Tanglewood

A major billing with two headliners, Train and the Goo Goo Dolls, played to an enthusiastic audience of many generations, dominated by women at Tanglewood on Monday evening. Both bands played enthusiastic seventeen song set lists, before the encore. Cannons, fireworks and bouncing balloons helped keep the crowd active throughout the evening.

Davone Tines was looking for a project to touch him deeply. His college classmate Michael Schacter suggested reading Langston Hughes' poems. The Black Clown hit him in the gut. Years ago Hughes had felt just as he did. Schachter and Tines collaborated on a moving and energetic musical monologue prompted by the poem. It is a wild theatrical success in its New York premiere.

The Brightness of Light by Kevin Puts had its world premiere at The Shed at Tanglewood. Rod Gilfry, baritone, and Puts' collaborator Renee Fleming, sang the baritone and soprano roles of Alfred Stieglitz and Georgia O'Keefe, who were married for twenty-two years. Often living and working in different parts of America, they corresponded. Puts scoured the correspondence to develop an arc for his orchestral song cycle. It is a brilliantly achieved work.

With more that 20 bookings no company has logged more appearances at Jacob's Pillow. For the first time in five years Mark Morris Dance Group & Music Ensemble is back this week. In recent years it has been the only dance company to be featured a number of times at Tanglewood. Now sliding past middle age, however, the choreographer is challenged to maintain pole position on the cutting edge. It was heartening to see a new piece in a program of vintage works.

On the specal occasion of its annual Gala there was a special treat for partrons and the general audience. The long awaited and much anticipated Verdi’s Requiem Mass was conducted by Andris Nelsons at Tanglewood.

Starting late last night at Tanglwood the quirky man/ child, Josh Groban, delivered a chatty 90 minute set with ten minutes of encores. In tribute to James Taylor, who performs tonight, in a total gonzo move, Groban fell to his knees and "kissed the hallowed ground" of Tanglewood. All kidding aside he has truly awesome pipes.

For the past eight years the Candian Marc Martel has toured performing the music of Freddie Mercury. Rami Malek won an Oscar for portraying him in "Bohemian Rhapsody." That was among the songs that Martel performed in Boston Pops Celebrates Queen. Conducted by James Burton the orchestra rocked the Shed.

Richard Thompson has been in the music limelight for over 50 years. His British background and love of anything Scottish, prose wise, music wise or lyric wise, has helped this former member of the '60s band, Fairport Convention catapult his career to a new generation.

Garrison Keillor and 'A Prairie Home Companion' are out to pasture. Chris Thile, successor and host of 'Live From Here' made their second appearance at Koussevitzky Music Shed in Lenox, Massachusetts. The musical, comedic, live radio show on American Public Media radio stations featured Thile and his back-up band of musicians, a female trio, a comedian and a pianist-composer-singer from Hudson, New York.

Tanglewood would like to offer ticket buyers the opportunity to exchange into any concert at Tanglewood this summer, with the exception of the James Taylor performances on July 3 and 4, which are sold out. Patrons who choose to exchange their Brian Wilson ticket(s) for another Tanglewood performance (see list below) will receive an additional bonus, an undated Tanglewood lawn ticket—a $24 value—for each ticket exchanged, valid for any Boston Symphony or Boston Pops concert throughout the season (not valid for Popular Artists Series concerts).

On Thursday, June 27 at 8 p.m., the Boston Pops and special guest Marc Martel join together for a celebration of the legendary rock band Queen. Martel, known for his striking vocal resemblance to Freddie Mercury, Queen’s lead singer, has been fronting Queen's official tribute show, The Queen Extravaganza, since 2011.

The 2019 Popular Artist Series includes performances by Brian Wilson (6/16), Richard Thompson (6/21), Earth, Wind & Fire (6/28), Josh Groban (7/2), James Taylor and his All-Star Band (7/3 & 4), Train and the Goo Goo Dolls (8/5), Gladys Knight and The Spinners (8/28), Squeeze—The Squeeze Songbook Tour (8/29), Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo and Melissa Etheridge (8/30), Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (8/31), and Reba McEntire (9/1). American Public Media’s Live From Here with Chris Thile also returns on June 15, opening the 2019 season.

n Friday, June 28, at 7 p.m., Earth, Wind & Fire returns to Tanglewood, bringing its U.S. tour to the Koussevitzky Music Shed. Earth, Wind & Fire are a music institution. Over a five-decade history, they have sold out concerts all around the globe, scored eight number one hits, and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide.

Renee Fleming has gone for the jugular in addressing the problem of song’s survival. How do singers communicate with an audience so people want to come and hear them? Her SongStudio took place in the Resnick Education Wing of Carnegie Hall.

During the busy summer season in the Berkshires we eat and run. Winter is for more elaborate, experimental meals. On every level it means putting more spice in your life. Since Labor Day we have been having fun experimenting in the kitchen.

The 2019 Tanglewood season will see Boston Symphony Music Director Andris Nelsons in residence throughout the month of July, leading 14 programs, including a first for Tanglewood—a concert performance of Wagner’s complete Die Walküre with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra and a star-studded cast, presented in three [Andris Nelsons]concerts over a two-day period, July 27 & 28. Tanglewood will also be the setting for the BSO’s Nelsons-led world premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts’ The Brightness of Light, a work for voices and orchestra inspired by letters between Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz; it was written especially for Renée Fleming and Rod Gilfry, who will be the featured soloists.

Len

It has been a summer of celebrating Centennials for Leonard Bernstein and his collaborator, Jerome Robbins. The Jacob's Pillow season ended with Stars of American Ballet. They offered a tribute of five Robbins dances curated by New York City Ballet principal Daniel Ulbricht.

The summerlong Leonard Bernstein Centennial at Tanglewood ended with an all star celebration hosted by Audra McDonald. Five conductors and numerous guest artists presented a two hour program that featured his music as well as composers like Copland, a close friend, and Mahler, a kindred spirit. John Williams composed a special piece for the occasion. It was a night to remember as a chapter of Tanglewood's vivid history.

Leonard Bernstein's 'Candide' came to light at Ozawa Hall. The packed house and crowded lawn were recipients of a night of comedic opera, performed by The Knights with special guests. Skits jammed in-between tenor and soprano leads. The mockery led the way to this dumbfounded comedy, which reminds one of the Marx Brothers.

The packed audience at Tanglewood on a most beautiful day waited anxiously to hear the world premiere of a new composition from John Williams, in honor of Leonard Bernstein's ongoing 100th Year Celebration. The anticipated piece, 'Highwood's Ghost' featured Yo Yo Ma.

The summer long centenary celebration continued last night at Tanglewood with an All Bernstein Program conducted by Andris Nelsons. It featured Fancy Free a 1944 collaboration with choreographe Jerome Robbins for Fancy Free. That theme was expanded into their musical On the Town. The dance was performed in collaboration with Boston Ballet.

Now 89, legendary Boston jazz impresario , Fred Taylor, is busy booking one nighters for the Cabot Theatre in Beverly, Mass. Asked if it is time to retire he replied with the title of his memoir "What and Quit Show Biz." It's a work in progress with Dick Vacca. They hope to publish the book in spring, 2019. With typical wit and insight it recaps a career booking clubs like Jazz Workshop/ Paul's Mall, and Sculler's. He founded the Tanglewood Jazz Festival and produced concerts at Symphony Hall and other venues.

With an up-to-date LED screen and a full house, 'West Side Story' , the movie version, was in synch with conductor David Newman and the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood. The score and movie hold their original lure with flawless tour de force.

Since April, 2017 the superstar pianist, Lang Lang, has been recovering from an injury to his left arm. In a scheduling coup he returned to performing last night during Opening Night of the BSO's 2018 season at Tanglewood., He was adored by the audience which was rewarded by sublime encore of Copin. Andris Nelsons conducted an evening of Mozart and Tchaikovsky.