Elman definitely enjoyed entertaining — and being entertained . When he went to parties , he made it a goal to talk to as many people as possible ; when he hosted his own , it was no different . Elman ’ s idea of a dinner party often consisted of 20 people and included anyone from celebrities like Kitty Carlisle to Great Barrington locals . They would dine inside or , if the weather was nice , on the lawn . Everyone spent hours chatting , eating — and perhaps drinking some homemade wine ?
Alex described her father as “ free-spirited ” and a socialite . “ He would have stag parties . Guys would just be a bunch of guys , mostly from the Explorers Club , like Chuck Yeager ,” she says . “ They were smoking cigars and eating venison .”
Aston Magna ’ s claim to fame was not its parties , though , but the music festival that began there . Despite being the namesake for both the foundation and the festival , it has been a long time since anyone publicly performed at the estate . Small public concerts were at one point held in the studio , but eventually , they grew too big . In 1973 , the Great Barrington Selectboard banned six scheduled Aston Magna
concerts . Elman was surprised at the reaction ; his intention was to create something beautiful . However , there were many critics .
A main concern was traffic . In a New York Times article from June 22 , 1973 , entitled “ They Don ’ t Go for Baroque in Great Barrington ,” one man objected to “ Tanglewood-type traffic ,” an issue longtime residents of the Berkshires are all too familiar with . They pictured events like Woodstock , expressing their anxieties about hippies and other unsavory types . The article noted residents ’ concerns that baroque concerts would mean “ hotdog stands , beer cans on the lawn , and ‘ hootchy-kootch ’ ( a reference , possibly to the fact that at some concerts dance students will illustrate such baroque steps as the pavanne [ sic .], galliard , and courante ).” It didn ’ t help that the concerts were held without notifying residents through the proper political channels .
In the end , zoning bylaws dictated that concerts were not the “ natural product of a music school .” Following an offer by a sympathetic pastor , the performances moved to Saint James Episcopal Church
( now Saint James Place ) on Main Street . Aston Magna concerts are still held there , as well as at other locations .
Elman said that one of his greatest regrets was subdividing the property and not purchasing them back again when he had the chance . Sections of the estate were put in the care of the Aston Magna Nominee Trust , from which they were sold . Patricia Lodge had changed hands several times from 1980 until it burned down in 2020 . The current owners are working on rebuilding the lodge to its original state . A different section of Aston Magna was sold through the trust in 2003 to Beverly and David Hosokawa , where the couple built their home . The rest of the estate and its buildings remain intact , encompassing more than 46 acres .
Elman was an active Aston Magna board member for 50 years until his death in November 2022 following heart surgery complications . The estate was left to the trust , the benefactor being his daughter , Alex , who kept the property until the Baughmans purchased it in 2023 .
Spring 2024 BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE // 51