Summer concerts by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and others are performed in the open-sided 5,700-seat Shed at Tanglewood.
Patrons gather for a summer concert on the great lawn at Tanglewood.
closely supervised the construction of her grand white British Georgian-style mansion, flanked by formal gardens. The Mount was Wharton’s pride and joy. She lived there nearly a decade, writing and tending her gardens, and it was only after a divorce in 1911 that she sold the property. The estate fell into disrepair until the 1980s when a non-profit organization began restoring the house and gardens. Now listed as a National Historic Landmark, the Mount Estate & Gardens is open daily for tours from May to October (weekends during the winter) and ranks as one of the most important tourist draws in the Berkshires. The presence of these artistic and literary luminaries gave the Berkshires a certain panache that attracted wealthy New Yorkers and Bostonians, leading to the construction of dozens of palatial summer retreats throughout the region. Many survive today, some of them serving as country inns and B&Bs. It was only a matter of time until the cultural scene in the Berkshires expanded to include music, dance, and theater. In 1937, a momentous transformation began just two miles west of Wharton’s estate when a wealthy Boston family donated their 210-acre Tanglewood estate
in Lenox to the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) for summer performances. Tanglewood inaugurated its outdoor concert hall— the 5,700-seat Shed—in 1938. The open-sided Shed invites music lovers to enjoy performances, even during inclement weather. On clear days and evenings from June through August, thousands more gather on the great lawn in front of the Shed to take in concerts free of charge. Many additional performances are staged in nearby Seiji Ozawa Hall, opened in 1994. Concerts here are by no means limited to offerings from the BSO and Boston Pops Orchestra. A glance at Tanglewood’s 2018 schedule reveals performances by James Taylor, multi-platinum pop star Andy Grammer, and folk legends Stephen Stills and Judy Collins. Dance is another important element of the world-class performing arts scene in the Berkshires. Described by the New York Times as the “dance center of the nation,” tiny Becket (population 1,779), 13 miles southeast of Pittsfield, is home to Jacob’s Pillow, an internationally acclaimed dance festival that showcases dancers from around the world. Each summer the festival features hundreds of dance performances ranging from elegant ballet to innovative contemporary dance.
BERKSHIRES
COAST TO COAST SUMMER MAGAZINE 2018
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