POPS-AV 488: Boston Pops Orchestra Live Concert Recordings on DAT, 1990 - 2002, bulk: 1992 - 2002

Boston Pops Orchestra Adolf Neuendorff conducted the first Promenade concert on July 11, 1885. The "Promenade Concerts" were distinguished from “Popular Concerts” in the following ways: auditorium concert seating was removed and replaced with tables and chairs; food and beverages were served; and the concert program was divided into three parts with two intermissions. While the new format of these concerts stuck, the term “promenade” did not. For the rest of the 19th century, while officially called “Promenade” concerts, they continued to be referred to informally as the "Popular" concerts. Eventually “Popular” was shortened to "Pops"— the name officially adopted in 1900. There were seventeen Pops conductors, beginning with the German Adolf Neuendorff before the establishment of the modern-era Pops by Arthur Fiedler—the first American-born musician to lead the orchestra— who, in his nearly 50-year tenure as Pops Conductor (1930-1979) established the Boston Pops as a national icon. Beginning with Arthur Fiedler and continuing through the innovations introduced by John Williams and the new-millennium Pops spearheaded by Keith Lockhart., the Boston Pops has become affectionately known as "America's Orchestra"— the most recorded orchestra in the country.; Pops touring dates back unofficially to 1953 when Arthur Fiedler led a specially recruited “Boston Pops Touring Orchestra” on a 68-day, 61-city, 66-concert tour of the Eastern, Southern, and Midwestern United States. “Pops” concerts in name only, these performances were organized by Arthur Fiedler who hired freelance musicians for the sole purpose of touring. Over the years, Fiedler’s touring orchestra performed in cities and towns all across America, transforming the Pops into a household name and paving the way for future tours. The first “official” Pops tours came during John Williams’ tenure, including the Boston Pops Centennial Tour in 1985 and their first tour to Japan in 1987. Since taking the helm in 1995, Keith Lockhart has led the Pops on more than 30 tours—an average of at least two per year—including the annual December holiday tour and four Asian tours. This collection contains live concert recordings on digital audio tape (DAT) generated by audio engineers in Concert Operations to document performances by the Boston Pops Orchestra and Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. Some rehearsal content is also included.