Klarinet Archive - Posting 000111.txt from 2005/08

From: Gary Smith <gary622@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] more gratuitous noise
Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 16:57:48 -0400

Certainly no substitute for common sense. Our principal cellist did a
recital series once where he did all of the Bach Cello suites (plus a
couple of extra pieces) over two evenings. Quite an ambitious
undertaking, and he did a great job. But the first evening was marred,
a little, but a man who was LOOKING THROUGH A STACK OF PAPERWORK while
sitting a few chairs down from me.

I found this distracting on several levels. I doubt I'd have heard the
papers shuffle over a Mahler symphony, but the delicacy of
unaccompanied cello music being what it is - then there was the visual
distraction in a chamber hall that was really not that dimly lit of
seeing him pick up papers from a pile and lay them down again, one
after another.

And then there was the feeling of the disrespect this guy was showing
to the music - I don't lay awake at night about this sort of thing, I
mean the performer probably can't see it or wouldn't notice it; and
after all, Bach's dead. But what kind of soul must one have to bring
paperwork to a Bach recital???

On 8/8/05, Margaret Thornhill <clarinetstudio@-----.net> wrote:
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> Gary Smith wrote:
> > But excessive coughing, loud jewelry, cell phones, etc. are in a
> > different category.
> . Applauders are, rightly or wrongly, showing their appreciation for the
> music,
> > whereas idiots making noise with all their gadgets, etc. are just
> > clods.
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> You could ban the list, but it still wouldn't cover the unexpected noisy
> concert accessory.
> At one recital I did in a very intimate, resonant hall, a woman in the fi=
rst
> row was knitting!
> Not at all the silent activity one thinks it is, and the rhythmic motions
> were incredibly distracting.
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> But my personal favorite was a benefit chamber music concert at college
> where a colleague was employed. The entire music appreciation class was
> required to attend, and (this was in the age of cassette players), they a=
ll
> brought portable recording equipment (sanctioned by the school!) resultin=
g
> in a swarm of clicking sounds just before the start of every piece.
> Yes, they should have known better, but who'd a thunk it?
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> Margaret
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> margaretthornhill.com
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>=20
>

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