Tanglewood Music Festival: A Touch of Class on a Summer Afternoon
Written: Aug 11 '02 (Updated Nov 29 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful music by the Boston Symphony and world-famous musicians in a breath-taking outdoor setting
Cons: The weather must cooperate.
The Bottom Line: An incomparable, magical experience that will linger with you for years to come.
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| gadgetmaestro's Full Review: Massachusetts |
If you are a dreamy romantic who loves beautiful surroundings and beautiful music, you’ll not find a more enchanting destination on a fine summer weekend in New England than the Tanglewood Music Festival in Lenox, Massachusetts. Nestled among the scenic Berkshire hills in the western part of the state, the grand 300-acre Tanglewood estate is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. On Friday and Saturday evenings and on Sunday afternoons, the BSO’s outdoor concerts fill the air with captivating symphonic music and beckon all who love the finer things in life. You’ll want to pack a special picnic for this outing so that you can relax on Tanglewood’s beautiful rolling lawns as you listen to the celebrated artists who come from around the world to perform here each summer.
Although Tanglewood does offer some limited non-classical performances (jazz and a few popular music concerts), the feature attraction of the summer season is the Boston Symphony series which runs every weekend throughout July and August. If your sole interest is the music itself, you can take in a performance by purchasing a seat in the concert pavilion where the orchestra sits on stage. But I strongly recommend that you purchase lawn tickets instead. To enjoy the ultimate Tanglewood experience, there is nothing better than packing up a stylish picnic, a patio umbrella, and a few folding chairs so that you can enjoy this glorious outdoor setting to its fullest.
And about that picnic... . You should know that Tanglewood picnics are famous for their elegant touches. For example, like many devout picnickers, I wouldn’t be caught dead at an evening concert without a candelabra. At the very least, you should plan on linen napkins and crystal wine glasses for any Tanglewood outing. I have much more to tell you about the art of the Tanglewood picnic; but, first, here is some basic information to give you an idea of what you will hear and see on a summer outing to one of the country’s premier music festivals.
The Music
The Boston Symphony is almost always the orchestra you’ll find performing at the weekend concerts; but, occasionally, a guest orchestra will be on the program. World-renowned performers and guest conductors join the orchestra for exciting performances that are sure to please. Expect to find featured artists like Yo-Yo Ma, Sir James Galway, Midori, or Itzhak Perlman serenading your Tanglewood picnic.
The summer schedule offers a variety of programs to satisfy diverse musical tastes, including some concerts featuring choral music and celebrity soloists like Jessye Norman. A typical performance might include two or three pieces depending on the length of the composition--for example, a concerto, a symphony, and an overture or some other shorter piece. Performances run about two hours or so with a 20-minute intermission halfway through. The Tanglewood schedule is available at the BSO website--www.bso.org--with full program details. It’s also a good idea to obtain the Tanglewood schedule brochure which is much easier to read when you’re trying to get an overview of the many different performances on the summer calendar.
Not a classical music buff? If you know little or nothing about classical music but enjoy listening to it occasionally, you will still love Tanglewood. I’d suggest that you pick a performance which features one of the traditional Romantic composers, like Beethoven or Mozart. (If you’re a classical music newbie, you may not enjoy the dissonance of many modern compositions.) The Tanglewood website also now offers a helpful audio feature. If you are unfamiliar with the music on a particular program, you can download snippets of some (though not all) of the selections to be performed and get an idea of whether or not the music will suit your taste.
The Concert Pavilion
When you’re studying the Tanglewood schedule, look for the concerts which take place in the “Shed.” These are the headliner performances. Newcomers to Tanglewood may wonder why the concert pavilion of such an elegant music festival is called a “shed.” Well, the unusual nickname dates back to the days prior to the pavilion’s construction in 1938. The original architectural plans called for a much more elaborate structure than the one which was ultimately built. Because the projected cost of the original plan was well beyond the available budget, Tanglewood Trustees insisted that the architect, Eliel Saarinen, scale back the design. When the Trustees found that Saarinen’s second, more modest design was still too costly, the architect declared that any further simplification would result in “just a shed.” The project was turned over to a local engineer, Joseph Franz, who made additional adjustments to Saarinen’s design and built (within budget) the structure that we see today. But the name “shed” stuck and is a fun bit of Tanglewood lore. The concert pavilion is, of course, hardly a shed--although it is, in fact, a plain structure without any ornate decoration. It is a large wedge-shaped pavilion, open on three sides, which fans out to the beautiful main lawn of the Tanglewood grounds. It has a seating capacity of about 6,000.
In 1986, the Boston Symphony Orchestra was able to purchase the Highwood estate, immediately adjacent to Tanglewood. This acquisition expanded the existing 210 acres of the Tanglewood grounds by about 40%. In 1994, the additional property allowed for the construction of the new Seiji Ozawa Hall. Named for the BSO’s music director for many years, this wooden structure, which is open to an outside lawn on one end, is the concert hall used for the smaller performances (recitals and chamber music concerts) which also run during the summer season.
Tickets
If you’re purchasing tickets for seats in the Music Shed, you might want to reserve those in advance via the BSO website, by phone, or by mail. Prices for Shed seats currently range from $17 to $88. If you’re planning a picnic on the lawn (my recommendation), you’ll buy your lawn tickets at the gate when you arrive. The days of the $6.00 lawn tickets are long gone, but the current price of $14.50 is a small price to pay for the quality of music that you’ll hear and the idyllic setting that will surround you. (Ticket prices are slightly higher for certain “special” performances; check the Tanglewood schedule for complete details.)
Concert Times
The Friday and Saturday evening concerts begin at 8:30 p.m. The Sunday afternoon performance begins at 2:30 p.m. The evening concerts at Tanglewood have a very special charm. Complete darkness falls about midway through the performance, and it’s enchanting to look out over the lawn as candles, lanterns, and candelabras begin flickering in the moonlight. The effect couldn’t be more romantic. My favorite performance, however, is really the Sunday afternoon concert. I’d recommend it for your first Tanglewood outing. In the daytime, there’s a different ambience, of course. But the scene is equally delightful in its own way, and you’ll have some extra time to linger on for a while after the concert has ended.
When to Arrive
I can’t tell you how important is too arrive AT LEAST 90 minutes in advance of the concert’s start time--especially if you’re planning to picnic. Several huge grassy parking lots surround the Tanglewood estate; but even if you are able to park in one of the closer lots, it’s still a long, long trek out to the main lawn. The later you get there, the farther away you’ll park. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the grounds open at 5:30 p.m. On Sunday afternoons, the grounds open at 12:00 noon.
For directions to Tanglewood from all points, see the website or the Tanglewood brochure.
My Tanglewood Credentials
Before attempting next to describe what an outing to Tanglewood is really like, I feel compelled to state my “credentials.” At the risk of sounding immodest, I must lay claim to a certain special status as a reviewer of the Tanglewood experience. For 20 years, I have made the annual summer pilgrimage from Boston to Tanglewood--usually, twice a season. So what, you say. Thousands do the same. WELL, my particular claim to fame is (putting it shyly)... the incomparable ... unbelievable ... extravagantly elegant picnic which I have developed over those 20 years. As I mentioned earlier, Tanglewood has been known for picnics with an elegant flair. When I learned years ago that fewer and fewer of those elegant picnics were appearing on the lawn each summer, I decided to devote myself to preserving the art form. Acquiring the perfect accoutrements for the ultimate Tanglewood picnic has become a year-round hobby and an absolute passion. After 20 years of accessorizing, the result is a spectacular picnic which never fails to draw delighted admirers from every part of the lawn. If I do say so myself, you just won’t see ANYTHING like it. I’ve checked.
Here are the basics. My color scheme is pink and lime green. Everything matches -- EVERYTHING -- from the 5 bright pink umbrellas which anchor and shade the “spread”...to the festive lime green cocktails which open the picnic feast...to the matching pink bottles of suntan lotion provided for each guest. You probably wouldn’t believe the detail. And the food is, of course, as important as the “decor.” Upscale gourmet fare and artistic presentation are a must. For example, you’ve probably never been on a picnic where a chilled summer soup was the first course. But that’s exactly what you’ll get at my Tanglewood picnic. I’ll provide more intriguing picnic details below--in fond hopes that a few ideas will capture your imagination and draw you out to Tanglewood one fine summer to support this wonderful music festival and join me in my efforts to preserve the art of the elegant Tanglewood picnic.
Credentials aside then, I think the best way to give you a real flavor of Tanglewood is to take you (and your guest) with me for a Sunday afternoon performance on a clear, sunny summer day in the Berkshires...
So Come Along as My Guest...for a Day at Tanglewood!
First, tacky though it may be, I’ll ask you to dress for the occasion--that is, dress to match the picnic. It’s summer whites for the gentlemen and pink and white for the ladies. If you’re game...the matching attire is a big crowd pleaser and great for the picnic photos!
Now you’ll need to arrive at my house in Boston no later than 8:00 A.M. on Sunday morning. We must get an early start to make the 2 1/2 hour drive across the state and still have ample time to set up and enjoy our elegant feast before the music begins. When you arrive chez moi, you’ll be greeted with a steaming travel mug of hot coffee and a lovely plate of traveling food (usually warm homemade cranberry bread). We must take 2 cars on this outing because THE PICNIC fills every inch of my car’s trunk and back seat. For your listening pleasure during the long drive, you’ll receive a homemade CD of the music on the program for that day. And, of course, you’ll get a two-way radio so that we can all keep in touch, laugh, and chat as we caravan out on the scenic Massachusetts Turnpike.
The Arrival
Because we’re arriving very early, we’ll be able to enter the Tanglewood estate at the Main Gate. While my housemate and I unpack the car, you’ll meander over to the ticket booth and procure our lawn tickets. Meanwhile, out of the car will come the unbelievable mass of goods and accessories which will create the picnic extravaganza--umbrellas, coolers, every shape and size of wicker picnic basket, folding chairs, blankets... . How do we get this heavy load out to the lawn? Well, over the years, I’ve carefully selected picnic accessories which will pack up neatly and be transportable with only 4 rolling carriers: a luggage pull and 3 shiny red Radio Flyer wagons (that’s the Basic, Traveler, & Town and Country models). Now every guest must pitch in and pull one of the wagons. As our odd-looking wagon train rolls toward the Tanglewood entrance, we begin getting our first admiring (and quizzical) stares.
The Grounds
Once we reach the main lawn and stake out our spot, you’ll be asked to leave the scene and stroll around the grounds for 20 or 30 minutes while the hostesses set up the picnic. There are plenty of things to take in on the Tanglewood grounds. As you stroll the wooded pathways, you’ll enjoy beautiful views of lush green meadows and a neighboring lake, the formal boxwood gardens, the rustic practice cabins where music students polish their skills, the record shop, and the Tanglewood gift shops. There are now 2 gift shops on the grounds--the original Glass House near the Main Gate and a second shop closer to the new Ozawa Hall. You’re sure to find interesting novelties at any of the shops, including great T-shirts and sweatshirts with unique Tanglewood designs. As you explore, you’ll also want to locate Tanglewood’s excellent and very large restroom facility. (Look for the one tucked away in an area to the left of the Shed as you face it.) There are also concession stands located near the main entrance, but I can’t report on their offerings. As you read on, you’ll understand why I’ve never been near the concession area in 20 years.
The Spread
We’ll ring you on those two-way radios when we’re ready for you to return. And you’d be well-advised--no matter what--to ooh and aah over the incredible picnic spread which will greet your eyes as you come back across the lawn. Those 5 big pink umbrellas will guide you like a lawn beacon. The “table” will be set--complete with a centerpiece of fragrant star-gazer lilies in a lime-green vase, standing on a footed white breakfast tray at the center of the main picnic blanket. I think you’ll find the picnic blankets to be perfect. The main blanket features a light pattern of green leaves on a white background and is flanked by two smaller blankets--both in a bright pink that exactly matches the pink umbrellas. Surrounding the breakfast tray and centerpiece will be four woven teak trays. On each tray, you’ll find a place setting which features a pale-green depression glass service (rescued from my mother’s attic years ago). You’ll also find lime green linen napkins, sparkling crystal wine glasses, and a full silver setting of flatware. On one of the pink side blankets, you’ll spot another teak tray which holds the coffee service for later in the afternoon. The coffee tray features a green bud vase with pink carnations and a hint of white baby’s breath, the matching green depression glass cups and saucers, silver demi-tasse spoons, and a small bottle of Grand Marnier.
And waiting for you under the large pink umbrellas will be matching sand chairs in a tasteful pink and green stripe, along with a small pink snack table between your chairs so that you can easily set your drink down while enjoying to the concert or reading the excellent program notes provided when you enter the grounds. On the little pink tables, you’ll also find that bottle of suntan lotion--in a perfect matching pink, as well as a small lime green and pink handheld mini-fan. Clipped to the back of each sand chair will be a larger lime-green, battery-operated fan to insure that you can stay cool if it’s a particularly hot and humid day.
Cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres
At this point, everyone will be ready for cocktails! You should be ecstatic when I pull out the drink service tray with a large, pretty glass pitcher, filled with glistening ice chunks and Pearl Harbors. Pearl Harbors are great summery drinks made with Midori--a green-colored melon liqueur. They mix up beautifully with light rum and pineapple juice into a perfect lime green concoction which--yes, of course--matches the picnic! Your Pearl Harbor will be served in a tall hurricane glass, garnished with a luscious ripe strawberry and--yes--a pink swizzle stick. (Now we’re really starting to get some looks and comments from our friendly neighbors on the lawn.)
Our hors d’oeuvre today will be a multi-layered shaped mold of cream cheese, chopped egg, and chopped onion--topped with a generous layer of caviar. The caviar usually brings more admirers to the edge of our picnic blanket. We, of course, eat up the attention; and obligingly pose for the camera bearers who appear requesting a photo opp.
The First Course
We’ll begin our feast with my special chilled cucumber-avocado soup--made in a blender with a chicken broth base and just the right portions of sour cream, lemon juice, and a touch of green onion. My sautéed slivered almond garnish adds a marvelous light crunch that blends perfectly with the flavors of this creamy treat.
Everyone will have seconds on the soup and then regret it because this soup is really deceptively rich. So we’ll take a break for a while to engage in a must-do pastime while at Tanglewood--strolling around the lawn, looking at other people’s picnics. It’s great fun to see the fanciful touches which others have added to their picnic setups. And there will be much to see at this point since the majority of lawn-goers will have arrived by now.
(By the way, when names like Yo-Yo Ma appear on the program, the grounds can become quite crowded; and the picnic spots closest to the music pavilion will be snapped up early on. But Tanglewood crowds are not in the same category as crowds at a major rock concert. There is always a grassy spot somewhere on the spacious lawns for yet another picnic blanket.)
But back to our review of the efforts of our fellow picnickers. Although I’ve never seen anything as over-the-top as my spread, we’ll surely come upon some interesting sights: a nice Moet chilling in a sterling silver champagne bucket, a blue picnic!, smoked salmon, all kinds of interesting flower arrangements, a “sit-down” picnic with a folding table and a bold, bright tablecloth, an ornate silver tray brimming with fan-tailed shrimp... .
The Main Course
When we return to our own blanket, I’ll ask you to do the honors and open that first nicely chilled bottle of Chardonnay so that we can settle in for the main course.
Our entrée today is a classic New England lobster salad, served on a bed of red leaf lettuce. As an accompaniment, we have asparagus vinaigrette with a garni of sieved egg and minced red pepper. To complement the presentation and celebrate the summer, we’ve also added a colorful arrangement of fresh fruit shapes--watermelon triangles, kiwi rounds, and nectarine crescents. And on our lime green cutting board, you’ll find a crusty boule of San Francisco sourdough and a side dish of unsalted butter.
The Music Begins
At Tanglewood, it’s important to time your picnic so that you have finished eating BEFORE the concert starts. The casual picnickers surrounding you on the lawn are actually very serious about the music. You’ll indeed witness something extraordinary when the music begins. Despite the hundreds and hundreds of people on the vast lawns--when the music starts...you can hear a pin drop. If you munch down on so much as a pine nut, it will sound like a gunshot on the Tanglewood lawn.
So we’ll save our dessert for a treat after the concert has ended. For now, as the “cowbell” rings to call people back to their seats and picnic blankets, we’ll pour some hot coffee all around from our green thermal carafe and add a splash of that Grand Marnier. Now you can recline back in your chair and let the magic of the music soothe your soul.
There is just no way that I can adequately describe what it’s like to listen to a world-class orchestra, while lounging back in this idyllic, pastoral setting which once inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne as he penned his Tanglewood Tales. Your cares will melt away as you gaze up at the sky and let the marvelous music wash over your being. And as you relax and listen, you’ll be amazed at the excellent acoustics on the lawn. Despite the distance from the stage, the sound of the orchestra is very full and every rich detail of the music is completely audible.
At intermission, more picnickers will happen upon our spread and exclaim with glee. I’ll never forget the gentleman who stopped dead in his tracks, staring and staring and grinning from ear to ear. After a chat, he simply said, “You make it fun for the rest of us!” (I gave that man some caviar.)
At the sound of the cowbell, we’ll hasten back to the spread from wherever we’ve wandered and pour the last of our Pearl Harbors. Then we’ll settle back again to soak in the second half of the performance--often a symphony. Too soon, the end of the concert will come, though you’ll wish that it would go on and on. But we still have our dessert to enjoy and more good company and conversation.
Dessert
Today’s dessert is the one item on the menu which is not homemade--but you’d never know it. It’s a locally famous Alden Merrell carrot cake frosted with that yummy cream cheese icing. And in pink script across the white cake are the words, Tanglewood 2002.
The grounds remain open on Sundays into the evening hours, and we will be among the last to leave...lingering over coffee and dessert as dusk begins to settle over the lawn. Reluctantly, we’ll finally pack up our things and roll our left-over picnic delights back to the main gate--sorry to leave but still smiling and soul-satisfied.
Snapping Back for Some Practical Details
Back to reality... . So I hope you’ll come on out to Tanglewood and try your hand at an elegant picnic. To help you along, here are a few practical details which you’ll want to be aware of in advance.
The Weather: A lawn picnic in the rain is definitely tricky. Back in 1981, the friend who first introduced me to Tanglewood, made this remark: “Tanglewood in the rain is NOT fun.” I thought about that comment in later years and determined that I wouldn’t rest until I had devised a means of taking my picnic extravaganza out--regardless of the weather. By the mid-eighties, I had a system. Among other things, it primarily involves a large 4 mil thick plastic painter’s drop cloth from Home Depot which, when the rain begins, can be quickly unfolded and draped over our 3 main umbrellas to create a simple rain-proof enclosure. It covers the sand chairs and guests, as well as all of the picnic gear and the wagons which are lined up just behind the main umbrellas. I also use a second 9x12 drop cloth (2 mil thick) which I pull up over the picnic blankets and “table” setting to keep everything there dry and undamaged. When the rain stops, the drop cloths can be easily folded back out of the way. This set-up has worked well many times over the years (and also brings some amazed, smiling reactions from our slightly soggy lawn neighbors). We have, however, never experienced a really severe storm at Tanglewood (a continuous downpour with high winds, thunder, and lightning). That could be a show-stopper. So if you’re planning a picnic, you must check the forecast in advance and come prepared. Use more than one online weather service to check the forecast for Lenox, MA.
Damp Grass: Even if there is no rain at all at Tanglewood on the day of your visit, you’ll want to carry along some kind of plastic “undercloth” for your picnic blanket. There’s a reason why those beautiful lawns are so green--an underground sprinkler system. So you’ll often find that the grass is still quite damp from a morning sprinkling. A simple plastic sheet will save you from the unpleasantness of sitting on a wet blanket for several hours.
Children: Although we do see quite a few children at Tanglewood, the lawn crowd is predominantly adult. The performance is, of course, a classical concert; so it really isn’t a good outing for kids who aren’t able to remain quiet for such a long sitting. (Lawn rules specify that children under 5 are only allowed on the rear half of the main lawn.)
Smoking: Although no place could be more open-air, Tanglewood surprisingly went non-smoking a couple of years ago. Smoking is no longer permitted anywhere on the grounds. So you’ll have to take the ciggy pops out one of the entrance gates to the smoking areas there.
Mosquito Repellent: This item is essential if you’re taking in an evening concert or if you plan to linger late on the lawn after an afternoon performance.
What to Wear: For lawn-goers, casual attire is, of course, the order of the day--shorts, sundresses, whatever. But do check the temperature forecast in advance. Up on the hillside, particularly in late August and at evening concerts, the temperature can be quite cool. Even at one Sunday afternoon concert a couple of years ago, we had to wear slacks because it was simply too cold for shorts. And you might also want to throw a light jacket in with your picnic gear.
Parting Thoughts
I hope this little “travelogue” has given you some sense of the beauty of Tanglewood and the unique fun of a picnic on the lawn. You’ve probably guessed how special this music festival is to me. So I must end by telling you of an extraordinary event which occurred in April of 1999. The always nicely-designed Tanglewood brochure becomes available in April. When I picked one up that year and looked at the front cover, I was, for once, rendered speechless. The cover featured a sky-blue and lawn-green background with a prominent photo of Seiji Ozawa conducting. At the lower left, there was a series of three small photographs--a shot of the Music Shed, a close-up of two musicians in the orchestra, AND…a photo of my pink picnic!!! Omigod! As you can imagine, it was the thrill of a lifetime!
Well, even if you don’t think your picnic will make the cover of the Tanglewood brochure, do come on out this summer or next. Beauty and tranquility await! Whether you’re a music lover or just an incurable romantic, you will never forget your magical day at Tanglewood. And remember...look for the pink umbrellas!
Recommended:
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Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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