T Tanglewood — 2025/08/01-03

 An interesting weekend of music from Tanglewood awaits us on WCRB.

August 1, 2025

This evening at Tanglewood the Boston Pops is playing music from "The Return of the Jedi." WCRB has opted to put together a program of highlights from concerts given earlier this summer which weren't part of the  regular broadcast schedule. Here's the progrem in their words: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2025-07-22/yuja-wang-performs-prokofievs-piano-concerto-no-2-at-tanglewood

Friday, August 1, 2025
8:00 PM

Enjoy a medley of performances from the first half of the 2025 Tanglewood Music Center season, including a breathtaking performance of Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 by Yuja Wang.

Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, Leonard Weiss, and Yiran Zhao, conductors
Yuja Wang, piano

Bedřich SMETANA Vltava (The Moldau), from Ma Vlast
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN Octet for Winds
Maurice RAVEL Suite No. 2 from Daphnis et Chloé
Sergei PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 2
SMETANA Vysehrad (The High Castle), from Ma Vlast

This broadcast was recorded at Tanglewood at various concerts in July, 2025.

I'm especially looking forward to the Smetana and the Beethoven. Vltava is frequently played on the radio and performed in concerts, Vyšehrad less frequently, and the remaining four movements of Má Vlast almost never. It will be good to hear one more part of Smetana's fine orchestral work. The Beethoven Octet is quite pleasant, and especially attractive to me because my late brother was such a dedicated French horn player.

August 2, 2025

Saturday brings early 20th Century Music. Again, per WCRB: https://www.classicalwcrb.org/show/the-boston-symphony-orchestra/2025-05-27/elim-chans-conducts-rachmaninoff-and-korngold-at-tanglewood

Saturday, August 2, 2025
8:00 PM

The first woman to win the prestigious Donatella Flick Conducting Competition, rising star Elim Chan makes her Tanglewood debut conducting Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 and Korngold’s virtuosic Violin Concerto, with acclaimed violinist Leonidas Kavakos.

Elim Chan, conductor
Leonidas Kavakos, violin

Erich KORNGOLD Violin Concerto
Sergei RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 2

Hear an interview with Elim Chan, recorded during the week of her BSO debut in January 2022.

For more information on Tanglewood concerts, visit the BSO box office.

Since this is a live performance, the performance detail page of the BSO https://www.bso.org/events/bso-aug-2-leonidas-kavakos?performance=2025-08-02-20:00 is also available. It has links to program notes (Click on the title of the work.) as well as performer bios (Click on the performer's name.).

August 3, 2025

Sunday evening brings us the afternoon concert from Taanglewood, described here by WCRB:

Sunday, August 3, 2025
7:00 PM

In a highlight of the season, a star-studded piano quartet comprised of pianist Emanuel Ax, violinist Leonidas Kavakos, violist Antoine Tamestit, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma perform a special Shed concert of Beethoven’s music. This concert is a sequel to an all-Beethoven chamber program performed by Kavakos, Ma, and Ax in 2023 to a sold-out Shed.

Leonidas Kavakos, violin
Antoine Tamestit, viola
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Emanuel Ax, piano

All-BEETHOVEN program
Leonore Overture No. 3 (trans. Shai Wosner)
Trio No. 4 in B-flat for piano, violin, and cello, Op. 11
Symphony No. 3, Eroica (trans. Shai Wosner)

WCRB has played a transcription of the first movement of Beethoven's Second Symphony played by these three, and it actually works, do I'm looking forward to hearing the overture and the symphony on this program in the hands of these talented performers.

Consult the BSO performance detail page https://www.bso.org/events/2025-twd-ax-kavakos-ma-tamesit?performance=2025-08-03-14:30 for the links to additional information.

A weekend of music to enjoy.