Tanglewood does Bernstein proud

The highlight of next summer’s Tanglewood is a Leonard Bernstein gala on the actual night of his centenary and a slew of other works with which Bernstein was associated during his long association with the festival, from 1940 to the last concert of his life in 1990.

Here’s the small print:

Leonard Bernstein Works  Being Performed as Part of the 2018 Tanglewood Season

The Bernstein Centennial Summer—Celebrating Lenny at Tanglewood! will feature the following works by Leonard Bernstein throughout the 2018 Tanglewood season: Fancy Free (1944); On the Town (1944); Facsimile, Choreographic Essay for Orchestra (1946); Trouble in Tahiti (1951); Serenade (after Plato’s “Symposium”), for violin and orchestra (1954); Candide (1956); West Side Story (1957); Chichester Psalms (1965); Songfest (1977); Three Meditations from Mass, for cello and orchestra (1977); Divertimento for Orchestra (1980); Ḥalil, Nocturne for flute and orchestra (1981); A Quiet Place (1983); Opening Prayer (Benediction) (1986); Variations on an Octatonic Scale, for flute and cello (1989); and selected chamber, vocal, and choral works. In addition, there will also be performances of many works central to Bernstein’s life as a conductor and pianist, including Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5, Shostakovich Symphony No. 5, Copland Symphony No. 3, Mahler Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3, Britten’s Four Sea Interludes, Beethoven Symphony No. 9, and music by Mozart, Haydn, and Sibelius.

OVERVIEW OF TANGLEWOOD’S BERNSTEIN CENTENNIAL SUMMER CELEBRATION

The Bernstein Centennial Celebration at Tanglewood—a Gala Concert on Bernstein’s Birth Date, August 25, Featuring a Kaleidoscopic Array of Artists and Ensembles from the Worlds of Classical Music, Film, and Broadway

Tanglewood’s season-long celebration—one of the most comprehensive looks at Bernstein’s amazing impact on the world of music and theater taking place in the anniversary year—will culminate in a gala concert on Bernstein’s actual 100th birthday, August 25. Reflecting the season-long centennial theme, The Bernstein Centennial Celebration at Tanglewood will spotlight Bernstein’s wide-ranging talents as a composer, his many gifts as a great interpreter and champion of other composers, and his role as an inspirer of a new generation of musicians and music lovers across the country and around the globe. The Bernstein Centennial Celebration at Tanglewood will feature a kaleidoscopic array of artists and ensembles from the worlds of classical music, film, and Broadway—including Christoph Eschenbach, Thomas Hampson, Yo-Yo Ma, Midori, and Michael Tilson Thomas—all musicians who worked directly with Leonard Bernstein early in their careers—along with conductors Andris Nelsons, Keith Lockhart, and John Williams, concert singers Susan Graham, Isabel Leonard, and Nadine Sierra, Broadway singers Jessica Vosk and Tony Yazbeck, and Austrian-Persian cellist Kian Soltani, recent winner of the Schleswig-Holstein Festival’s Leonard Bernstein Award. Hosted by Audra McDonald, who will also participate as a vocalist, and directed by James Darrah, this special concert will also showcase the Boston Symphony Orchestra, joined by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and musicians from the Israel Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, and Vienna Philharmonic—all ensembles Bernstein worked closely with throughout his life—as well as musicians from the Pacific Music and Schleswig-Holstein festivals, both founded by Mr. Bernstein. The entire first half of the program is dedicated to selections from such brilliant Bernstein works as Candide, West Side Story, Mass, and Serenade. Music from the classical canon very dear to Bernstein’s heart—selections from Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn and music by Copland—plus a new work by John Williams for cello and orchestra, makes up a good portion of the concert’s second half; the finale of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony brings the program to a dramatic close. This multi-media event will also include video montages about Bernstein’s extraordinary life, and messages from people around the world who have been inspired by his great legacy as a musician and as a dominant cultural figure of his time. The Boston Symphony Orchestra is currently in discussions about a television broadcast opportunity that would bring the August 25 concert to a worldwide audience, with further details to be announced at a later date. In addition, throughout the summer the Boston Symphony Orchestra will share highlights of its Bernstein celebration through special features posted on its social media platforms and at www.tanglewood.org.