Klarinet Archive - Posting 000264.txt from 1999/07

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] APPLAUSE
Date: Fri, 9 Jul 1999 00:30:15 -0400

On Thu, 8 Jul 1999, Richard Bush wrote:

> When I was in college, my theory teacher would loudly and quickly clap
> at the conclusion of every musical offering, at every concert,
> regardless of the musical content, even if the music ended in a
> whisper. What an obnoxious and insincere jesture this was just to let
> everyone in the hall know that HE KNEW when the piece had ended.

You reminded me of an incident which still causes me to laugh every time I
think about it. We had a similar person on the faculty here, but he was a
musicology professor.

There was a string quartet recital. I don't remember what they were
playing but it ended very quietly and reverently, eventually fading out to
nothing. The quartet sat, immobile, as if frozen. The audience sat
enthralled for a few seconds, savoring the finess of the group and the
ethereal nature of the music. Then, the musicology professor, apparently
afraid that no one but him knew that the music was over, shouted at the
absolute top of his dynamic range, "BRAVO!!" This unexpected outburst so
frightened several people sitting around him that some of them screamed in
terror, while others jumped from their seats, ready to run from the hall
to escape whatever monster had let out such a horrendous roar. A couple
of elementary school children, violin students of one of the members of
the quartet, began to cry. Our percussion teacher, an excitable type,
sitting directly in front of the offender, fell to the floor and tried to
crawl under his seat. From other parts of the hall, after people had had
a few seconds to figure out what had happened and to collect their
composure, laughter began to sound. In embarrassment, people tried to
applaud loudly enough to drown out their laughter. Naturally, no one
could remember the performance, and in fact they were barely aware that
one had taken place. Rather, the spectacle in the audience completely
overshadowed anything having to do with the music.

Needless to say, the musicology professor was not embarrassed.

Believe it or not, I'm not making this up. I have witnesses.

Ed Lacy
el2@-----.edu

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