Notes on Notes

I LOVE Jeremy Denk

The loving starts when I read his programs.  The other night's, at Tanglewood, was the Mozart A Minor Rondo, Prokofiev Visions Fugitives, Beethoven Op. 109, Schumann Fantasie in C Op. 17.  The encores were the second movement of Mozart's famous C Major Sonata, and the Pilgrim's Song from Tannhauser that burst into a wild jazz arrangement by Donald Lambert, whom I didn't know, but he's easy to find.

    Jeremy is so far into the music that he seems to be looking out at you from it.  He has the pasty complexion of someone in another world.  We are fortunate that he chooses to explain a few things now and then.  What a mind.  What connections.

    He doesn't look as strong as he is, but some soft notes appear to be played without touching the keyboard.

La Boheme at Tanglewood

Photo Credit: The sweet, devoted Hilary Scott, son of Walter H. Scott, who was Tanglewood's photographer before Hilary, and lived in a beautiful house near Norman Rockwell's. 

This semi-staged, sort-of-costumed opera actually worked on Tanglewood's Shed stage, and was a heartily good surprise.  Opolais, having subbed as Mimi on short notice at the Met, knew the role and put her all into it, without any sign of her past score-reading, or recent divorce from Boston Symphony Orchestra music director Andris Nelsons, who dreamt up this idea and carried it with strength and commitment.  (They even kept sailing despite a noisy cloudburst during Mimi's famous first aria.)

Jonathan Tetelman, a fill-in, has one of those Rodolfo tenors where he saunters in with the opening phrase and everyone sits up and says, wow, who's that?  He didn't stint on the high notes, and tall, dark and handsome is nice too.

The direction, by the Met's Daniel Rigazzi, was as clever as could be.  Every member of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and new Boston Symphony Children's Choir (created by new TFC director James Burton) had something to do, say, or point at while singing.  Rodolfo's arty pals were lively, well blocked, and convincing in their good will, facing poverty and the dying Mimi.

Susanna Phillips does Musetta at the Met, and nails it every time, with seductive humor.  Yes.  Lot of heart in this production.  Deserved every minute of its ovation.  Good going, Andris.