Klarinet Archive - Posting 000835.txt from 2003/07

From: "Karl Krelove" <karlkrelove@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Ravinia, WolfTrap, was: Mostly Mozart
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2003 15:04:16 -0400

People need to consider their goals and interests when they decide where and
when they attend concerts. The relaxed atmosphere in which the music
approaches becoming background to the conversations and children's activity
level (to say nothing of train and airplane noises that have always plagued
outdoor concerts) obviously appeals to many for a variety of reasons. If you
want to listen intently to a performance undistracted by audience activity
or environmental noise, there are venues, generally indoor concert halls
where that's what's expected.

For someone looking for the intensely serious artistry of a concert hall
performance aimed at a knowledgeable adult audience (which generally
describes most orchestras' regular subscription series concerts), there's
lots wrong with summer outdoor concerts. Start with the fact that unless
(sometimes even if) you're seated almost on the stage what you hear is
largely electronic. The concerts are rarely rehearsed as long as those
during the regular season. Often (at least here in Philadelphia) the
conductors and soloists are less established and therefore more variable in
quality. The players don't always play on their best equipment. Subtlety of
interpretation and execution are largely lost in an environment in which
traffic, airline and train noise, insect sounds, audience comment and
conversation, and restless children all combine with the infidelity of even
the best sound equipment to interfere in entirely predictable ways with the
listener's ability to hear (and the players' ability to deliver) great
performances. But as the filled seats and lawn areas attest, the atmosphere
of an outdoor summer concert under the stars appeals to a great number of
people who simply want to hear what they can in a more relaxed and, perhaps
romantically natural environment than the austerity of the formal concert
hall provides.

I've often thought that it would be nice, now that we have a new, well
air-conditioned hall in Philadelphia to have the Philadelphia Orchestra play
there for part of its summer season. I'd personally find the concerts more
musically enjoyable from my perspective (my children are all grown up now).
But I suspect there isn't a practical way to have that and the season at the
Mann Music Center (our covered outdoor venue) run concurrently. The Mann
series is, from what I can tell, immensely popular and many genuine music
lovers in the Philadelphia area would consider it's cancellation a great
loss. A summer indoor series would, I'm certain, fail to generate as much
interest as the Mann series does. A different audience, or at least
different expectations at the Mann result in an experience that many enjoy
more than I do.

So I'll just wait until September.

My 2 cents' worth

Karl Krelove

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Christy Erickson [mailto:perickso@-----.net]
> Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2003 1:52 PM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: Re: [kl] Ravinia, WolfTrap, was: Mostly Mozart
>
>
> I enjoy this type of setting also. I think its a more child friendly
> environment and we need to expose our children to more music any
> way we can.
> I think some people forget they were once children themselves. I hear so
> many complaining about the lackof support for the orchestras but I really
> think the key is educating and exposing the children to great music in a
> manner they can comprehend. I also think perhaps orchestras managers and
> directors need to take a good hard look at exactly what type of
> music their
> audiences will want to pay to listen to. Christy
>
> > On Thu, 31 Jul 2003, GrabnerWG@-----.com wrote:
> > >
> > > In a setting like this, the music becomes only a background to the
> > > festivities. People often have long extended conversations, children
> > > run around, and so forth.
> >
> > The exact reason I enjoy "lawn seating" on occasion - people enjoying
> > life, talking with their neighbors, with children running around, and
> > great music in the background.
> >
> > I pay the extra money on other occasions ...
> >
> > Mark C.
> >
>
>
>
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