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The Classical Beat: Great Music in the Berkshires and Vermont
By Stephen Dankner, iBerkshires Correspondent
11:06AM / Wednesday, August 06, 2014
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Yo-Yo Ma returns to Tanglewood on Thursday, Aug. 7.

The summer music festival season shifts into high gear this week, with concerts in venues across the region.

Although there’s diversity in programming, the common denominator this week is on the mainstream classical masterpieces, with three star power all-Brahms and all-Tchaikovsky programs at Tanglewood, Beethoven and Schumann at Music and More, and Mendelssohn at the Manchester Music Festival.

Read below for the details.                

Tanglewood

• Wednesday, Aug. 6, 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall: The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen (German Chamber Philharmonic from Bremen), led by maestro Paavo Järvi, leads the orchestra in an all-Brahms program. Works include the “Academic Festival Overture,” Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Minor with the soloist Lars Vogt, and the Symphony No. 2.

Why go? Three great works – the rousing Overture, written by Brahms as acknowledgement of the honorary Ph.D. bestowed upon him by the University of Breslau, is a wonderful curtain raiser; you’ll likely recognize some of the college anthems, especially “Gaudeamus Igutur.” The First Piano Concerto started out as Brahms’ initial attempt at composing a symphony, and possesses all the gravitas you’d expect from a young composer attempting to follow in the footsteps of Beethoven. And the Second Symphony, composed in 1877, displays Brahms’ gift for formal mastery, especially in the massive first movement; the rest of the Symphony retains its power, and with added melodic interest.

• Thursday, Aug. 7, 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall: A triumvirate of musical giants takes the stage in Ozawa Hall: cellist Yo-Yo Ma, pianist Emanuel Ax and violinist Leonidas Kavakos. Again, it’s an all-Brahms evening, with a program of three of the Master’s greatest chamber works: the Violin Sonata No. 1, in G Major, Op. 78; the Cello Sonata No. 2 in F Major, Op. 99 and the Piano Trio. 1 in B Major, Op. 8.

Why go?  When you have performing artists of this caliber displaying their interpretive gifts in three of the greatest works in the classical chamber music canon, you can expect nothing less than an unforgettable musical experience - definitely a highlight of the summer season. One caveat: only lawn tickets are available.

• Friday, Aug. 8, 8:30 p.m. in the Shed: Maestro Leonard Slatkin leads the BSO, with the soloists violinist Gil Shaham and BSO Principal Oboist John Ferillo in a program of Samuel Barber (the Violin Concerto), Elgar (“Enigma Variations’) Barlow  (“The Winter’s Past” for oboe and strings) and William Bolcom (“Circus Overture”).

Why go? This is an intriguing and evocative program of older and modern Romantic music. The Barber Concerto is a modern classic – the most frequently performed violin concerto by an American, and is beloved for its melodic warmth in the opening and second movement, as well as for its headlong, virtuosic finale. The Elgar is famous for the work’s stunningly beautiful Variation IX (“Nimrod”), which is often excerpted to mark solemn occasions. The Bolcom work will be a premiere, and, knowing the composer’s style, one can expect a sprightly, effervescent piece, brimming with Bolcom’s orchestral wizardry.

• Saturday, Aug. 9, 8:30 p.m. in the Shed: French maestro Stephane Deneve directs the BSO in a program of Debussy (“Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun”), Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937) (the Violin Concerto No. 2, with soloist Leonidas Kavakos) and Tchaikovsky (Symphony No. 4).

Why go?  These three orchestral and soloistic gems make for a striking feast of sonic beauty. Contrast the Debussy with the finale of the Tchaikovsky and you’ll experience the fullest possible spectrum of orchestral brilliance – from the ineffable to the grandiose. Go, and luxuriate in it all.

• Sunday, Aug. 10, 2:30 p.m. in the Shed: Maestro David Zinman leads the BSO, with featured guest soloist Yo-Yo Ma in an all-Tchaikovsky program. The superstar cellist performs two works: the “Variations on a Rococo Theme”, and an arrangement of the “Andante cantabile” from the String Quartet, Op. 11, for cello and orchestra. The concluding work on the program is the Symphony No. 6 (‘Pathetique’).

Why go? Attend, for the richness of melody and the warmth of expression that Yo-Yo Ma brings to everything he plays. Savor it all in this feast for the ear.

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.

 

Manchester Music Festival

•  Thursday, Aug. 7, 7:30 p.m.: The Manchester Music Festival presents a program of music by Felix Mendelssohn and Vittorio Giannini (1903-1966) dubbed “Generations of Melody”. Performers include violinists Joana Genova and Stefan Milenkovich, violist Ariel Rudiakov, cellist Alexis Pia Gerlach and pianist Michael Brown.

Why go? The perennially beloved music of Mendelssohn and the original, vigorous voice of Italian-American composer Giannini make for an interesting mix of contrasting and rarely heard repertoire.

The performance venue for “Generations of Melody” is located at the Arkell Pavilion, Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, Vt. To purchase tickets and for complete information about the Manchester Music Festival, go online at mmfvt.org, or call 802-362-1956.

 

Music and More

• Saturday, Aug. 9, 4:30 p.m.: Music and More will present their opening concert of the season. The program will include the Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Minor, Op. 105 by Robert Schumann, Sonata for Violin and Piano in D Major, Op. 94a by Sergei Prokofiev and Beethoven’s Sonata in A Major, Op. 47 (‘Kreutzer’).

Why go? Making its festival debut, the Boston Duo, a husband-and wife team of Boston Symphony violinist Tatiana Dimitriades and pianist Jonathan Bass, will perform this stylistically varied and exciting program.

The program will be given at the historic Meeting House on the Village Green, 154 Hartsville-New Marlborough Road, New Marlborough. A reception for the artists will follow at The Meeting House Art Gallery.

Directed by its founder, Harold Lewin, and supported by the New Marlborough Village Association, this unique multi-genre series hosts outstanding established and next-generation actors, musicians, writers and other creative artists in performance at the beautiful Meeting House of New Marlborough. For complete schedule, event details, and ticket information call 413-229-2785 or visit online at newmarlborough.org.

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