CLASSICAL
Welz Kauffman,
For anyone who values Leonard Bernstein’s towering musical achievements, the Ravinia Festival was ground zero this summer.
Massive concerts and intimate recitals, highbrow performances and chatty soirees all celebrated the maestro in the year of his centennial.
But you didn’t have to be an expert in Bernstein’s symphonies, musicals, songs, pianism and conducting to appreciate what Ravinia accomplished. Casual listeners and aficionados alike reveled in the Bernstein offerings, so much so that festival president and CEO Welz Kauffman has decided to present an encore performance of Bernstein’s rarely seen “Mass” next year, plus additional Bernstein works.
No one did more to make all of this come together than Kauffman, whose efforts with guest curator-conductor Marin Alsop and the rest of the Ravinia staff gave listeners a new understanding of the breadth and depth of Bernstein’s art.
Why did Kauffman decide to go so big with the immortal Lenny?
“The New York Philharmonic quite appropriately did the three (Bernstein) symphonies a year ago,” says Kauffman.
“I just wanted to go further than that and talk to artists about what they wanted to do. That’s where Marin comes in,” adds Kauffman, referring to the Bernstein protégé who immediately suggested the “Mass” revival.
“My hope was that people would enjoy themselves and – this may be the wrong term – but sort of luxuriate in a genius. If you go to see a Picasso exhibit or a Leonardo (da Vinci) exhibit or an Arthur Miller play or a Shakespearean drama, part of it is just the sheer enjoyment of being in the presence of greatness.
“And how wonderful to be able to celebrate someone whose children are around, whose colleagues are around, people who knew him are very much around and wanting to share that with other people. That’s different than a celebration of a Beethoven or a Mozart.”
In a word, Kauffman is speaking of immediacy, Bernstein’s music relating to our lives in ways different than that of past geniuses.
“That immediacy is what people are crying out for,” says Kauffman. “It’s in our time, and it’s American, and it’s someone who loved America and Israel and Europe and Asia. There are so many pieces to it that I think we’re ready for this. I think the centennial was enough time gone by from the end of his life (Bernstein died in 1990) to really jump in with both feet.”
Not that any of this was easy, particularly reviving “Mass,” a controversial, stylistically eclectic work that suffered many withering reviews at its world premiere in 1971. The sheer array of forces the piece requires — including a large symphony orchestra, chorus, marching band and jazz musicians — helps explain why “Mass” remains such a rarity. And why Ravinia’s majestic production, with charismatic baritone Paulo Szot in the pivotal role of the Celebrant, was so thoroughly needed.
Yet it entailed months of rehearsals and the uncounted technical challenges of moving nearly 300 people on- and offstage and, in some instances, out into the audience.
Did all this make Kauffman a bit nervous?
“Oh yeah, though not until we started getting close to it,” says Kauffman, meaning show time.
“It felt right to pick it, to make it the centerpiece, but as we started to get closer to the actual performance,” anxiety ticked up.
“I’ve programmed a Brahms Symphony with (conductor Christoph) Eschenbach, and I know exactly what I’m going to get. This is a completely different kettle of fish.
“And in that risk and nervousness is great excitement, and you could feel it in the pavilion. People would sense: ‘What is this? Why did he call it “Mass”? Why did he write a Mass? He’s Jewish.’ They didn’t know what it was.”
They certainly found out, and in an illuminating context, thanks to Kauffman and Ravinia.