Berkshire Eagle Online

Ozawa invokes the past as he enters the future

July 15, 2002

By Andrew L. Pincus

Special to The Eagle

LENOX -- Seiji Ozawa left Tanglewood the way he and 62 years of other students entered it: with the singing of Randall Thompson's "Alleluia."

To conclude his final concert as Boston Symphony Orchestra director, Ozawa yesterday led the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, BSO, six vocal soloists, two dozen vocal students and the audience of 14,300 in the a cappella work, which has been sung by every incoming class of students since the founding of the Tanglewood Music Center in 1940. Rich in emotion, it was a perfect ending to a farewell weekend that was less than perfect.

In a brief talk asking the audience to sing along -- "if you can't sing, try," he said -- Ozawa recalled his own beginnings as a student in 1960.

Tanglewood, he declared, "will stay in my system, in my memory forever."

After a year of sendoffs, it finally happened: Ozawa was gone, bound for Tokyo to be with his ailing mother.

From a Friday concert by the music center orchestra through a Saturday "Seiji and Friends" gala, the weekend built to yesterday's BSO finale.

The gods smiled on the weekend, providing ideal weather and large audiences.

Symbolism was everywhere. Ozawa opened the program with one of his signature pieces, Berlioz's "Symphonie fantastique," tacitly paying tribute to his BSO mentor, former director Charles Munch, for whom the work also was a specialty. The symphonic finale was Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, which called on the chorus, pianist Peter Serkin and the six soloists -- all of them associated with Ozawa during his record-breaking 29-year tenure.

This is the kind of music that brings out the best in Ozawa, and he in turn brought out the best in his musicians. Other conductors make Berlioz's grisly tale more blood-curdling, but Ozawa and the orchestra made a fine racket in the denouement. They also produced an infectious swirl in the ball scene.

Serkin was more reflective than showy in Beethoven's big piano part.

But with the chorus and soloists -- Christine Goerke, Cynthia Haymon, Zheng Cao, Vinson Cole, Anthony Dean Griffey and Paul Plishka -- invoking the blessings of art, love and heaven, the ending was as celebratory as the occasion.

Flashbulbs popped, cheers rang out and Ozawa paused to recognize a favorite colleague, BSO timpanist Everett Firth, who retired after a 50-year career.

For most of Saturday's gala, the weekend's hero sat in the conductor's box, flanked by his wife, Vera, and daughter, Seira, while tributes rolled from the stage. A spotlight pinpointed the family during the speeches.

Tanglewood set the gold standard for galas with the four-hour bash honoring Leonard Bernstein on his 70th birthday in 1988. Saturday night's 3 1/4-hour splash set some kind of record for wretched excess.

It wasn't that the tributes were unwarranted. There were just too many of them that went on for too long and said the same thing. How many ways are there to say, "Seiji, we love you?"

Musically, too, the evening seemed to natter on, the only point being that the performers were Ozawa's friends performing music close to his heart. The best part came at the end, when Ozawa galloped out of his box to conduct pianist Marcus Roberts and his jazz combo in a wickedly improvisatory version of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," followed by the Boys Choir of Harlem in three high-powered spirituals. The BSO provided backup for both events.

In the long slog up to that summit, Mstislav Rostropovich didn't spare the decibels as he conducted Shostakovich's brassy "Festive" Overture, and Pops conductor laureate John Williams led his personal tribute, "for Seiji."

To Williams fell the pleasure of accompanying Jessye Norman in what was undoubtedly the evening's descent into the cellar -- her ludicrously vamping, all but inaudible medley of four show tunes (don't try to hear the voice; watch the hands).

Some of the best moments came in three films. The first was a minidocumentary of Ozawa's life, all the way back to his mother's knee.

The second offered an assemblage of videotaped greetings and the last, a montage of Ozawa scenes (some repeated from the documentary) to an accompaniment of Berlioz's "Roman Carnival" Overture.

The filmed greeters included obvious choices like conductor Andre Previn and pianist Van Cliburn. But sumo champion Konishiki, speaking perfect English and (massaging his plump visage frequently), paid hilarious tribute to Ozawa's shaggy mane, while tenorissimo Luciano Pavarotti said Boston's loss is Vienna's gain.

The montage showing provided a tour de force. Williams conducted the BSO in a live performance of the Berlioz showpiece, timed exactly to jump-cut shots from Ozawa's life and BSO performance of the same music.

William also introduced his friend Steven Spielberg, who declared Ozawa "an inspiration to me." The film director was the evening's champion flashbulb attraction.

At 11:45 the meeting adjourned. Alleluia.

Godspeed, Seiji.

The week's attendance was 46,688, eclipsing last year's second-weekend total of 32,639. There were 1,489 Tuesday, 989 Wednesday, 9,872 Friday, 4,801 at the open rehearsal, 15,234 Saturday and 14,303 yesterday, the BSO reported.