There was plenty of electricity in the air this past weekend at Tanglewood, fortunately, not the result of storms but instead sparked by two celebrated instrumentalists — Joshua Bell and Yo-Yo Ma — as well as the Boston Symphony Orchestra debut of a rapidly rising conductor and a memorable appearance by the world’s oldest active living maestro.

Beethoven and Tchaikovsky: the former the most compelling composer of the beginning of the 19th century, the latter the most internationally renowned of the many Russian composers who flourished in the 1860s and 1870s. Their music ranges from uplifting to lyrical, from contemplative to somber. For what is music but a validation and intensification of the full range of human experience.

Classical music critic Andrew L. Pincus believes Saturday night's Tanglewood performance by Leonidas Kavakos, Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma is better suited for the enclosed Ozawa Hall. 

He writes, "What can you do? These three are admirable musicians, both individually and as an ensemble. On the lawn, where the music is amplified, hearing might have been better. From a seat in the center of the Shed, where amplification is a no-no, all a listener could do was strain his ears and think: next year, next year …"