Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra celebrate Leonard Bernstein’s 90th anniversary with a program heralding the composer’s diversity and evergreen appeal. Joining the maestro and instrumentalists at Wolf Trap are an ensemble of Tanglewood vocal fellows, young singers with magnificent voices on the verge of exciting careers.
“Bernstein was among the pantheon of American composers who left an incredible legacy,” Lockhart says. “He wrote so much of value that choosing the program was difficult. Although many of his serious concert works don’t fit the parameters of our show, we’ll perform an ample variety, including the wonderful dance suite from ‘Fancy Free,’ excerpts from his ‘On The Waterfront’ score and selections from his many Broadway shows.”
Lockhart explains that “On The Waterfront” was Bernstein’s only film score. When director Elia Kazan first approached him, he was not interested because of the reputation Kazan earned after his testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee. He changed his mind when Kazan sent him a print of the film. Duly impressed, he began composing with zeal. It’s likely that he wiped his hands of Hollywood when two-thirds of his music ended up on the cutting-room floor.
In the nearly 14 years since being named the 20th conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra and only the third since Arthur Fiedler and John Williams secured its status as an American musical icon, Lockhart has propelled the orchestra in fresh new directions.
To enhance the BPO’s popular television series, national and international tours and recordings, he frequently steps out of the box to cultivate a loyal audience down the road. The orchestra’s appeal to all Americans will become even wider with the fall release of a CD celebrating the music of baseball recorded live in Boston where the Red Sox reign.
“This has been a period of incredible change with the slow death of the CD, so we’ve found new ways to connect with audiences through Internet TV and our own website,” Lockhart says. “By forging relationships with more cutting edge ‘indie’ rock artists, we bring in an audience that’s 10 years younger than typical. It’s not that 25-year-olds with bleached blond Mohawks will become our standard, but we want them to feel included.
“We’re America’s orchestra and Bernstein is integral to American music because he went in so many directions. Every American conductor, no matter their background, regards him as one of our greatest. He knew the orchestra and really synthesized opera, symphony and dance with ‘West Side Story’ and brilliant numbers like ‘Dance Mambo.’”
IF YOU GO:
Keith Lockhart conducts the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra in “Bernstein: A Celebration!,” 8 p.m. Tuesday
* Venue: Wolf Trap Filene Center
* Tickets: $20 to $55
* More info: 877-965-3872; www.wolftrap.org
