Classical Beat: 'Kate' Is Iffy, Tanglewood Is A Sure BetBy Stephen Dankner, iBerkshires Correspondent
10:16AM / Wednesday, June 18, 2014 | |
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'Kiss Me, Kate,' running through July 12 at Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, has wonderful performances but is a bit frenetic.
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Dear iBerkshires readers: I’m Stephen (Steve) Dankner, a composer and pianist. I’ll be writing weekly previews of upcoming classical music concerts at venues in the region during the summer and fall months, covering concerts at Tanglewood, Tannery Pond, South Mountain and others.
From 2005-2014, my column, Classical Beat, appeared in The Advocate newspaper. I’ll be highlighting my picks of the many classical music offerings you’ll find, to help you decide which concerts to attend, and what makes these not-to-be-missed, memorable experiences.
'Kiss Me, Kate' at Barrington Stage Company
The musical “Kiss Me, Kate,” now playing at the Barrington Stage Company, in Pittsfield, is a über-upbeat revival of what is perhaps Cole Porter’s greatest show. This is a production that succeeds on some levels, yet disappoints on others. The solo and ensemble performances are generally excellent. A few complaints: The constantly frenetic direction proved wearying, as it never lets up during the show’s three-hour duration. The singers and stage band are over-amplified, adding to the frenzy. The great Cole Porter score, which is the main reason for reviving this show, seemed often to get lost amid the mayhem - songs like “Another Op’nin’, Another Show,” “Why Can’t You Behave,” “Wunderbar,” “So In Love,” “Were Thine That Special Face,” and the brilliant Porter-ian wordplay of “Brush Up Your Shakespeare."
Performances are through July 12 on the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage (30 Union Street). Tickets, starting at $20, are on sale now for "Kiss Me, Kate" and for the rest of Barrington’s 2014 season. For more information, call the Barrington Stage box office at 413-236-8888 (or toll-free at 855-TIX-2BSC) or visit www.barringtonstageco.org.
Tannery Pond Concert in New Lebanon, N.Y.
Tannery Pond Concerts, the esteemed series of seven concerts offered from May through September, already has begun, with the stellar Dover String Quartet and pianist Alon Goldstein, on May 24. Next up is a duo-recital by violinist Axel Strauss and collaborative pianist Ilya Poletaev this Saturday, June 21. The program of works by Mozart. Schumann, Prokofiev and Enescu is superb, and, given the talents of these outstanding performers, promises to be brilliantly performed.
Tickets are $30 and $39. Reservations are recommended. Call 888-820-1696 or for more information go online at tannerypondconcerts.org to learn more about the season’s remaining five concerts. Tannery Pond is located on the grounds of Mount Lebanon Shaker Village and Darrow School, New Lebanon, N.Y., one and a half miles east of the town center on Route 20.
Tanglewood Opens 2014 Season in Lenox
After a particularly long and hard winter, music lovers anticipate the opening of Tanglewood, as it represents the beginning of the summer and the Berkshires’ musical “high season.” There’s a concert or related event each day and/or night at this goliath of musical festivals from June 27 through Aug. 30. The Festival is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and each year the Tanglewood Music Center (the Festival’s educational arm) presents outstanding young, journeyman musicians – each one a budding master instrumentalist or singer.
 The verdant grounds of the Tanglewood campus are a joy in itself, adding to the delights of the diverse musical offerings. If you have never been, you owe it to yourself to experience this treasure of a music festival, unique in the world.
The two major venues are the Music Shed and Ozawa Hall. The huge Shed, with a seating for 5,100 and lawn capacity to accommodate an additional 15,000, is where large-scale symphonic music, opera in concert and mixed choral/orchestral concerts are performed. Choose the lawn if you want to partake of the music enjoying either a light picnic or an al fresco gourmet feast (lawn prices are cheaper, as well). Ozawa Hall is more intimate and seats 1,200. There, you’ll hear chamber music: from solo piano to small orchestra concerts, early music, vocal and instrumental recitals and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra (TMCO). The hall is a marvel, with world-class acoustics and commodious adjacent lawn seating.
Ozawa Hall opens first, on June 27 at 8 p.m., with a program of intimate jazz by the Kenny Barron Trio. Barron is an NEA-designated Jazz Master.
The Shed is the place to be if you’re a fan of "A Prairie Home Companion," hosted by Garrison Keillor. The live broadcast from Tanglewood is a tradition and has become an audience favorite. The program begins at 5:45 p.m. June 28.
Additional performances during the opening week include:
• The TMC String Quartet Marathon: June 30, 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. in Ozawa Hall.
• The Boston Symphony Chamber Players: July 1, 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall
• Tanglewood Opening Exercises: July 2, 2:30 p.m. in Ozawa Hall.
• James Taylor at Tanglewood: July 3 and July 4, 8 p.m. in the Shed.
• Opening Night at Tanglewood: The Boston Symphony Orchestra with Renee Fleming, soprano, 8:30 p.m. in the Shed.
I’ll be delving in depth into Tanglewood’s programming week by week, so follow me on iBerkshires.com as I focus on the music and the featured performing artists.
I’d strongly recommend that you peruse the summer’s offerings ASAP online and make your own selections of upcoming performances, while there’s still time. Tickets, especially for events that feature performers with star power, often quickly become sold out.
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.
Stephen Dankner lives in Williamstown. Send your comments to him at sdankner@earthlink.net, or visit his website stephendankner.com.
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