Lenox — The Boston Symphony Orchestra has performed Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World,” at least 190 times since December 29, 1893, when Emil Paur first led the orchestra in the now-standard work. And you will hear echos of that early performance when the BSO plays the popular piece in the Koussevitzky Music Shed on Friday, July 21 with Xian Zhang conducting.
But how is that possible, when the orchestra’s musicians have changed many times since 1893?
The reason the BSO has not forgotten how it played Dvořák’s ninth symphony 130 years ago is that the players have the benefit of institutional knowledge, a collection of performance practices that have been handed down by word of mouth from one musician to another and from one generation to another throughout the orchestra’s history. If you have ever observed a master class at Tanglewood, you will easily picture a BSO player in 1893 saying to a standmate, “Try this …”—”this” being a combination of nuanced performance parameters that can be demonstrated only in person.
So the BSO has 130 years of institutional knowledge. What good is that to audiences?
The benefit to audiences is that any time the BSO performs this piece, there is a good chance it will set a new bar for excellence. It is what these players do, and it is the reason they win GRAMMY awards for their Shostakovich (and other) recordings.
But the quality of performance is actually not the main reason you should hear the BSO play this piece. You should hear it because it is a nearly perfect symphony and one of the most popular pieces in the standard orchestral repertory. The website antonin-dvorak.cz explains why:
“The unity of form and content is flawless, and the four-movement framework is constructed with unerring architectural proficiency.”
We all appreciate architectural proficiency because it helps us avoid getting lost in a piece. But what about the tunes? Are the melodies memorable? Here’s your answer:
“The exceptional and compelling nature of the work lies in its remarkable lyricism and concise thematic treatment, striking rhythms, purity of expression, elemental temperament and the equilibrium of all these qualities together.”
Another reason to hear Dvořák at Tanglewood on July 21 is Aaron Copland, whose beloved “Suite from Appalachian Spring, Ballet for Martha” provides the opening to Friday evening’s concert.
When was the last time you saw a ballet performed on the Shed stage at Tanglewood? It is uncommon, but it is happening on July 21: The Nimbus Dance company, led by choreographer and founding Artistic Director Samuel Pott, will perform Pott’s “Spring” to Copland’s music. Mr. Pott is a former soloist dancer of the Martha Graham Dance Company, with whom he has performed a lead role in Graham’s original choreography for “Appalachian Spring.”
Conducting the BSO on July 21 will be Xian Zhang. Zhang has served as principal guest conductor of the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales and was the first female conductor to hold a titled role with a BBC orchestra. She was appointed New York Philharmonic’s assistant conductor in 2002, subsequently becoming associate conductor and the first holder of the Arturo Toscanini Chair. She holds the positions of principal guest conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and conductor emeritus of Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano. Currently, Zhang is in her seventh season as music director of the New Jersey Symphony.
Hear the Boston Symphony Orchestra perform Aaron Copland’s “Suite from Appalachian Spring, Ballet for Martha” and Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World,” on Friday, July 21 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available here.
Tanglewood’s Sunday concert (July 23, at 2:30 p.m.), with Thomas Wilkins leading the BSO in works by Coleridge-Taylor, Jeff Midkiff, and a suite from Duke Ellington’s ballet score “The River,” is designated as the annual Berkshire Day performance, with FREE ADMISSION to residents of Berkshire County. Free Shed tickets will be offered in pairs to residents and property owners of Berkshire County. If Shed seats sell out, then lawn tickets will be offered. Please bring identification to establish Berkshire County residency or property ownership (e.g. a driver’s license, lease, utility bill, or tax bill).
