The Classical Beat: Tanglewood, Sevenars Offer Culminating Programs

By Stephen DanknerSpecial to iBerkshires
08:00AM / Wednesday, August 14, 2024Print Story | Email Story

The Classical Beat: Tanglewood, Sevenars Offer Culminating Programs

During this penultimate week of the Tanglewood Music Festival, the spotlight will focus on a wide range of standard repertoire in both the concerto and symphony genres: Mozart piano concerti, performed by the stellar Knights chamber orchestra, with the masterful soloist Emanuel Ax; Prokofiev's brilliant Violin Concerto No. 1, with the luminous Midori as soloist; and for fans of Tchaikovsky, the lushly lyrical Symphony No. 5. Later in the week, don't miss out on Prokofiev's alternatively lyrical, boisterous, majestic and thrilling Symphony No. 5; Beethoven (the joyous and heartfelt Seventh Symphony) and Schumann (the extraordinary Cello Concerto, performed by the great master Yo-Yo Ma) will certainly be high points for listeners. As always, Tanglewood presents a bouquet of musical riches presented in an incomparably bucolic setting. Many of those superlative concerts will reside in our collective memory for a long time.

Here are five special not-to-be- missed highlights, followed by the full listing and extraordinary range of programming to be found in each of Tanglewood's superb venues — the Shed and Ozawa Hall, and including the Tanglewood Learning Center's special lectures during the six-day period from Wednesday, August 14 through Monday, August 19.

Tanglewood Highlights This Week

Chamber orchestra "The Knights" with the magnificent pianist Emanuel Ax performing two Mozart piano concertos each evening (August 14 and 15).
The landmark CGI (computer-generated) film "Jurassic Park" in concert. Screening with the Boston Pops performing John Williams' incredibly brilliant score, conducted by Keith Lockhart (August 17).
Two showings of the popular TLI Silent Film project with TMC composers, conductors, and instrumentalists, in collaboration with Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival (August 18).
BSO Assistant Conductors Samy Rachid and Earl Lee lead two programs featuring some of the most esteemed soloists of our time. Rachid makes his BSO and Tanglewood marks the debut of the phenomenal violinist Midori in Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1 on a program of Russian masterpieces that includes Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 and Evgeny Svetlanov's "Dawn in the Field" (August 16).
Samy Lee conducts the incomparable Yo-Yo Ma in Schumann's Cello Concerto with BSO Composer Chair-designate Carlos Simon's "Fate Now Conquers" and Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 (August 18).

Tanglewood Full Programming Aug. 14-19

Wednesday, August 14

1:30 p.m., Studio E, Linde Center for Music and Learning. TLI Open Workshops: Roberto Díaz, viola.

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Thursday, August 15

1 p.m., Tent Club: TLI Talks and Walks Anthony Fogg, moderator, with violinist Midori

8 p.m., Seiji Ozawa Hall Recital Series: The Knights, Eric Jacobsen, conductor, Emanuel Ax, piano Gabriela ORTIZ La Calaca, for strings. MOZART Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K.466. MOZART Piano Concerto No. 25 in C, K.503.

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Friday, August 16

2:30 p.m., Studio E, Linde Center for Music and Learning. TLI Presents: "Trauma, Memory & Transcendence in Music": Part 1: "Do Not Forget Me" with Mark Ludwig. Terezín Music Foundation director and Fulbright Scholar Mark Ludwig explores loss and remembrance in classical music with a particular focus on Gideon Klein, who Holocaust survivors remember as "our young Leonard Bernstein." Klein's meteoric and inspiring story is complemented by live performances by BSO members. Presented in collaboration with the Terezín Music Foundation.

6 p.m., Seiji Ozawa Hall Prelude Concert. Victor Romanul, violin, Michael Zaretsky, viola, Jonah Ellsworth, cello, Thomas Martin, clarinet, Xak Bjerken, piano. SIBELIUS Duo for Violin and Viola. SMIT Trio for clarinet, viola, and piano. FAURÉ Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 15.

8 p.m., Shed. Boston Symphony Orchestra. Samy Rachid+, conductor. Midori, violin. TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5 and PROKOFIEV Violin Concerto No. 1 with Midori. SVETLANOV "Dawn in the Field," PROKOFIEV Violin Concerto No. 1, TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5.

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Saturday, August 17

10:30 a.m. Shed. Boston Symphony Orchestra Open Rehearsal, Sunday program.

1:30 p.m., Seiji Ozawa Hall, BU Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Orchestra.

2:30 p.m., Studio E, Linde Center for Music and Learning. TLI Presents: "Trauma, Memory & Transcendence in Music," Part 2: "A Search for Meaning" with Mark Ludwig and Osvaldo Golijov. Terezín Music Foundation director and Fulbright Scholar Mark Ludwig is joined by world-renowned composer Osvaldo Golijov as they discuss Golijov's recent work "Falling Out of Time." Ludwig will also examine composer Viktor Ullmann's quest for meaning within the confines of the Terezín concentration camp through his unique synthesis of classical, jazz, and cabaret music. The program will include art and historic photos, with live performances by BSO members. Presented in collaboration with the Terezín Music Foundation.

5 p.m., Seiji Ozawa Hall. TLI Spotlight Series: David Pogue. Emmy-winning CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, NOVA host, and former New York Times columnist. Pogue is the go-to expert on disruptive tech and science in a fast-changing world. Pogue brings his expansive knowledge, engaging wit, and an occasional song to center stage in a talk about Artificial Intelligence and the future of music.

6 p.m., Studio E, Linde Center for Music and Learning: TMC Fellows Prelude Concert: MOZART String Quintet in G minor, K.516; PIAZZOLLA Three Tangos for Violin and Bass.

8 p.m., Shed: Boston Pops Orchestra. Keith Lockhart, conductor. "Jurassic Park" in Concert - featuring visually stunning imagery and groundbreaking CGI special effects, the action-packed adventure of Jurassic Park pits humanity against prehistoric reptiles in the ultimate battle for survival. Experience it, projected in HD with a full symphony orchestra performing John Williams' iconic score live to picture.

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Sunday, August 18

10 a.m., Seiji Ozawa Hall. TMC Chamber Music/ MOZART String Quintet in D, K.593; Paul KEREKES twain: two movements for chamber orchestra (American premiere; co-commissioned by the Tanglewood Music Center and the Mendelssohn Orchestra Academy. SCHULHOFF Concertino for flute, viola, and double-bass; BARBER String Quartet in B minor, Op. 11; FARRENC Nonet in E-flat, Op. 38.

10:30 a.m., Studio E, Linde Center for Music and Learning. TLI for Families: Circle Round Rebecca Sheir, host. Be a part of Circle Round history as WBUR's award-winning folktales podcast returns to Tanglewood's Linde Center for Music and Learning for a live recording of three new episodes! Host Rebecca Sheir and composer Eric Shimelonis will be joined by a quintet of Boston Symphony Orchestra musicians plus an all-star cast of actors as they bring these exciting folktales to life. All four Circle Round picture books will be available for purchase; a book signing and meet-and-greet will follow the show.

2:30 p.m., Shed: Boston Symphony Orchestra. Earl Lee, conductor, Yo-Yo Ma, cello. Earl Lee conducts Simon, Schumann, and Beethoven Symphony No. 7 with Yo-Yo Ma. Carlos SIMON: "Fate Now Conquers." SCHUMANN Cello Concerto; BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 7.

6 p.m. and 9 p.m., Studio E, Linde Center for Music and Learning. TLI Presents: Silent Film project with TMC. Composers, Conductors, and Instrumentalists, in collaboration with Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival.

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Monday, August 19

8 p.m., Seiji Ozawa Hall. Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, Hannu Lintu, conductor. TMC Conducting Fellows. Gabriela ORTIZ "Kauyumari." Bernard RANDS "Adieu," SIBELIUS "En saga," Op. 9 and PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 5.

For tickets to all Tanglewood events, call (888) 266-1200, or go online at tanglewood.org.

Sevenars Music Festival

Sunday, August 18 at 4:00 p.m.: No Sevenars season would seem complete without the jazz wizardry of pianist Clifton J. "Jerry" Noble, Jr. (piano, guitar, vocals) and bassist Kara Noble (bass, guitar, vocals). This year on August 18 they return as part of the Sparky Quartet, honoring the legacy of jazz master and clarinetist Bob Sparkman. Completing the quartet are the inimitable Chris Devine (violin, flute, guitar, etc.) and percussionist extraordinaire John Van Eps (drums, vibraphone, producer, etc.). Clifton J. "Jerry" Noble, Jr. is admired as composer and pianist throughout the United States and internationally, both as a classical artist and in jazz improvisation. He has enchanted Sevenars audiences for two decades with his jazz stylings — first with clarinet legend Bob Sparkman, and then joined in a trio with his musical dynamo wife Kara Noble on bass guitar. In 2023, to honor the late Bob Sparkman, the Noble duo joined forces with Chris Devine, who plays in a multitude of styles and instruments (and whose bio includes collaborating with Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple), and John Van Eps, multifaceted marimbist, composer, and producer (whose credits include producing remixes of Robert Lamm of Chicago). These four musicians brought the house down in 2023, and you won't want to miss this season's final program, which includes some riffing on Bach to bridge classical and jazz.

Founded in 1968, Sevenars Concerts Inc., is celebrating its 56th season of six summer concerts, held at the Academy, a building designated "an acoustic gem in an idyllic setting," located in the historic village of South Worthington, 15 Ireland St., off MA Route 112.

Sevenars contact information: Phone: 413-238-5854 (please leave a message for a return call). Online: www.sevenars.org. Email: Sevenars@aol.com. Admission is by donation at the door (suggested $20). Refreshments will be available.

Tags: Tanglewood, The Classical Beat,

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BRTA Focuses on a New Run Schedule

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
01:26PM / Wednesday, April 29, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority is still working on maintaining its run schedules after dropping the route realignment proposal.

Last Thursday's meeting was Administrator Kathleen Lambert's first official meeting taking over the reins; retiring director Robert Malnati stayed during a transition period that ended last month.

Lambert is trying to create a schedule that will lessen cancellations. There was a two-hour meeting the week before with the drivers union to negotiate run bids and Lambert is working with the new operating company Keolis, which is taking over from Transdev.

The board spoke about anonymous emails from drivers, which Lambert said she has not seen. iBerkshires was not able to see those letters, but has received some.

"They were lengthy emails from someone describing themselves as concerning BRTA employee, and there was a signed letter from a whole group of employees basically stating their concerns. So, you know, to me, it was a set of whistleblowers, and that, what my understanding is that this really triggers a need for some type of process to review the merits of these whistleblowers, not going to call them accusations, but basically expressions of concern," said member Stephen Bannon.

A letter iBerkshires received spoke of unhappy drivers who were considering quitting because of decisions being made without "input from frontline staff," frustration and falling morale, and the removal of the former general manager shortly after Lambert came in.

Lambert said it's difficult to navigate a new change. She also noted many drivers don't want to do Saturday runs and it has been hard negotiating with drivers on the new runs.

"I would like you all to keep in mind that the process of change is super difficult. Transdev has been here for 20 years, and some of these drivers have never known any other operating company, the way some of the operations have been handled has been archaic," she said. "So getting folks up to speed on how a modern transit system works is going to be painful for them. So I don't want to say that I'm unsympathetic, because I am sympathetic, but I am trying to coax people along with a system that's going to seem very strange to them."

The board spoke about better communication between them and Lambert, citing cooperation will be best moving forward.

"There's just a lot of stuff in the air right now, and there are a lot of fires to put out to make this a coordinated effort. And if we don't keep our communications open and be straightforward, then you get blindsided about how you know the input that you could get from us about your position, and how you know what's going on in your direction, and we get blindsided. And I think that we have to make sure that this is a collaboration," said member Sherry Youngkin.

"Both sides have responsibilities, because in the long run, this advisory board is going to have to make decisions as to how we brought forward and if we've gone forward in a fair and helpful way. And I think that's hopefully what everybody is looking for also."

Transdev and Keolis held a three-day recruiting event interviewing almost 40 candidates and offering jobs to eight, but only three stayed on to start training. Lambert said it was disappointing but she will keep trying to retain more people.

In her first report to the board, she noted that ridership dipped a little over 10 percent, but still remains higher than last year, adding that was because of cancellations of services because of the lack of drivers.

Like the last meeting, some of the advisory board members were torn over the start of the Link413 service, worried that the start of the service took drivers away and the numbers of riders are low.

Lambert, however, said the ridership has doubled from last month.

"As I've spoken before, we have, generally, a six-month adoption for brand-new service before you can really go in and evaluate, are you being successful based on the grant that my predecessor wrote along with the team for PBTA and RTA, we are ahead of schedule, which is pretty good, so I'm hoping that will continue to improve," she said.

Member Renee Wood said the board never approved the service, adding the only thing she could find in the minutes was a vote to accept the equipment. She said it was supposed to be put on the agenda to discuss.

"The Link413 service has been three years in the making. It's been a grant that was accepted and has been working with our partners, PVTA and FRTA, to put into place. So I don't have the entire history of how that process worked, but it's been three years in the making, and did we not understand that once we accept that grant that we were going to put in new service?" Lambert said.

The board discussed if Title VI, the Civil Rights Act, was followed with an accurate review and accurate amount of time for public comment period on the service changes and if its attorney should review if the grant conditions were properly followed.

Lambert said changes had the 60-day comment period included in the proposed route realignment packet, giving the opportunity for the community to respond to that as well but will look into the legality of the situation with their attorney.

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