Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.
concerts

Paul Lewis brings Mozart’s final piano concerto to life at Tanglewood

Saturday, July 25, in the Shed at Tanglewood, the BSO took the stage with pianist Paul Lewis for Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat major” (K. 595). This was Mozart’s final piano concerto, completed in January 1791. Mozart died on Dec. 5, 1791.

Premiered by Mozart himself on March 4, 1791, it was his final public appearance as a soloist.

Unlike Mozart’s fiery or dramatic minor-key concertos, this concerto features a transparent, sparse texture, quiet lyricism and a calm, resigned, autumnal mood. It has three movements: Allegro, Larghetto and Allegro.

In the first movement, Allegro, Mozart is in no hurry to introduce the piano; his introduction is as long and lavish as can be. This gentle, graceful orchestral introduction presents four main themes, beautifully played by the BSO musicians.

Lewis waited, and then his time arrived with a quiet (sotto voce) entrance by the solo piano, followed by a rich, chromatic development section with frequent key changes.

The second movement, a Larghetto in E-flat major, provided a serene, calm and deeply lyrical contrast to the opening movement. In his element, Lewis carried on with fine playing while the orchestra supports this gentle movement. We all need soothing, gentle music from time to time, and this section is a tonic.

The third movement, an Allegro, takes the form of a cheerful, playful and dancing rondo. Lewis delivered the principal theme, famously derived from Mozart’s own song “Sehnsucht nach dem Frühling” (“Longing for Spring”), K. 596, with elegance.

There was no encore by Lewis, which one must consider in good taste and a sign of respect for Mozart. It was truly quite enough to satisfy all.

Thomas Jensen
concerts

Latest News

Tri-Corner Real Estate - November 2026

Tri-Corner Real Estate - November 2026

Download directly

The Millerton News - October 29, 2026

The Millerton News - October 29, 2026

Download directly

A life reshaped by clay in “Matin”

A life reshaped by clay in “Matin”

Left to right: Hannah Wheeler, Matin Malikzada and Yonah Sadeh.

D.H. Callahan

On Monday, Oct. 26, a group of students, teachers and local residents gathered at the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville for a screening of the new short documentary “Matin.” The film tells the story of Matin Malikzada, a seventh-generation Afghani potter making a new life in New Milford, Connecticut. The film was made by local filmmaker Yonah Sadeh, creator of the Video Wall at the David M. Hunt Library, and Berkshires-based potter Hannah Wheeler, who were both present for the screening, along with Malikzada himself.

As a member of the seventh generation of his family to master the art of pottery, Malikzada had done things the way his family had for over a century. Istalif, the village where his family has lived for generations, was known throughout Afghanistan for its pottery, with wares sent across the country for use as everyday cups, bowls, plates and other vessels. The pottery-making families of Istalif gathered clay from the same mountain, about 30 to 45 minutes away by donkey. Every July, they would head north toward the Uzbekistan border to gather ishkar, a plant they processed by hand to make their signature glazes.

Keep ReadingShow less
film
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Meg Sher finds her calling among the stacks

Meg Sher finds her calling among the stacks

Meg Sher, executive director of the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village.

L. Tomaino

When Meg Sher came to Falls Village in 2006 from Old Lyme, Connecticut, where she grew up, she never imagined she’d someday be the executive director of the David M. Hunt Library.

Although, in hindsight, perhaps it makes sense.

Keep ReadingShow less
our community

A feast of cookbooks in Wassaic

A feast of cookbooks in Wassaic

Erika DaSilva at Ten Mile Table.

D.H. Callahan

On Nov. 7, Ten Mile Table, the independent wine and spirits shop in the hamlet of Wassaic, will host its first Cookbook Fest and Swap. Erika DaSilva, the shop’s owner, is a big fan of cookbooks. While most people will flip to a recipe that piques their interest, she reads them cover to cover like novels. She’s already published two volumes of her community-based cookbook, “The Corner Table,” featuring recipes and writings from cooks and foodies all hailing from Wassaic and the surrounding towns. For DaSilva, community is half the reason for the event.

Spend any amount of time at Ten Mile Table, located in Wassaic’s old candy shop, and one thing will becomes obvious: Community comes first. DaSilva stops to talk with local residents as they pass by her open door, asking about health updates or letting them know she has something they requested back in stock. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that, as publisher of the hyperlocal newspaper the Hamlet Gazette, DaSilva knows more or less everything about everybody in town. But despite having all that knowledge, she doesn’t treat it like gossip. She holds it with care until the story is ready to be told — or kept forever as a secret.

Keep ReadingShow less
cookbook

Ancram Play Lab explores the wars that follow soldiers home

Ancram Play Lab explores the wars that follow soldiers home
Composer and lyricistStephanie Salzman
Provided

In 2020, the Ancram Center for the Arts launched Play Lab in response to the challenges facing live theater during the COVID-19 pandemic. It continues today as a thriving residency program where artists develop original work and experiment with new forms of performance. Community connection is central to the Play Lab mission, with audiences invited to share in the creative process through interactive workshops, open rehearsals, discussions and more.

The next Play Lab work-in-progress presentation, “Be Safe, I Love You,” is a new musical theater piece based on Cara Hoffman’s acclaimed 2014 novel. It follows Iraq war veteran Lauren Clay as she returns home to Watertown, New York, where post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) drives her to protect her family from an enemy only she can see. It is a story about class, loyalty and the wars that follow soldiers home.

Keep ReadingShow less
performances
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.