Klarinet Archive - Posting 000752.txt from 1999/11

From: "John P. Varineau" <jvarineau@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Applause as appropriate
Date: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 23:57:29 -0500

Could you perhaps be referring to this little gem (actually about
Beethoven 7)?

"Contradicting what was later to become taboo, the people who first heard
this symphony applauded after each movement. They liked this second
movement so much that they demanded that it be played again -- right then
and there! Oh, for the good ol' days!"

Sad to say, Mark, that we have not been able to replicate the audiences
of the 18th and early 19th century here in Grand Rapids. And as a
modern orchesra, we don't even do very much with performance practice --
yet! But we are working very hard at (and succeeding) developing new
audiences and at de-mystifying the concert experience. It turns out that
a lot of people who would enjoy classical music if they heard it are
intimidated by the concert hall and the unwritten sacrosanct (and often
absurd) rules.

I am impressed that you found this on the web. I'm glad you read it.
And your idea of having a few shills to actually get this going sounds
very intriguing. What really needs to happen is to get audiences so
engrossed in what is happening musically that they must explode with
applause. But mustn't do that, it might drown out the sound of a ringing
cell-phone!

John P. Varineau
Associate Conductor, Grand Rapids Symphony
Conductor, Grand Rapids Youth Symphony
Visiting Professor of Music, Calvin College
and occassional program annotator.

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