News
October 5
Sometimes it's not all about rock 'n' roll, folks. This week, Boston audiences and Tufts students are reminded that they have the distinctive advantage of being just a T ride away from one of the world's most-renowned centers of classical music. The Boston Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 125th birthday this year, as well as the opening of the second season with its newest music director, Maestro James Levine. Levine, who also continues to direct New York's Metropolitan Opera, came to Boston last year to take over after the retirement of beloved conductor Seiji Ozawa, who headed the BSO for twenty-nine years. Levine, whose storied career has spanned three decades, is the fourteenth music director since the Orchestra's founding in 1881 by philanthropist Henry Lee Higginson, and the first to be born in the United States. An accomplished pianist and an internationally revered performer, Levine has conducted all over the world and recorded hundreds of works. For Levine, conducting does not mean always taking center stage. Instead he considers it especially important to build a rapport with the orchestra. "I don't want the orchestra to do something they don't really believe in, and I don't want to either," he said. He works together with the group to achieve a greater artistic standard, always in pursuit of musical excellence. Yet he says it's "singularly exciting" to perform this season because of such a "quick and deep" beginning to the relationship. When starting a new program, that is not always as easy as it may seem. Even professionals need to work on group dynamics and the many subtle varieties of interpretation. "It's very uncomfortable for music to force sound for the first couple of days," said Levine. After the first rehearsals, however, everything begins to take its place; he seeks to harmoniously forge a mutual understanding with the BSO. It is this intrinsic artistic cooperation that carries them to the standard of merit for which they are known. As for repertoire, he looked for something "totally different" this time, in hopes of showcasing the renovation of the organ (a recently completed $2 million dollar endeavor). Consequently, the highlight of Opening Night was Saint-S?¤?®s' Symphony No.3 in C Minor, Opus 78, with organist Simon Preston sending shivers down the audiences' spines through the majestically full, powerful chords of the gargantuan instrument. The organ is truly a formidable sight - for its renovation, every pipe had to be removed, transported, restored, and then replaced again. Its sound, however, is phenomenally deep and meaningful, ominous and wonderful all at once. Opening Night featured an entire program of French composers, with pieces by Berlioz, Debussy, Milhaud, and Saint-S?¤?®s. Although many tend to associate Levine with German symphonies or Italian opera, partly because of his reputation from the Met, he spurns this label. "A lot of my teachers were French, and I learned a lot from French music," he said. Berlioz's "Le Corsaire" Overture, Opus 21, featured the lushness of the strings - a characteristic that the BSO is famous for. The brass instruments were highlighted towards the center of the piece, providing a strong, golden sound that proved the piece was well-selected as the first of the new season. Debussy's "Jeux - Po??? Dans?©¦±uot; is a ballet, and the last of Debussy's orchestral works. It tells the story of a tennis game between a boy and two girls and their flirtations after they lose the ball. It is an intricately mischievous, darkly playful dance; "Jeux" is a rarely performed piece, with an unusual and mysterious undertone to it. "Le Boeuf sur le toit," Opus 58, by Darius Milhaud, showcased, once again, lush string unison and clear wind solos. Yet it is unique in that it requires the orchestra to actually play in two keys at once in many places. "[It's] one of those little masterpieces I love to do frequently," Levine said. He actually studied with Milhaud for some time, and notes how valuable that experience was to his own education. However, Levine does not believe that knowing the composer influences the way his work is performed artistically. Saint-S?¤?®s' Symphony No.3 in C Minor, unlike most four-part symphonies, is divided into only two movements. Although the organ remains silent for quite some time in the first movement, every second is valued and every phrase is unified with the next. Levine takes great consideration in the quality of the rests; the silent moments are filled with meaning and anticipation, never breaking the smoothness of the line. Likewise, the symphony progresses from tragically expressive to a full-out, dominating maestoso, a swell of both emotion and control in a manner that only great performers can achieve. The audience saluted the BSO on opening night with a well-deserved standing ovation all around, and for a moment seemingly lost itself in the collective appreciation of melody, orchestra, and conductor. Such a concert and audience receptivity is a reminder that classical music is still very much alive in this country. However, we can't deny that classical is no longer the "it" genre. Audience dynamics certainly showed this: although there were some small numbers of young adults, the majority of listeners were predominantly middle-aged and older, middle-to-upper class. Additionally, patronage has been declining over the past year. The Boston Symphony Orchestra continues to perform in the traditional model, and there has been concern that the genre is dying as fewer and fewer younger generations appreciate customary symphonic music. Is Levine concerned that the youth would rather be listening to heavy metal? He's not so worried. "I appreciate the care about the orchestra. But there's a limit to conclusions that you can draw from only one year," Levine said. He chooses to work in "layers." Rather than spreading thin or diluting content for exposure, he concentrates instead on "trying to get collective to make music come out better, reach a higher standard." His goal is to improve that standard to a level that will make BSO performances "irresistible," a way to transcend generations and appeal to all types of people. It's the hardest type of self-promotion to achieve, but one that ends up being the most rewarding for both performers and audience. Levine does believe, however, that the lack of quality musical schooling at an early age is part of the problem in this country. He considers music to be a vital subject. "If music was in school from the beginning, where it belongs, it would flow better from generation to generation. There's a person born every minute who hasn't heard Beethoven's 5th!" (As for his personal feelings on heavy metal, Levine had no comment.) But those deprived folks still have a chance: Later this year, Levine has plans for a Beethoven-filled agenda, including the celebrated Symphony No. 9 in all its "Ode to Joy" glory. He also plans to combine the works of Beethoven and Schoenberg in several programs in January, acting, at times, as both pianist and conductor. "These composers are so alike, yet so different," Levine said. The tactical problems that the Schoenberg and Beethoven faced in their work were similar, but reflect different centuries. This relationship bodes well for audiences. "When you hear these programs, it changes the way you hear both composers," said Levine. This week, the BSO is playing an all-American program consisting of works by composers Charles Ives, Lukas Foss, Elliot Carter, and, of course, Gershwin. Performances will be on October 6 through 8. Additionally, Levine will give free pre-concert talks for all ticket holders about an hour and fifteen minutes before the start of each performance. The Boston Symphony Orchestra offers attractive season packages for local area students as well as the usual $10 rush tickets. For the Carter, Foss, Ives and Gershwin performances, Tufts students can receive 30 percent off the ticket price. Furthermore, students can purchase the BSO student card for $25, which will allow them to attend up to fifteen performances with their student ID. Judging from the start of it, this year promises to be fruitful, and the maestro is optimistic about how his bond with the BSO will develop. "Our relationship is completely fresh," he said. "It's a great way to start the second season."
