Launching 125th Season of Boston Pops
Keith Lockhart Acknowledges a Great Tradition
By: Barbara Brilliant - May 07, 2010
For 125 years the Boston Pops has been bringing musical enjoyment to everyone. For 125 years people from all walks of life have reveled in top musicians playing a variety of the music that we all love. As someone who has frequented the Pops through conductors Athur Fiedler, John Williams and now Keith Lockhart, going to the gala opening night concert is always a greatly anticipated event.
This year’s opening night was no exception. It had a smorgasbord of musical, technical and historic delights. It was evident that a lot of planning went into making the evening one of gigantic proportions.
The celebration started off with Joyce Kulhawik arriving in a horse drawn carriage resurrecting Isabella Stewart Gardner. Joyce looked elegant in her period costume waving graciously to the crowds gathered outside of Boston Symphony Hall. I loved Dana Bisbee’s comment “Death has been good to Gardner. She is thinner, taller and more beautiful now.” Of course Peter Fiedler, who looks just like his dad Arthur, arrived in Fiedler senior’s fire engine. And an actor in period dress portrayed Heny Lee Higginson, the Pops Founder.
The balloons were there; the wonderful musicians were there; Keith Lockhart was there and the air of excitement was there. What were not there were people to fill all the seats. With the economy turning around, I hope that ticket sales do likewise.
The concert was divided into three acts. The first was a tribute to Arthur Fielder, conductor from 1930-1979, the second John Williams conductor 1980-1993 and the third celebrating the present and future with Keith Lockhart, conductor 1995-present.
OK, so I loved The Fiedler segment. It started with the rousing Light Cavalry Overture, the charming LeRoy Anderson’s The Typewriter, and the ever popular pianist Michael Chertock playing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. The orchestra also played Jalousie, which was the first million dollar selling record in the USA. I wanted to get up and do the tango. This music was not only nostalgic but still held up as relevant and enjoyable.
After the first intermission the orchestra celebrated John Williams’ stewardship of the orchestra, Olympic Fanfare and Theme, Flying Theme from ET, and Star Wars. John Williams is unsurpassed as a human being as he is as a composer. He has been music director on more than 100 films and has a distinguished career both as conductor and composer. William’s music stands on its own without its Siamese twin, the film. What a talent!
As a long time advocate of older people both on WBZ TV’s Prime Time and as Advisor to the Secretary of Elder Affairs, I really wanted to celebrate the artistry of 83 year old Doc Severinsen. It was fun to see him strut out in his over-the-top black sequined jacket and colored shirt. Johnny Carson’s musical sidekick and once accomplished trumpet player left us with only the memories of a time gone by. Since Severinsen had appeared with all three conductors, I can understand why they made the choice to include him in the celebration.
For the 20th conductor of the Pops, Keith Lockhart saluted the present and future. They started with the delightful Leonard Bernstein Overture to Candide. It recalls Rhapsody in Blue, what’s not to like?
The soloist for this portion of the program was Idina Menzel who won a Tony for her portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West in the Broadway play Wicked. Menzel gave her first performance with the Pops and was rightfully thrilled. She opened with a difficult jazz song Life of the Party. She is not a jazz singer. She then went on to do a song from plays she appeared in, Rent and Wicked, which she did with competence. My suggestion would be for her to stick with the winners and have someone write her ad-libs a la Bernadette Peters. Idina is now in the hit TV series Glee.
Broadway music is an original American genre. We must preserve it as well I have loved seeing the Pops feature soloists such as Ethel Merman, Jason Alexander, Nathan Lane, John Raitt and others. I hope that they continue in doing the music of the Great White Way.
We all know that the numbers are down for the Pops. What they are trying to do with the Beatles Rock Band Sing-Along world premiere animation by Harmonix Music System which was part of the future segment, is understandable but won’t get them the audience they crave.
If someone had asked me what he or she should do, this would be my advice. Have the Pops do what they do best. Spend the budget on one fabulous soloist whose artistry is equal to their resume and press photo. This would attract the 76 million baby boomers. Don’t try to attract the twenty somethings and teens by pandering to them. This turns off your bread and butter audience and donors. The majority of very young people don’t want to hear anything played by a symphony orchestra. This can and should change.
The best program that I have heard of to encourage orchestral music for the next generations is in South America called El Sistema.
According to Wikipedia, ”El Sistema is a publicly financed voluntary sector music education program in Venezuela, originally called Social Action for Music. Its official name is Fundación del Estado para el Sistema Nacional de las Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles de Venezuela, (Fesnojiv), and sometimes translated to English as "National Network of Youth and Children's Orchestras of Venezuela"). El Sistema is a state foundation which watches over Venezuela's 125 youth orchestras and the instrumental training programmes which make them possible.” We are doing something like that in Boston but much more can be done.
In the meantime, the Boston Pops is a treasure that must be maintained.