2 staples in the Boston music scene reach major milestones

2 staples in the Boston music scene are reaching major milestones

Orpheum Theatre is celebrating 171 years, while beloved orchestra Boston Baroque marks half a century of bringing music to our ears

HERE’S ERIKA TARANTAL. THE YEAR IS 1852, AND AS THE THIRD OF THE THREE B’S WAS COMPOSING IN GERMANY, THE BOSTON MUSIC HALL OPENED ITS DOORS WITH A CONCERT FEATURING LOCAL MUSICIANS AND INTERNATIONAL OPERA SENSATION MADAME MARIETTA ALBONI. 171 YEARS LATER, THE NAME ON THE MARQUEE HAS CHANGED, BUT THE ORPHEUM IS STILL BRINGING GREAT MUSIC TO BOSTON. OUR FOCUS AT THE ORPHEUM THEATER IS WE’RE A TRADITIONAL ROCK N ROLL HALL. DEIRDRE KELLY MANAGES THE SPACE CURRENTLY RUN BY CROSSROADS PRESENTS. WE’VE HAD PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY AGREES THE STAGE FROM THE BEATLES TO BOB DYLAN. THE ROLLING STONES WERE HERE IN 2002 FOR ONE REASON. THIS PLACE HAS BEEN ON ROCKERS BUCKET LIST IS THE SPACE IS ACOUSTICALLY PERFECT, WHICH TECHNICALLY MEANS THAT YOU CAN PERFORM FROM THE STAGE WITHOUT SOUND AMPLIFICATION. THAT SOUNDS PRETTY COOL TODAY, BUT WAS NECESSARY 155 YEARS AGO WHEN THIS SERVED AS THE ORIGINAL HOME OF THE BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. AFTER THE BSO DEPARTED IN 1900, THE SPACE WAS RENOVATED AND CATERED TO VAUDEVILLE AND A NEW SPECTACLE CALLED MOTION PICTURES, DURING WHICH TIME THEY WELCOMED CHARLIE CHAPLIN LIVE AND A COMEDY TRIO RECENTLY DUBBED THE THREE STOOGES. COOL PIECE HERE ON OUR STAGE IS IN THE EARLY 1900S, DURING OUR VAUDEVILLE TIME THIS WILL OPEN. SO THEY USED TO PULL OUT THE SLOT, PUT IT IN, TURN THE LIGHT ON, AND YOU COULD SEE WHO WAS PERFORMING NEXT. 171 YEARS REPRESENTS QUITE A MUSIC MILESTONE, BUT PERHAPS THE ORPHEUM’S MOST SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE WAS NOT MUSICAL AT ALL. SO ON DECEMBER 31ST, 1862, ON THE EVE OF THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION, NORTHERN ABOLITIONISTS GATHERED HERE AND IN ATTENDANCE WAS FREDERICK DOUGLASS, HARRIET BEECHER STOWE, HARRIET TUBMAN, AMONG OTHERS, AND IT’S A REALLY WONDERFUL STORY OF THE HISTORY THAT IS NOT JUST MUSIC, BUT CULTURE AS WELL. HERE AT THE ORPHEUM 1973, THE YEAR MARVIN GAYE ASKED US TO GET IT ON, AND PINK FLOYD EXPLORED THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON. A YOUNG BOSTON BASED HARPSICHORDIST, MARTY PEARLMAN STARTED THE FIRST ORCHESTRA TO PLAY BAROQUE ERA MUSIC ON PERIOD ACCURATE INSTRUMENTS IN NORTH AMERICA. WE STARTED UNDER THE NAME OF BANCHETTO MUSICALE, AND I CERTAINLY DIDN’T EXPECT IT TO BE HERE FOR 50 YEARS. AND I STARTED WITH JUST EIGHT PEOPLE WHO WERE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT I KNEW HERE AROUND HERE WHO WHO COULD PLAY REASONABLY WELL ON THESE PERIOD INSTRUMENTS. ONE MIGHT ASSUME THAT ALL ORCHESTRAS PLAY ON PERIOD INSTRUMENTS. THEY DON’T. THE VIOLINS AND AND CELLOS ARE RECOGNIZABLE AS VIOLINS AND CELLOS, BUT THEIR GUT STRINGS ON THEM, NOT METAL. AS A RESULT, THE SOUND IS DIFFERENT. WE LIKE TO THINK THAT IT’S THE SAME WAY COMPOSERS HEARD IT. YOU NEVER KNOW. OF COURSE, BUT IT DOES REFLECT WHAT WAS POSSIBLE IN THOSE DAYS. CHRISTINA DE MARTINSON IS CONCERTMASTER OF BOSTON BAROQUE. I TRY AND TRANSLATE WHAT THE CONDUCTOR IS ASKING FOR SO THAT THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ORCHESTRA CAN PICK UP ON THAT AND WE CAN WORK TOGETHER, SORT OF AS ONE ORGANISM. WHILE SOME STRUGGLE WITH THE TRANSITION TO PERIOD INSTRUMENTS, FOR MARTINSON, IT WAS A HOMECOMING MY WHOLE LIFE I HAD CERTAIN TENDENCIES IN MY PLAYING THAT TEACHERS WERE ALWAYS TRYING TO IRON OUT OF ME WHEN I CAME TO THE PERIOD INSTRUMENTS, I FELT LIKE I COULD FINALLY PLAY THE WAY I WANTED TO PLAY. LIKE I FOUND MY VOICE AT 50, THE BOSTON BAROQUE ORCHESTRA AYER HAS ALSO FOUND ITS VOICE. MATERIAL HAS BEEN VIEWED IN 55 COUNTRIES, AND THAT’S BEFORE YOU EVEN START WITH YOUTUBE. SPOTIFY, LIKE WHEN YOU ADD ALL OF THAT IN, WE’RE BEING CONSUMED IN 117 COUNTRIES. IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING YOU’VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS WRITTEN 300 YEARS AGO AND BOSTON BROKE BRINGS THAT ALIVE. IT’S NO LONGER AN ISSUE ABOUT HOW TO PLAY THE INSTRUMENTS, BUT REALLY COUNTS IS WHETHER IT’S A GOOD PERFORMANCE. IT’S. AND ANOTHER 50 YEAR MILESTONE FOR YOU. HOLIDAY POPS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS THIS YEAR. ARTHUR FIEDLER. FIEDLER STARTED IT IN 1973, BUT OF COURSE, IT WAS A SCALED DOWN VERSION, RIGHT? AND PRIOR TO THAT, ACTUALLY, HE CONDUCTED THE ORCHESTRA FOR THE NUTCRACKER PERFORMANCES OF THE BOSTON BALLET, WHICH IS A GREAT LITTLE PIECE OF TRIVIA. BACK TO THE ORPHEUM AGAIN, THE EXTERIOR ALMOST AS FAMOUS AS THE INTERIOR, THE EXTERIOR FEATURED ON A NUMBER OF ALBUM COVERS, INCLUDING A 1992 ALLMAN BROTHERS

2 staples in the Boston music scene are reaching major milestones

Orpheum Theatre is celebrating 171 years, while beloved orchestra Boston Baroque marks half a century of bringing music to our ears

The Orpheum Theater, operated by Crossroads Presents, first opened as the Boston Music Hall in 1852. Considered “acoustically perfect,” the space was the original home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and continues to be a “bucket list” venue for the country’s biggest Rock acts. The Orpheum boasts an interesting social history as well. In 1862, it served as the location in Boston where abolitionists, including Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, and Harriet Beecher Stowe, gathered on the eve of the Emancipation Proclamation.Boston Baroque Orchestra, under the musical direction of founder Martin Pearlman, has been bringing classical music played on period-accurate instruments to modern audiences since 1973. Since COVID-19, the orchestra has teamed with the streaming service Idagio to expand its reach across 55 countries on six continents.

BOSTON —

Boston Baroque Orchestra, under the musical direction of founder Martin Pearlman, has been bringing classical music played on period-accurate instruments to modern audiences since 1973. Since COVID-19, the orchestra has teamed with the streaming service Idagio to expand its reach across 55 countries on six continents.

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2 staples in the Boston music scene reach major milestones

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