Klarinet Archive - Posting 000894.txt from 1998/12

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] Standing ovations
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1998 02:02:23 -0500

Mark Charette wrote:

> >What bothers me presently is the general expectation of a standing
> >ovation after a mediocre performance; I've been known to be one of the
> >few still sitting at the end of a performance. By definition most
> >performances are average; once in a great while there is a performance
> >that really deserves the standing "O". It cheapens the whole idea of a
> >standing ovation if it happens too often.

And Bill Hausman responded:

> Agreed. I have reluctantly risen several times lately, but also
> spontaneously jumped to my feet other times. But the performer is unlikely
> to notice the difference. We do him a disservice to make him think he is
> better than he (or she) is.

To which I say:

In general, I despise generalizations ;^), so I'll apply this only to
myself when I say that I most certainly DO notice when an audience is
standing more out of habit than out of true sentiment at the end of a
concert. The orchestra with which I perform is not a professional-level
ensemble, no matter how much they pay us, and we've played some concerts
in the past which (to quote Alasdair Neale from my S.F. Youth Orchestra
days) "sounded like a dog's dinner." For our finale concert last season,
we played Daphnis at the Meyerson Center in Dallas to a sold-out crowd.
The performance was a tour-de-force of mediocrity, and I was embarrassed
to be on-stage at its conclusion. I found myself much more disturbed and
annoyed when the audience perfunctorily rose to its feet and politely
applauded us. In fact, I was fuming. Like Mark said, it cheapens the
idea behind a standing ovation if it happens too often. I think that's
actually being too nice about it. An audience "sells out" in more ways
than one when it stands to clap for a performance that does not deserve it.
Granted, people are moved by music in different ways, and one mans' urine
might be another's cup of tea. What does it say about our audiences these
days if 500+ people together can't tell the difference?

Neil

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