The Classical Beat:Great Music at Tanglewood and Sevenars

Tanglewood showcases three audience-favorite Festival extravaganzas

With the arrival of August, we are at the apex of the music festival season. Programs at Tanglewood offer a diverse and intriguing mix of chamber music by Schubert and Dvorak, as well as by early 20th century and living composers; rare performances of vocal music of Lili Boulanger and Clara Schumann; virtuosic orchestral repertoire, featuring an all-Beethoven program and, for a scintillating contrast, the piquant music of Maurice Ravel, Silvestre Revueltas and Henri Dutilleux. You won't want to miss Tanglewood's annual "John Williams' Film Night," featuring the Boston Pops led by conductors John Williams and Ken-David Masur; this very special edition will occur over two consecutive evenings.

For an exceptional afternoon of virtuoso pianism, enjoy the superb artist Junwen Liang in a solo recital on Sunday at the Sevenars Festival in pastoral South Worthington.

Listed events inclusively cover the week from Wednesday, July 31 through Tuesday, August 6. Read below for the details.

Tanglewood

Here are this week's three spectacular, large-scale highlights – each featuring superlative artists performing audience-favorite repertoire:

The Boston Pops at "John Williams' Film Nights," which includes a celebration of the great film composer Henry Mancini's 100th birthday, with conductors Ken-David Masur and David Newman (August 2 and 3)  

An all-Beethoven program with pianist Kirill Gerstein, violinist Joshua Bell, and cellist Steven Isserlis led by conductor Alan Gilbert (August 4).

The annual Tanglewood on Parade this year is dedicated as a memorial tribute to BSO Music Director Laureate Maestro Seiji Ozawa, who passed away earlier this year, with conductors Keith Lockhart, Alan Gilbert, Ken-David Masur, and Anna Rakitina and guests soprano Christine Goerke and the Marcus Roberts Trio (August 6). The eclectic program includes works by John Williams, Richard Strauss, Hector Berlioz, and George Gershwin, as well as Tchaikovsky's concluding, spectacular "1812 Overture."

Here are Tanglewood's concerts and auxiliary events for the week:

Wednesday, July 31:

1:30 p.m.in Studio E, Linde Center for Music and Learning

TLI Open Workshops: Toby Oft, trombone

8 p.m. in Seiji Ozawa Hall

Recital Series:

Kirill Gerstein, piano

Joshua Bell, violin

Steven Isserlis, cello

DEBUSSY Sonata for Cello and Piano

DEBUSSY Sonata for Violin and Piano

RAVEL Sonata for Violin and Cello

Brad MEHLDAU "Après Fauré No. 3" (Nocturne)

FAURÉ Nocturne No. 13 in B minor, Op. 119

DEBUSSY Works for piano solo

Pièce pour l'œuvre du "Vêtement du blessé" (For the "Clothing for the Wounded")

Berceuse héroïque

Les Soirs illuminés par l'ardeur du charbon ("Evenings lit by burning coals")

Élégie

FAURÉ Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 120

Thursday, August 1:

1 p.m. in the Tent Club

TLI Talks and Walks

Anthony Fogg, moderator, with conductor Ken-David

Masur

8 p.m. in Seiji Ozawa Hall

Recital Series:

Danish String Quartet

Johannes Rostamo, cello

SCHUBERT Quintet in C, D.956

Thomas ADÈS

"Wreath for Franz Schubert," for String Quintet

SCHUBERT "Die Nebonsonnen" from Wintereisse (Arr. Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen)

Friday, August 2:

2 p.m. in Studio E, Linde Center for Music and Learning

TLI The Art of Conducting: Alan Gilbert

6 p.m., Seiji Ozawa Hall

Prelude Concert

Bracha Malkin and Sheila Fiekowsky, violins

Cathy Basrak, viola

Christine Lee, cello

Todd Seeber, double bass

Daniel Bauch and Matt McKay, percussion

Nina Guo, soprano

William COBLE Satsang, for solo double bass

Todd SEEBER "The Sleepers" DVORÁK String Quintet in G, Op. 77

8 p.m. in the Shed

Boston Pops Orchestra David Newman and Ken-David Masur, conductors John Williams' Film Night

A beloved highlight of the Tanglewood season, John

Williams' Film Night returns with Maestros Williams and

Masur leading the Boston Pops in two memorable

evenings of music and film clips from Hollywood's

Golden Age to contemporary favorites, including a

special celebration of Henry Mancini's 100th birthday.

Saturday, August 3:

10:30 a.m. in the Shed

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Open Rehearsal, Sunday program

1:30 p.m. in Seiji Ozawa Hall

BU Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Orchestra

2:30 p.m. in Studio E, Linde Center for Music and Learning

TLI Presents: "Black Voices in Cabaret–Josephine Baker"

6 p.m., Studio E, Linde Center for Music and Learning

TMC Fellows

Prelude Concert

Clara SCHUMANN Six lieder, Op. 13

Lili BOULANGER Selected songs

BONDS Four Songs

SAARIAHO "The Tempest Songbook"

8 p.m., Shed

Boston Pops Orchestra

John Williams and Ken-David Masur, conductors

John Williams' Film Night

Sunday, August 4:

10 a.m. in Seiji Ozawa Hall

TMC  Chamber Music

BEACH Piano Quintet in F-sharp minor, Op. 67

George LEWIS float, sting

Jan BACH Rounds and Dances

Maya MIRO JOHNSON Come Cut Me Open

BEETHOVEN String Quartet in E-flat, Op. 74, The Harp

10:30 a.m., Studio E, Linde Center for Music and Learning

TLI for Families: In collaboration with the Norman

Rockwell Museum

Rebecca Sheir, host

1:30 p.m., Seiji Ozawa Hall

BU Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Wind

Ensemble

2:30 p.m. in the  Shed

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Alan Gilbert, conductor

Kirill Gerstein, piano

Joshua Bell, violin

Steven Isserlis, cello

BEETHOVEN Triple Concerto

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 4

7 p.m. in Studio E, Linde Center for Music and Learning

TLI Presents: Kirill Gerstein and guests perform

Cabaret music from 1920s Berlin

Monday, August 5:

8 p.m. in Seiji Ozawa Hall

Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra

Alan Gilbert, conductor

TMC Conducting Fellows

HAYDN Symphony No. 90

RAVEL Le Tombeau de Couperin

REVUELTAS "Sensemayá"

DUTILLEUX "Métaboles"

Tuesday, August 6:

Tanglewood on Parade

2:30 p.m. in Seiji Ozawa Hall

TMC chamber orchestra, unconducted

MOZART Symphony No. 35 in D, K.385, Haffner

3:30 p.m., Seiji Ozawa Hall

Music for Cello Ensemble

Featuring cellists of the TMC and BSO

WAGNER Prelude to Lohengrin (Arr. Renaud Guieu)

Arturo MÁRQUEZ "Danzón No. 2" (Arr. Sebastien

Walnier)

QUEEN Bohemian Rhapsody (Arr. Sebastien Walnier)

5:00 p.m. in Seiji Ozawa Hall

TMC Vocal Concert

TAILLEFERRE Six Chansons françaises

IVES Selected songs

BEACH Selected songs

Caroline SHAW "Vago augellin"

Caroline SHAW "And the Swallow…"

BEACH "Peace I Leave With You"

5:30 p.m. in the visitor center

Frame and friends

7:30 p.m.in the  Shed

TMC Fanfares

Valerie COLEMAN "Fanfare for Uncommon Times"

COPLAND "Ceremonial Fanfare"

COPLAND "Fanfare for the Common Man"

8 p.m. in the Shed

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Boston Pops Orchestra

Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra

Keith Lockhart, John Williams, and Anna Rakitina,

conductors

Christine Goerke, soprano

Marcus Roberts Trio

Program to include

John WILLIAMS "For Seiji!"

BERLIOZ "Hungarian March" from "The Damnation of

Faust"

GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue

TCHAIKOVSKY "1812 Overture"

Fireworks to follow the concert

For tickets to all Tanglewood events, call (888) 266-1200, or go online at tanglewood.org.

Piano Masterpieces at Sevenars 

Music at Sevenars, the outstanding series of Sunday afternoon concerts, presented from mid-July through mid-August, continues this week:

• Sunday, August 4 at 4:00 p.m.: Sevenars presents the outstanding pianist Junwen Liang, who has been named Sevenars' "Young Artist to Watch." Mr. Liang will perform a recital of keyboard masterworks by Bach, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy and Prokofiev. Mr. Liang has been praised as "an extremely gifted and promising young artist" (New York Concert Review), and his biography includes an impressive array of "captivating" performances (Stroll Magazine), including those at the Tuesday Concert Series in Washington, DC, the Sunday Recital Series at Saint Thomas in New York, the Trinity Concert Series, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Academy of Music in Philadelphia and the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.

Founded in 1968, Sevenars Concerts, Inc., is celebrating its 56th season of six summer concerts, held at the Academy, a building designated "an acoustic gem in an idyllic setting," located in the  historic village of South Worthington,15 Ireland Street, off MA Route 112.

Concerts are presented on consecutive Sundays at 4:00 p.m. until August 18. Phone: (413) 238-5854 (please leave a message for a return call). Online: www.sevenars.org. Email: Sevenars@aol.com. Admission is by donation at the door (suggested $20). Refreshments will be available.

Rain Slows Growth of Butternut Fire

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:35PM / Thursday, November 21, 2024

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.— Rain has slowed the Butternut Fire's growth but it's estimated at about 1,200 acres at this point. 

It's the largest wildfire in the Berkshires since nearly a 1,000 acres burned in Clarksburg State Forest back in 2021. 

"We want to start with some good news. Ground patrols are finding minimal new fire activity since this morning's rains began," the Great Barrington Fire Department posted on its Facebook page at 12:45 p.m..

"We want to reiterate that the rain will not extinguish the fire but it is helping to stop the spread. The weather has also delayed some of the drone operations — as a result we do not have an official size. What we do know — the growth has been minimal."

Fire Lt. Brian Mead earlier Thursday morning said the fire had seen some growth overnight but not to extent of Wednesday's surge. Fire was reported within a quarter mile of homes and was "stopped in its tracks." There are now more than 100 personnel on the ground and there has been one injury related to the fire, which he did not elaborate on.

 

"The rain will help to some extent but it will not extinguish the fire," said Mead. "We will remain on scene for the days and weeks to come but we still need your help. Please, please follow the local and state bans on outdoor fire. The last thing we need is another preventable fire."

At 4 p.m., the department reported that it will continue to operate under unified command with support from local, state, and federal agencies. Friday's operations will be scaled back with smaller crews and focused on monitoring and reporting.

At the last live update of the day, Mead said the fire would continue to be monitored and fire crews dispatched as needed. 

 

"There is a lot of misinformation on out social media and we ask that you please, please rely on local official sites," he said. "Please avoid the areas and allow us to do our work."

 

The rain and smoke has made drone monitoring difficult so the exact size of the fire is not known; he estimated it grew about 100 acres over the past 24 hours. 

Two rumors he dispelled were that the fire did not start at Camp Eisner. Mead said the initial location of the burn has not been identified but it did not start at the camp, which is occupied. Ski Butternut is also not in danger and that fire crews have kept the blaze to a safe distance. 

A section of the Appalachian Trail has been affected and that area shut down. 

Thursday's rain slowed growth and allowed crews to establish strong fire boundaries meaning that swaths have been cut and cleared to create fire breaks — which are holding.

At this time, no homes or structures are in immediate danger.

The fire near Brush Hill Road off East Mountain was first reported Monday evening. On Tuesday, it spread over 100 acres, and on Wednesday, it covered over 1,100 acres, expanding into Sheffield.

The town remains in a state of emergency, as declared by the Select Board on Tuesday, but first responders assure that Great Barrington is not in danger.

Firefighters were dispatched to three locations for concerns of fire extension into homes and in one instance, the fire was allowed to continue in a controlled state to a driveway and self-extinguished.  They are aware of one injury from the fire and urge community members to avoid the area and leave firefighting to the professionals.

"More than 120 personnel are on the ground today fighting this fire," Mead reported on Thursday morning.

He said the day’s rain will help to some extent but will not extinguish the fire, explaining "We will remain on scene for the days and weeks to come."  

At this time, the primary focus remains the protection of life and property, as patrols and alert residents identified some encroaching fire and stopped it in its tracks.

"We have strategically placed structural task forces, prepared to protect homes and property. Although they are staged and at the ready — there is NO immediate threat to residents," the department wrote in the 12:45 update.

"At the same time, crews have been working through the rain cutting fire breaks in the forest to further stop any expansion. Those control lines are holding."

Area residents can expect smoke to linger for the next several days. The Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative released guidance for the poor air quality, as it can worsen allergies and cause respiratory infections, especially for those with heart disease asthma, or other lung diseases.

Residents are urged to monitor air quality and symptoms, move outdoor activities inside, wear a KN-95 mask when outdoors, close windows and vents in homes, and use HEPA filters.

Even with recent rains — there is a burn ban in Great Barrington until further notice. Additionally, state officials are evaluating week by week for statewide bans.

"With an immense amount of appreciation, we are not accepting donations at this time. In true New England fashion — neighbors have truly helped neighbors," the department wrote. "We are grateful to the community for once again showing your support."

Mead urged the community to "please please follow the local and state bans on fire, the last thing we need is another preventable fire."