Earlier this year I made my first visit to Boston’s Symphony Hall, after nearly seven years working at WCRB. I had a great time, and if you’ve never been, I think you will too.
To really experience the full scope of what the BSO offers, I realized I needed to see them in their second home. Every July and August, the BSO packs up and heads to Tanglewood. On a sunny Friday afternoon in July, so did I.
Wait, but what IS Tanglewood?
The question I get asked most often when I tell friends and family about our Tanglewood broadcasts is “What is Tanglewood?” It’s a little confusing.
Firstly, it’s a place. Tanglewood is an outdoor music campus, on the grounds of a country estate, donated to the BSO in 1936. The distinctive name comes from a Nathaniel Hawthorne book, written while he was living nearby.
Tanglewood is ALSO a music festival, collectively referring to the music and events that take place at the venue of the same name from late June through late August. So, when someone says they’re “going to Tanglewood,” they mean both the place, and the festival. Got it? Good!
Who is it for?
No matter what you see, even if you are totally new to exploring classical music, you'll have a great time at Tanglewood. The grounds are enormous, gorgeous, accessible, and kid friendly. I knew the setting would be beautiful. I was not expecting it to feel as warm and welcoming as it does. Because most concerts take place in the open-air Koussevitzky Music Shed, audiences can fan out across the lawn, allowing restless kids to chase fireflies, roll down the hills, and meet other children. Tickets are sold either for a seat inside the “Shed” or for basic access to the lawn. There were dozens of families the night I went, and tickets to watch the concert on the lawn are free for kids under 18 (as long as they’re with an adult). We also saw at least two bridal parties!
What should you see?
There are a LOT of options at Tanglewood, with performances happening almost every day of the week. If you’re looking to see the Boston Symphony Orchestra at full tilt, look for performances in the Koussevitzky Music Shed, usually on Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons. Any BSO performance will be an experience. Some highlights from the season still to come include Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony on August 9, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto on August 16, and Holst’s The Planets on August 23.
Whatever you see, check the calendar to see if there’s a Prelude Concert. There’s usually a chamber or choral performance before BSO performances. The prelude concerts are in Seiji Ozawa Hall, a stunning “mini Symphony Hall” on the Tanglewood campus, on Fridays, and at the beautiful, recently built Linde Center on Saturdays, and are free to ticket holders that night.
Where should you stay?
There are plenty of hotel options in the Berkshires, from affordable chains in Pittsfield to high end B&Bs in Lenox. We camped. A tent site at October Mountain State Forest was a ten minute drive from Tanglewood and set us back $25.
While I know some people attempt to drive out to Tanglewood from the Boston area and back in one day, I can’t recommend it. You can make it out there on the Pike in just under two and a half hours, but the evening concerts typically start at 8:00 and end around 10:00 or 10:30. While getting out of the parking lot is not nearly as agonizing as leaving Gillette Stadium, you won’t make it home until around 1:00am. Doable, but I think the best possible way to do it is to go out on a Saturday, see a concert, stay over, catch the Sunday afternoon concert, and then head back.
What should you bring?
Bring water. The grounds are large and spread out, and you’ll do a fair amount of walking from the parking lots, to the Prelude Concert, to the food vendors and back, though there is a legion of golf carts that are able to shuttle people from the parking lots to the gate. Having your own water bottle handy, especially on hot summer nights, is a must.
Picnicking is one of the best parts about Tanglewood. There are delicious and affordable options on site, but most people I saw seemed to have packed a spread. There’s joy in eating your own food, but even more fun is seeing the elaborate set ups other people bring, sometimes even with full china tea sets. Bring a basket, a blanket, and a wagon if you have one. Those rolling hills get steep when you’re lugging a feast around!
Picnic voyeurism compares only to the joy of seeing some of the outfits at Tanglewood. You can opt for a Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts, or don a full evening gown with gloves and fit right in. No one is out of place for dressing down, but you have the opportunity to dress ostentatiously if you choose. I went for jeans and sneakers.
Finally, don’t forget basic outdoor safety. Sunscreen, bug spray, and a hat are all good ideas.
A few other tips
- I’m serious about the wagon. If you pack a picnic, you’ll be happier if it's on wheels.
- The grounds open at 5:30 for evening performances and at noon for Sunday afternoons.
- Visit the Tappan House! It contains fascinating bits of BSO history, and the view of the Berkshires from the porch is one of the best on the campus.
- You may be pressed for time if you plan to attend the prelude concert, purchase food from a vendor on site, and then make it to the Shed (where food is not allowed). The answer? Picnic!
What I saw
The Tanglewood season is exciting for all kinds of concert goers, with big-tent classical canon pieces programmed alongside world premieres and innovative new interpretations. I went to see a new staging of Romeo and Juliet, with music from Prokofiev's ballet newly paired with live actors performing the original text.
There was a young man, maybe 12 years old, sitting behind us in the Shed who clearly had no idea how Romeo and Juliet ends. When the curtain call came, he turned to his dad and let out an infuriated “WHAT?! They DIE?!” That’s the power of encountering this music in the hands of the BSO in a space tailor-made for their strengths: the gorgeous setting only enhances the experience.
At the moment when Juliet entered what turns out to be her tomb, the darkest moment of the play, fireflies began to illuminate the stage.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Season runs through August 24th. You can find tickets here, and hear live broadcasts from Tanglewood every weekend on 99.5 and streaming online. Check out our full broadcast schedule.
