The Shed at Tanglewood; photo by John Ferrilo.

By Lesley Ann Beck

Every summer Saturday, an enthusiastic audience gathers at Tanglewood at 9:30 in the morning, ready to learn about the program for the Sunday afternoon concert. On Saturday, July 16, they were rewarded with a wealth of interesting information about the connections between George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, two magnificent works set to be performed by pianist Yuja Wang the next day. Robert Kirzinger, BSO Assistant Director of Program Publications, gave the talk at 9:30, followed at 10:30 by the rehearsal of the Sunday program with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) under the direction of conductor Gustavo Gimeno.

Pianist Yuja Wang; photo by Norbert Kniat.

Gimeno led the BSO through the complete program for the Sunday, July 17 concert, beginning with the two pieces that featured Yuja Wang at the piano — the Ravel and the Gershwin — followed by Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 in D and Igor Stravinsky’s Suite from “The Firebird.” It’s fascinating to observe the musicians in rehearsal, especially when the conductor stops and returns to certain passages to refine the performance.

The weekly Saturday morning line-up at Tanglewood, with the pre-rehearsal talk at 9:30 a.m. and the open rehearsal at 10:30 a.m., offers an exceptional opportunity to enjoy the music and the orchestra in a more casual setting; expand one’s knowledge of classical music; and to prepare for the next day’s concert – this writer found that having background information and a deeper understanding of the composers and their work made the Sunday concert much more enjoyable and more meaningful.

Robert Kirzinger shared some of his ideas about making classical music accessible in an email interview this week. “Developing a context for culture — it doesn’t have to be classical music or even what’s considered ‘high’ culture, just anything unfamiliar — is the foundation for allowing an audience ‘in.’ A lot of people aren’t exposed much to classical music as a matter of course,” Kirzinger says. “I hope I’m alerting them to the idea that an immediate, visceral response to what they hear is enough for a first step, rather than their coming in with anxiety or trepidation about not understanding stuff that might block such a response. That’s a fallacy, that idea of having to ‘get it’ on some concrete level, that I’d like to help dispel,” Kirzinger continues. “Even so, a little context goes a long way. It helps pave the way for a passing encounter to become a lifelong interest, even passion. These aren’t lectures — they’re basically us chatting about what we think is cool about a piece or a composer.”

Kirzinger admits that preparing for the talks enriches his own concert experiences. “While a lot of the music in these concerts is very familiar to me, any opportunity to spend time thinking about how a piece works, what moves me about it, its historical context and influence, and how it rubs up against other pieces in the program usually yields some idea or insight that I hadn’t considered before,” he says. “In the July 16 talk, thinking about the likelihood of Ravel being influenced by Gershwin and the successful and subtle blending of jazz/blues with classical music was a direct result of the pairing of the ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ with the Ravel G major concerto.” Kirzinger plays carefully selected passages from recordings to illustrate his talks. “I made a point of using a 1920s recording of Gershwin himself playing the ‘Rhapsody,’ and thought about the freedom and energy with which he, and subsequent pianists, approached the solo parts; this in turn led me to listen closely to how Yuja Wang played the piece. Same with the Ravel: the recording I used was a Martha Argerich performance with the BSO that was extremely flexible rhythmically in the second movement. It’s fascinating how different performances can be equally valid while varying a lot in their approach. Yuja Wang’s performances were scintillating, but very different from Gershwin’s and Argerich’s. Pieces that allow such disparate, evolving approaches while retaining their essential style are really lovely to contemplate, and that’s one measure, I think, of greatness.”

The Shed at Tanglewood; photo by Marco Borggreve.

Upcoming Saturday morning talks will cover an exciting range of topics. Gerard McBurney, recently of the Chicago Symphony, will be the guest speaker on July 30, discussing that evening’s program of Corigliano, Sibelius, and Beethoven. “I doubt many people have encountered American composer (and Pulitzer Prize winner) John Corigliano’s ‘Fantasia on an Ostinato,’” says Kirzinger, “so hearing Gerard talk about that work’s relationship to Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony will likely be revelatory and generate further curiosity about this recent piece of orchestral music.”

Marc Mandel, BSO Director of Program Publications, delivers many of the Saturday morning talks. He will be covering Mahler on August 6, and the following week will be speaking about the Schumann Fourth Symphony; Kirzinger calls Mandel a Schumann aficionado.

“On Saturday, August 21, we’ll be rehearsing George Tsontakis’s ‘Sonnets,’ Tone Poems for English horn and Orchestra, a piece the BSO and principal English horn Robert Sheena premiered at Symphony Hall this past February,” says Kirzinger. He hopes to have George Tsontakis, who he describes as an enormously personable and very musical guy, onstage for that talk. “All our talks are unique,” Kirzinger says, “but these are really special for me, since I get to ask the composer directly about the things I find most interesting in the music.”

Finally, Kirzinger will be talking about Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on August 27. “This is something I’ve done at least ten times at the close of Tanglewood, and every time I come up with some neat detail about the piece that reveals how many layers of intricacy and genius are involved in any Beethoven work. Such things are, after all, the reason we can return to a piece like this again and again and still get immense satisfaction from hearing it, especially live, with the kind of attention that a concert experience engenders.”

Saturday morning rehearsals of the BSO are open to the public, with reserved-seat Shed tickets available for $33 (front and boxes) and $23 (rear), and $13 (lawn). Rehearsals begin at 10:30 a.m.

The half-hour pre-rehearsal talk is offered free to all rehearsal ticket holders beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the Shed. Marc Mandel, BSO Director of Program Publications, will speak August 6, and August 13. Robert Kirzinger, BSO Assistant Director of Program Publications, will speak August 20 and August 27. Composer/educator Gerard McBurney will be the guest speaker July 30.

For more information, visit tanglewood.org.

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Jeff Cuttler, Richard Topol, Richard Schiff, and Ben Rosenbach in The Chosen. Photo by Scott Barrow.

Boyd-Quinson Mainstage, Barrington Stage Company, through August 3, 2013

[PITTSFIELD, MA] – Chaim Potok’s The Chosen, currently in a magnificent production on the Mainstage at Barrington Stage Company,is the story of two Jewish teenagers, rivals at first and then fast friends, and their fathers, set in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, during World War II. Performed by an exceptional ensemble cast of five actors, the play is a powerful and relevant exploration of parenting, of loyalty, of tradition, and ultimately, of love. Adapted by Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok from Potok’s novel, and brilliantly directed by Posner, this story of the clashes between the two families,

Richard Topol, Adam Heller, and Jeff Cuttler in The Chosen. Photo by Scott Barrow, courtesy Barrington Stage Company.

engendered by the very different Jewish communities to which they belong, is timely and illuminating in our world of division and conflict.

The teenaged Reuven Malter, beautifully played with conviction and passion by Jeff Cuttler, is an observant Jew, living with his widowed father Daniel, a revered scholar and teacher. Adam Heller is ideal as Daniel Malter, portraying him with warmth and wisdom. As well as a promising Talmudic student and mathematician, Reuven is a skilled baseball player, and when the play begins, we see him warming up his pitching arm.

Adam Heller, Jeff Cuttler, and Richard Topol in The Chosen. Photo by Scott Barrow, courtesy Barrington Stage Company.

Richard Topol plays the adult Reuven Malter, who is our narrator and guide through the world of 1940s Brooklyn, as well as two other characters, and he is perfect as our storyteller, in a carefully calibrated performance full of humor and energy that shifts from explanation and description to his characters and back again.

As young Reuven gets ready to play ball, we meet Daniel Saunders, the son of the powerful Hasidic rebbe, as he steps to home plate to bat. Ben Rosenbach portrays Daniel with a brilliant intensity and intelligence. Richard Schiff plays Daniel’s father, the leader of the Hasidic

Jeff Cuttler, Richard Schiff, and Ben Rosenbach in The Chosen. Photo by Scott Barrow, courtesy Barrington Stage Company.

community; Schiff’s performance is authentic, imposing, compelling, and memorable. Daniel is expected to succeed his father as the rebbe, but he is very conflicted about his future.

The friendship between the two boys begins as they stare at each other across the baseball diamond, their rivalry rooted in the different kinds of Judaism that they practice. But they have much in common, and their friendship allows the playwright to examine the two very different ways the fathers choose to parent their sons.

Richard Topol, Jeff Cuttler, and Ben Rosenbach in The Chosen. Photo by Scott Barrow, courtesy Barrington Stage Company.

We follow the two boys as they grow out of their teen years and enter college; at the same time the Second World War comes to a close and the immense destruction of the Holocaust becomes known, a time period of terrible suffering for the Jewish community. The two actors who play the young friends, and the actors who portray their fathers, make up a perfectly balanced quartet, bringing Potok’s wise and insightful story to full realization.

Meghan Raham’s simple but majestic set, constructed of towering bookshelves, works very well, and the fine lighting by Tyler Micoleau

Richard Schiff and Ben Rosenbach in The Chosen. Photo by Scott Barrow, courtesy Barrington Stage Company.

delineates the changing locations as the action unfolds. James Sugg designed the sound, and Raham also designed the costumes, achieving a completely authentic look for the characters.

Chaim Potok’s beloved novel still has an important message for us, and that message is well-served by this production, excellent in every aspect.

The Chosen runs through August 3. For tickets, visit www.barringtonstageco.org or call 413.236.8888.

Cassandra Speaks

A Shakespeare & Company production of a new play by Norman Plotkin

Directed by Nicole Ricciardi

Starring Tod Randolph as Dorothy Thompson

Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre; performances now through September 2, 2012

Reviewed by Lesley Ann Beck

[LENOX, MA] – Dorothy Thompson was the first journalist expelled from Germany on a direct order by Adolf Hitler and in 1939 Time magazine called her the most influential woman in America after Eleanor Roosevelt. In Cassandra Speaks at Shakespeare & Company, Tod Randolph delivers a complex, compelling portrait of Thompson in the world premiere production of this well-written, one-woman show.

As the play begins, it’s 1943 and Dorothy Thompson is writing a column about the plight of European refugees; millions read her syndicated columns. She is sitting at her big black Royal typewriter, hard at work, answering the phone, and talking to the audience as if they are her guests. She is very much the hard-driving, career-focused journalist. “Well, I’m not a nice woman,” she says. “I’m a driven woman.”

And then we discover that she is just an hour away from her wedding – her third. ‘I’m about to make a horrible mistake,” she says, quite seriously.

Randolph is marvelous in the role: she is authentic, engaging, wry, amusing, a little bawdy, and brilliant. The production, skillfully directed by Nicole Ricciardi, is beautifully paced and balanced.

One of the charms of this play, and of Randolph’s masterful performance, is that we see Thompson as the consummate professional, passionate and committed, and then we see her as a woman about to get married and coping with doubts.

Randolph as Thompson recounts her experiences as a journalist in Germany; she was aware very early on of just how dangerous Hitler could be. Thompson, of course, was a storyteller, and playwright Norman Plotkin has written the play in an engaging narrative style, weaving Thompson’s memories in with her present, impending wedding day activities. Thompson’s real life provided a rich trove of material to the playwright: for example, she met Sigmund Freud a number of times.

Thompson reminisces about her love life as well; she was married three times; her second husband was Nobel Prize-winner Sinclair Lewis, who she called Hal. The script includes a wonderful description of Lewis, as well as their passionate but difficult relationship. There’s a marvelous phone call that only lasts a few minutes but gives the audience tremendous insight into their whole marriage, a wonderful piece of writing beautifully performed.

Thompson’s life was a fascinating one: She served as a foreign correspondent at a time when there were very few women in the international press corps, beginning in the 1920s. She interviewed Hitler in 1931 and wrote about the consequences if he came to power. In 1934, the Third Reich ordered her expulsion. She wrote a syndicated column read by millions and worked as a radio news commentator. This production of Cassandra Speaks does a marvelous job of reacquainting us with Thompson’s significant accomplishments, and Randolph does an exemplary job of portraying this iconic American journalist.

Run time is approximately 90 minutes; no intermission.

Set design by Patrick Brennan; costume design by Kara D. Midlam; lighting design by Stephen Ball; sound design by Michael Pfeiffer; stage manager is Joan H. Cappello.

Shakespeare & Company is at 70 Kemble St. in Lenox, Mass. For more information, visit http://www.shakespeare.org/. For tickets, call the box office at 413.637.3353.