Letter from Boston Free Concerts By MASAKO YAMADA	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
無料コンサート 文化の街、ボストンでは有名な音楽家によるクラシックコンサートが常にいくつも催されています。クラシック音楽ファンの雅子さんとしてはぜひとも鑑賞したいのですが、金銭的に余裕がありません。そんな雅子さんにとってうれしいのが、学生や教員の演奏するリサイタル。小規模で、演奏者を間近で見られる上に、無料なのです。

I like to think of myself as a classical music fan, but unfortunately this hobby can be rather harsh on a limited budget. My piano lessons and Alexander Technique lessons (this is a kind of physical therapy that is used extensively by musicians and actors) eat up a significant chunk of my spending money.

Because of this, I hesitate to spend $60 (¥7,200) for good seats at a high-profile recital. I'm even reluctant to spend $15 (¥1,800) on student tickets for a seat in a cramped corner of a large concert hall. Boston is a cultural city and many of the most famous musicians in the world play here while on tour. I pass by Symphony Hall in Boston at least once a week and I sigh at the list of big names that I see on the shiny advertisements. I think many people would be surprised at how few of these concerts I've attended.

Fortunately, Boston offers plenty of alternatives for people like me. There seems to be a never-ending supply of free concerts. I've attended a few large, outdoor concerts sponsored by the Boston Symphony or the Boston Pops. There is an outdoor concert hall along the Charles River that is often used for such purposes. These are casual events in which people spread blankets and lawn chairs on the grass and listen to music while munching on snacks. I like the casual atmosphere, but I often find the external noise distracting, and it doesn't help that the music selection tends toward crowd-pleasers. Nevertheless, it's one way to enjoy the work of the two most famous orchestras in Boston, and I appreciate their providing this public service.

In contrast, small recitals by serious students of music tend to cater to a far more discriminating crowd (mostly other serious students of music). It's true that music students tend not to have the polish of professional players, but I truly enjoy the intensity that I see at such recitals. I also like seeing people's personalities. I've attended many of my friends' recitals and I am always amazed to see them transformed when they are on stage. Just this weekend, I went to a cello recital of a friend of mine from college. I had not heard her play since graduation, so it was interesting to see her growth.

In a couple of days, I will be listening to the Boston University Symphony perform. I'm especially looking forward to listening to one of the winners of the BU aria competition, since she has recently won a major national competition and received a glowing review in the New York Times. It's exciting to think that this woman might be performing in the Metropolitan Opera in a few years. It's even more exciting that the concert is free, the concert hall is three minutes away from my office and that I can drop by after work in my jeans and leather jacket.

Perhaps the best free concerts are those given by conservatory faculty members. Not only do these concerts have all the advantages of student concerts, the faculty members are also proven performers. Many of the faculty members of Boston-area conservatories are members of (or have performed with) the Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, Boston Ballet or other professional music organizations. It's incredible to think that such concerts are free, but they are!!

If anything, I prefer these small concerts to the large ones at places like Symphony Hall. This is partly because the concert hall is smaller, so I can sit very close to the performers, but it's also because I think the program selection tends to be more interesting. I've heard many pieces at such concerts by composers I've never heard of.

I recently attended such a recital by a Japanese oboist who plays in the Boston Symphony and teaches at the New England Conservatory. He played a beautiful contemporary Japanese solo, a very classical piano and oboe piece, and a medley of John Williams' movie theme songs. He played at one of the most prestigious halls in Boston, and it felt no different from concerts where admission is $40 (¥4,800). Even the pianist was a famous musician. I couldn't believe that the concert hall was only a quarter full.

I don't know why people flock to pay $40 for a formal night out when they can get such cozy concerts for free. I have the feeling that I will always keep an eye out for deals, even after I start earning a regular salary.

Shukan ST: May 14, 1999

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