On the evening of Aug. 1, I had the pleasure of watching the Boston Symphony Orchestra perform “The Marriage of Figaro” at Tanglewood. While the music was sublime, the performance was bittersweet. That had nothing to do with Mozart’s music, Lorenzo da Ponte’s words, or any of the marvelous performers. Well, actually, the bittersweetness has to do with one of the performers, conductor and BSO music director Andris Nelsons. Maestro Nelsons’ contract with the BSO was not renewed, and this weekend marked his last appearance at Tanglewood for the season; his contract is scheduled to end at the end of Tanglewood 2027.

I will not claim to know the inner business working of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. I also will never claim to have the musical knowledge to evaluate maestro Nelsons’ conducting. But I do have eyes, and those perceived how clearly Nelsons is valued. Lawn signs on the drive up to Tanglewood featured Nelsons’ face, with a request that people wear a rose in support, and a plea for his reinstatement. Once I stepped onto the Tanglewood grounds, it seemed the roses were everywhere: on audience members’ shirts, in hats, and on custom-printed shirts and bags that support the maestro. But what was most noticeable to me was on the stage. I will not lie and say every member of the BSO had a rose on their white shirt… but those that didn’t sure seemed to be in the minority. And I think that’s most telling. Again, I have no idea how the BSO as an organization works, but when its musicians are supporting their conductor, the ones who work with him the most, those would seem to be voices that should be listened to. A press release can tell me why management did what it did, but roses of support on the shirts of professional musicians speaks much louder.

There is so much we have to be proud of in our commonwealth: our literary heritage, our revolutionary history, our activism, our fall foliage, our sports teams, and I could go on. For decades, the Boston Symphony Orchestra has been recognized as one of the nation’s, if not the world’s, great orchestras. It is a point of pride to have such an ensemble in our state. And it sure seems to me, the people who makes those wonderful sounds support maestro Nelsons.

Bravo to all who performed “The Marriage of Figaro,” but excuse me if the musical joys were tinged with sadness. If Aug. 1 was the last time I will have seen Nelsons conduct at Tanglewood, I will treasure the memory. But I also regret it will not continue. To the maestro, thank you for the music. What Massachusetts loses, may be the gain of other orchestras elsewhere.

Tim Anderson lives in Amherst.