

Tanglewood gates are closed.  What’s there to do?

I am arbitrarily focusing on July 17th, your typical Monday in the Berkshires. Most visitors known that Berkshire weekends are packed, nearly every hour, with culture. There is so much to choose from that a visitor will find the pickings difficult. While not quite as busy, weekdays (Tuesday -  Thursday) offer nearly as much culture, arts, performances as on the weekends. The only obvious difference is that the tourist population is a bit less on these days.

For those who vacation the full week, the question often arises – what’s there to do on Monday. Without much effort, I researched just a few of the possibilities for you, whether it be July 17th or any Monday.

Capitol Steps, Lenox, MA

www.capsteps.com/live/cranwell2017.html

Enjoy politics coupled with laughter?

See these articles on Capitol Steps

Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA

www.nrm.org

Make the most of your visit with one of the six orientation talks. Expert gallery guides introduce the art and life of Norman Rockwell and the special highlights of the museum’s collection.

Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, MA

www.wtfestival.org

Director Fellowship Projects

Each summer, WTF produces a re-theatricalization of a classic American play, developed by members of WTF’s Non-Equity Company. This season, Jason McDowell-Green, will direct Sam Shepard’s Curse of the Starving Class, with performances at 7pm and 11pm.

Berkshire Theatre Group, Stockbridge, MA

www.berkshiretheatregroup.org

To my knowledge, the only professional theatre venue open on Monday is BTF. The award-winning “Children of a Lesser G-d” will be presented at the Fitzpatrick Main Stage at 7pm.

Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield, MA

www.barringtonstageco.org

Singer Christine Pedi presents “Great Dames” at 8pm at Mr. Finn's Cabaret. Forbidden Broadway Diva Christine Pedi sings about, and made famous by, the great ladies of the stage, screen and beyond. With comic flair & warm appreciation she conjures up Merman, Minnelli, Streisand, Liza, Julie Andrews and more.

Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA

www.clarkart.edu

A new exhibit, titled “No Rules” presents the woodcut art of Helen Frankenthaler. Those who have seen the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of “Madame Butterfly” are familiar with Frankenthaler’s work without realizing it. The artist worked with dyed paper pulp to create the set from the final woodcuts.

Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA

www.berkshiremuseum.org

The museum’s big summer exhibit is The Guitar. Participate on a tour and/or enjoy a free guitar concert in the early evening. There’s also Little Cinema’s independent and foreign films. Check the museum’s website for a schedule. [see our article on Berkshire Museums]

Another stage in the Berkshires

The Roman Garden Theatre

Lenox, MA

www.shakespeare.org

Shakespeare has always been closely linked with the outdoors. In Elizabethan times, the Bard's plays were performed in the open-roofed Globe Theatre. Outdoor Shakespeare performances immerse the audience in the "natural world," a landscape that offers an escape from conventional society, a theme integral to the Bard's plays.

Located right on Shakespeare & Company’s Kemble Street campus, the Roman Garden Theatre is a unique 280-seat outdoor venue with comfortable seating in-the-round and a casual ambiance.

The first-ever production in the Roman Garden Theatre’s will be “The Tempest,” the story of a betrayed magician bent on revenge. Prospero’s seething softens when he sees through his daughter that love and forgiveness conquer darkness. Revel in outdoor performances in the new Garden Theatre under the Berkshire summer skies as the cast leads you on this magical and moving journey.

The new theatre is located directly across from the Tina Packer Playhouse. Performances of “The Tempest will take the stage, August 10 – September 3, all at dusk. See www.shakespeare.org for specific dates and times.

The Roman Garden Theatre is generously supported by The Dr. Gerald and Roberta Friedman Foundation.

The Birds

Barrington Stage, Pittsfield, MA

www.barringtonstageco.org

through July 8, 2017

by Jarice Hanson

Photo By Scott Barrow

First came the 1952 novelette of “The Birds” by Daphne du Maurier as a metaphor for aerial attacks on England in WWII. Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic 1963 film has given viewers nightmares for years. Then, in 2009 Conor McPherson adapted the story for the stage. Each artist crafted the narrative in very different ways, but the story of nature against humankind remains the focus. Now, at the St. Germain Stage, you don’t have to wait more than three minutes to start feeling the creepy sensation of birds ready to attack.   I confess to being a fan of McPherson’s work, and “The Birds” has many of his typical themes; morality, tension, sexual threat, and religious imagery, but this play is less cerebral than most of his others. Still, in the hands of Director Julianne Boyd, this production will have you at the edge of your seat and will make you think about what the world could become.

Barrington Stage’s production of “The Birds” takes place in dystopian New England after the world has “shifted course” and the birds literally come in and go out with the tide.  When they’re in—the few remaining survivors take cover for safety. Three people find themselves taking refuge in a claustrophobic cabin and have to confront survival as they search for food and come to terms with their own demons as they attempt to negotiate their own emerging relationships.

Much of the tension in the play is the result of Alex Basco Koch’s earie projections of birds surrounding the cabin, and David Thomas’s exceptional sound design that places the audience in the center of the bird attacks. The cast is strong and believable, but the entrance of Rocco Sisto as Tierney, a drug-addled farmer who lives across the lake, is particularly bone chilling, letting the audience know that the threat inside the cabin is imminent. When he says; “No one ever thought nature was just going to eat us,” McPherson’s message comes through clearly.

McPherson’s adaptation of the story could easily be seen as a metaphor for global climate change and the message of Darwinian principles of survival are juxtaposed with a verse from the Bible, but what I found most impressive was the way in which the Barrington cast and production team used the small theatre for maximum impact.

Fun Home

The Bushnell, Hartford, CT

www.bushnell.org

through June 25, 2017

by Jarice Hanson

The touring company of “Fun Home” at the Bushnell is packed with first-rate talent. In this deeply personal musical memoir, graphic novelist Alison Bechdel’s moving story about her sexual awakening is juxtaposed against the backdrop of decades of living with her family and their own relationship challenges. The book and lyrics were penned by Lisa Kron who received a Tony in 2015 for Best Book of a Musical and Best Score of a Musical, but the story is Bechdel’s, who subtitled her graphic novel, “Fun Home,” as “A Family Tragicomic.”

“Fun Home” isn’t really fun. At times, it’s painful, but there is always a thread of love that unites the family, and the actors and audience. The title refers to the funeral home Alison’s father ran, in addition to serving as an English teacher and part-time antique furniture aficionado and historian. But Bruce Bechdel is also a man who had a secret, and that secret propels much of the action throughout the play. The plot has plenty of surprises and the play caters to the audience’s empathy, but there is a truth and honesty to the story that draws you to the carefully worded lyrics, and to the passion each actor gives to their character.

Special praise must be given to Robert Petkoff as Bruce (the father) whose vocal quality is clear and exquisite. Susan Moniz as Helen (the mother) can pack more feeling into her voice than most contemporary musicals can boast, and her rendition of “Days and Days” is heartbreakingly effective. The character of Alison is played by three actors; adult Alison (Kate Shindle), “Small Alison” (Carly Gold), and “Medium Alison” (Abby Corrigan) who often share the stage and sing together. The eight piece musical ensemble under the direction of Micah Young blends its sound perfectly for the Bushnell’s acoustics and for the young and old(er) voices.

These days it’s rare that an audience is perfectly silent, but the Bushnell audience didn’t want to miss a word or a beat. Kudos to the Bushnell for bringing this deeply personal musical to the area, and to the “Fun Home” cast and crew for mounting such an effective, beautiful production.

Music for Forbidden Dances

Aston Magna Music Festival

Saint James Place, Great Barrington, MA

www.astonmagna.org

Saturday, June 17, 2017

by Rebecca Phelps

Last Saturday an audience of enthusiastic fans greeted the first musical delight of Aston Magna’s 45th season. Music for Forbidden Dances was a departure from purely Baroque and early music genres, featuring some obscure instruments; i.e. the bandoneon and a chalumeau (precursor to the clarinet), along with traditional instruments.

Daniel Stepner

The first half of the concert followed the development of two dance forms primarily known as movements in baroque dance suites: the sarabande and the chaconne. The opening medley, “Ensalada,” entertained us to the syncopated, raucous rhythms of the early roots of these dances, brought from the New World back to Spain and Europe, and considered to be too provocative for proper society.

The most famous chaconne ever written was performed by Daniel Stepner, Aston Magna artistic director and violinist extraordinaire: the “Chaconne in d minor” from the Second Partita for violin, by J.S. Bach. This tour-de-force of stamina, skill and mental concentration, lasting over 15 minutes, was performed with great vigor by Stepner.

The second half of the concert brought us into the 20th century, and the world of the tango, featuring the bandoneon, a concertina-like instrument invented in Germany which caught on like wildfire in Argentina. Hector del Curto is a virtuosic player from a long line of Argentinian bandoneon players; both his grandfather and great-grandfather were bandoneonists. Musical talent runs in the family as was evident when he introduced his wife, a wonderful cellist, and his young son, a clarinetist. Together they played the evocative “Oblivion”, by Astor Piazzolla, bringing us into the other deliciously forbidden dance form featured in the program: the Tango.

The final piece, “Tango” by Robert Xavier Rodriquez, was a theatrical work narrated and sung by the talented Frank Kelly. It told a history of the tango in the 20th century through news clippings and actual sermon quotes from Cardinal Pompeii.

Clearly some very imaginative programming and fine musicianship went into this program, the first of Aston Magna’s summer series.

Exhibits take residence at three Berkshire museums

Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked the World take residence at three museums in the Berkshires

GUITAR, aka The Instrument That Rocked the World, takes place at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield through September 4th. Strummed or picked, acoustic or electric, playing a hard rock anthem or gentle folk tune, the guitar is the most popular instrument in the world. The exhibit explores all aspects of one of the most enduring musical icons of the last 200 years. Visitors to GUITAR will experience the instrument from its history, evolution, and design to the music it has created and the technology that continues to enhance it. This exhibition covers the science, sound, and cultural impact of the guitar in a family friendly installation that contains more than 70 instruments, from the rare and antique to the popular and innovative. A special feature is the world’s largest guitar, 43.5 feet long and 16 feet wide, weighs 2,000 pounds, and certified by Guinness World Records. www.berkshiremuseum.org

Norman Rockwell meets Andy Warhol at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. America’s most important visual communicators, Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) and Andy Warhol (1928-1987) embraced populism, created enduring icons, shaped national identity, and opened new ways of seeing during the twentieth century. This summer and fall, Norman Rockwell Museum will present the first exhibition – titled Inventing America: Rockwell and Warhol -- to examine the artistic and cultural influence of these celebrated image-makers and the continued influence of their indelible legacies. Inventing America will present nearly 100 works that compare and contrast the two artists, including portraits of President John F. Kennedy, and man’s first steps on the moon. The exhibition will also feature archival materials and photographs relating to the artists’ lives and careers. As innovators, Rockwell and Warhol each created and adapted techniques to advance their art to new ends. www.nrm.org

Picasso: Encounters, on view at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, investigates how Pablo Picasso’s (1881–1973) creative collaborations fueled and strengthened his art, challenging the notion of Picasso as an artist alone with his craft. The exhibition addresses his full stylistic range, the narrative themes that drove his creative process, the often-neglected issue of the collaboration inherent in print production, and the muses that inspired him. This special exhibit is comprised of 35 large-scale prints from private and public collections and three paintings including his seminal Self-Portrait and the renowned Portrait of Dora Maar, both on loan from the Musée national Picasso–Paris. The Clark, which owns very few Picasso’s in their permanent collection is fortunate to have received many generous loans from museums and private collections for this exhibition. www.clarkart.edu

Summer 2017 at the Mount

Lenox, MA

www.edithwharton.org

by Shera Cohen

It was approximately 25 years ago when the “divorce” between The Mount and Shakespeare & Company took place. At the time, I thought it was the beginning of the end for both the historic site of Edith Wharton’s home and this wonderful theatre company. Admittedly, because theatre was/is my #1 destination point in the Berkshires, I continued to attend S&Co. plays. Yet, I did not return to the Mount for several years. There really wasn’t much to do.

Happily, the Mount is back, and near the top, on my “Berkshire To Do List” and for good reason – for many good reasons. A different activity takes place on nearly every day of the week: Monday’s Summer Lecture Series, Tuesday’s repeat of the same, Wharton on Wednesdays, and Music After Hours on Friday and Saturday.

My favorite program is the Summer Lecture Series. Every Monday at 4pm, authors speak about their books; oftentimes biographies or histories. For one hour in the Wharton Stables, the writer offers backstories of his/her research and writing process. When I first attended, I might have been one of a few dozen in the audience. What a shame that more didn’t experience this educational fun. Not that I credit myself, but I will take a small bow for writing several pieces on the series, trying to get the word out. Each year the audience grew, then doubled, then filled to SRO, to the point that had I not ordered my tickets on the first date of sales, I missed out. The Mount had a success on their hands. What a nice problem to have. The solution, initiated last year, was a repeat lecture on Tuesdays at 11am. This was a wise decision.

Wharton on Wednesday offers a step back to the Gilded Age on the veranda of the Wharton home. For one hour, starting at 5pm, audience members listen to readings of Wharton short stories given by area actors. There’s wine, lemonade, and munchies; small round tables and wooden seats; and the view of the Wharton Estate, especially the gardens. The talks are $10, no reservation needed.

Early evenings on the weekend bring the sounds of local musicians for the Mount’s Jazz Series. This, too, takes place on the large porch, where the gorgeous landscape at dusk augments the ambiance. The series is free.

S&Co. has returned to its original home with productions of some of the Bard’s most famous plays, set on the pristine manicured lawn at the Mount. Just as 30+ years ago, when the woods doubled as S&Co.’s main-stage, here the stories come alive once more. This season’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is probably the most befitting Shakespeare play for this setting. The production is offered on numerous dates throughout the summer, usually at 6pm or 11am.

What can I do if I just want to walk around, you say? Put on your walking shoes or sneakers for the Mount House Tours, Gardens & Landscape Tours, SculptureNow Art Walks, and Ghost Tour. The latter features an exhibition of 30 giant sculptures throughout the site, each created by a professional artist. This curated display can be appreciated on a self-tour or, on occasion, guided by one of the sculptors.

From time to time, writers at any stage (primarily amateurs) congregate to discuss their work, to become inspired, and to keep writing. Poetry readings, additional author lectures, story sharing, and literary round-tables fill the summer calendar. I would like to think that Edith Wharton is aware of so much literature being created at what was once her home.

Ventfort Hall Tea & Talk Series

Ventfort Hall Mansion & Gilded Age Museum, Lenox, MA

www.gildedage.org

through September 5, 2017

by Shera Cohen

The attempt to do away with the world’s most famous detective, the Irish Bridget, and the ultra-rich Gilded Age family who outdid everyone else in building urban palaces, estates and summer villas. These describe just three of thirteen exciting "Tea & Talks" that Ventfort Hall will offer this summer on Tuesdays at 4:00pm running now through September 5. Victorian teas will be served.

Speakers hail from around the corner (the Berkshires) to around the world; they include historians, educators, and authors. One common theme is the era of the Gilded Age – the late 1800’s and early 1900’s primarily in the U.S. where we see and learn about the servants of the rich and famous, renovation of the Berkshire Carousel, the trappings of antiques and jewelry, and a wide range of Who’s Who; i.e. Edith Wharton, Doris Duke, and the Vanderbilt family.

Two topics have already launched the series. Historian Jan Whitaker’s subject was “Opulent Emporiums: The Gilded Age of Department Stores.” With elevators to reach the floor upon floor of merchandise, shopping became a new, and long-lasting, form of entertainment. The following week, Steven Pullen’s subject matter was close to home: “Grandpa was a Groomsman and Grandma was a Housemaid: Two British Servants in America.”

Jeffrey Bradway

Jeffrey Bradway

On Tuesday, June 20th, historian/lecturer/actor Jeffrey Bradway brings his Ventfort audience up close and personal with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Most know Doyle as the creator of Sherlock Holmes – whose popularity has spanned well over a century. However, in an interview with Bradway, I learned that the author had fun with his sleuth, and thought of him as an intelligent yet strange man. After decades of spewing out nearly unsolvable crime after crime, Doyle compared his Holmes stories to great literature, saying that they were merely cartoons in the world of real painting, and by no means a masterpiece.

Bradway is a member of numerous Sherlock Holmes clubs and societies. Little did I know that over 200 groups exist in the U.S. and far more throughout the world; i.e. Baker Street Irregulars. Readers take their Holmes extremely seriously, but with a sense of humor. While the topic of Bradway’s Tea & Talk is “Killing Off Sherlock Holmes,” his one-man play is more than a narrative on the creation, death and resurrection of the world’s most famous detective. Doyle is the star. Like Holmes, the author had his own quirkiness and eccentricities with an unending curiosity in the subjects of the occult, science, and medicine.

The lecture introduces the character of Doyle through Bradway, dressed in garb of the era, speaking much of the writer’s actual language, albeit fictionalized. Sides to Doyle’s personality that few now realize are his strange mixture of scientific training with belief in the hereafter.

As for Bradway, he is in awe of Doyle, and has been almost equally enamored with Holmes since age 5 – before he could read. Shortly after, his aunt gifted him with Holmes’ sixty stories, all of which he read by age 14. Bradway explained that Doyle, however, was far more than the sum of Holmes and that the Ventfort audience will meet and learn about the man as an author of numerous genres and topics.

Jeffrey Bradway knows his subject extremely well, having extensively researched Doyle. Just as Sherlock Holmes has intrigued millions of readers (moviegoers, PBS supporters, and other modes of portrayal), Bradway continues to remain intrigued by Arthur Conan Doyle.

For reservations and other information call 413-637-3206 or visit Ventfort Hall’s website at gildedage.org

Choral Fantasy and Mystical Songs

Hartford Symphony, Hartford, CT

www.hartfordsymphony.org

June 9-11, 2017

by Michael J. Moran

Adam Kerry Boyles

No doubt inspired by the canny programming skills of Hartford Symphony Orchestra Music Director Carolyn Kuan, Assistant Conductor Adam Kerry Boyles assembled one of the most diverse and stimulating programs ever presented by a local orchestra to close the HSO’s 73rd season on a high note. It imaginatively paired two favorite masterpieces by Brahms and Ravel with welcome HSO premieres of less familiar works by Haydn, Beethoven and Vaughan Williams.

This graduation season concert aptly began with Brahms’ “Academic Festival Overture.” Incorporating four popular student drinking songs, it was written in 1880 to acknowledge the composer’s receipt of an honorary doctorate from the University of Breslau. Boyles led a warm and invigorating performance of this jubilant score.

Conductor and a smaller orchestra were then joined by the 100 plus members of the Hartford Chorale for an equally joyous account of Haydn’s 1799 setting of the Christian hymn of praise to God, “Te Deum.” The chorus’s rendition of the Latin text was vibrant, enunciated with exemplary clarity, and powerfully backed by Broyles and the HSO.

Russian-American pianist Alexander Moutouzkine next joined the chorus and larger orchestra in Beethoven’s unwieldy but fascinating “Choral Fantasy,” which begins with a five-minute passage for solo piano and introduces five vocal soloists and the full chorus only in the last few measures of its twenty-minute length. After a series of variations on an early Beethoven song, the concluding text by poet Christoph Kuffner celebrates the power of music. The ebullient piece was brilliantly performed by all forces under Broyles’ carefully balanced leadership.

A sensitive interpretation of Ravel’s colorful and exquisitely crafted “Mother Goose Suite” followed intermission, and the program closed with Vaughan Williams’ “Five Mystical Songs” for baritone, chorus and orchestra. Based on four poems by George Herbert (“Easter” is divided over the first two songs), the emotional heart of this radiant cycle is the central poem, “Love Bade Me Welcome.” John Hancock was a dramatic soloist, while chorus and orchestra were alternately forceful and ravishing.   

The only flaw in this auspicious debut by Broyles was a lack of printed or projected texts.

Tanglewood for Kids

Tanglewood, Lenox, MA

www.bso.org

FREE LAWN TICKETS

Tanglewood is pleased to offer free lawn tickets for children and young people age 17 and younger. Up to four free children's tickets are available per parent/legal guardian per concert at the Tanglewood Box Office on the day of the concert. All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket.  Please check the Tanglewood website or season pamphlet for details and policies.

Supported by a generous gift from the Pumpkin Foundation/Joe and Carol Reich

WATCH AND PLAY

Watch and Play, sponsored by the Boston Symphony Association of Volunteers, is an interactive musical performance designed to engage children ages 3-10 in the Tanglewood musical experience. The program will be offered at 1pm on Sundays July 9 and 23, and August 6 and 23, in the Chamber Music Hall. Tickets to the Sunday-afternoon concert performance are required. For more information call 413-637-5393 or email bsav@bso.org

KIDS' CORNER

Kids' Corner is offered at 9:30am on Saturdays and noon on Sundays. However, on days of Watch and Play, Kids' Corner will begin at 2pm. Children accompanied by adults may take part in musical and crafts activities supervised by BSO staff. Please stop by the Tanglewood Visitor Center for more information. Tickets to the Sunday concert or Saturday-morning rehearsal are required.

FAMILY FUN FEST

Friday, July 21, 2017 from 1-5 pm

Experience the beauty of the Tanglewood campus while taking part in an educational scavenger hunt, partake in fun family offerings such as the Instrument Playground and craft activities and watch a series of live performances from Tanglewood as well as other cultural partners.

New this year: families have the opportunity to stay - for free - to watch the BSO's 8pm concert from the lawn. Maestro Gustavo Gimeno conducts the BSO in a program of Bernstein and Tchaikovsky. Free for kids (and adults) of all ages! Advance registration is recommended.

Part of the Highland Street Foundation's Free Fun Fridays program