More & more U. S. concertgoers are discovering a new and painless way to enjoy music in the summer. They lie on the ground wrapped in blankets, gaze at the stars, spoon a bit, doze off, take their symphonies between nods. This detached, easygoing way of listening can be indulged on the outskirts of many of the outdoor music festivals that dot the U. S.
At some of these festivals, which are designed to soothe rather than to stimulate, the musicians loll through the program like their audience. Not so the musicians of the impeccable Boston Symphony, who, under the fastidious baton...