Kurt Masur Conducts Final BSO Tanglewood Concert
Beethnoven's Ninth Always Delievers
By: Adrian Hill - Aug 30, 2010
Everyone has an old friend they might not see very often, but when we do, we feel right at home with them, like we just saw them the day before and we pick up the conversation practically right where it left off a year or two ago. We cherish these friends. They make our lives richer. And we look forward to their visits.
One such friend I look forward to spending time with each year visits the last Sunday before Labor Day. I saw this friend again this past Sunday. And as in years past, I was as excited as ever to see them. They're always lively and engaging and joyful to be around. Who is this wonderful companion? Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. But not just the symphony itself. Specifically, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s performance of the Ninth at Tanglewood.
And as an added bonus, this year's Ninth was conducted by Kurt Masur. I saw him lead the New York Philharmonic several years ago at Tanglewood and I was struck by his sure, confident mastery of the orchestra. He commanded the same solid presence this past Sunday at Tanglewood, drawing a spirited performance of the Ninth out of the BSO.
The BSO began performing this symphony at Tanglewood on the final weekend of its classical music season several years ago. Everyone loves the Ninth. And for good reason. The Ninth is unquestionably one of the greatest pieces of music ever written. But hearing the Ninth at Tanglewood makes the music even more magical. There’s absolutely nothing like lying on the lawn underneath the large, towering trees near the Shed beside thousands of people and listening to this glorious music on a warm, sunny summer day. Each time I hear this music at Tanglewood, I feel like I’ve stepped into some early 19th century English painting by Constable or some other idyllic setting that’s so perfect, it almost doesn’t seem real.
Even now, centuries later, I’m still amazed that Beethoven wrote such heavenly music given the circumstances of his life. He could no longer hear. And yet he wrote an ‘Ode to Joy’ that people still love and consider an undisputed masterpiece.
Apparently, Beethoven had long wanted to set Schiller’s ‘Ode to Joy’ to music for many years, according to the program notes for Sunday’s BSO concert. The poem is an ode as well to friendship and was written as a high-spirited drinking song.
Appropriately, I listened to most of the concert on the lawn, surrounded by friends, drinking a few glasses of delightful wine in the shade of a large tree. I cannot think of a more perfect way to spend the afternoon. And I look forward to Beethoven’s Ninth return to Tanglewood next summer.
Cheers!