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Fed up with people making noise at classical shows

Last night I heard Vladimir Feltsman perform Chopin's Ballades at the Perelman Theater in Philadelphia's Kimmel Center. My excitement was building as my favorite part of the first Ballade approached. Immediately before the key was struck, someone sneezed. It was at that moment that I asked myself, "What the hell am I doing here? I have this at home, recorded by three different pianists." Throughout the performance were the sounds of coughing, sneezing moving in one's seat, dropping of programs, and talking.

I know this is the chance you take when attending live classical concerts and I LOVE hearing live music, but frankly I'm sick of it. I'm sick of paying money for traveling and the ticket itself just to be annoyed for two hours. Last Tuesday night a ringing cell phone disrupted a performance by the New York Philharmonic to the point where the conductor actually stopped the orchestra half way through Mahler's Ninth and addressed the moron who wouldn't shut it off.

Once, DURING A PERFORMANCE, someone got out of their seat, walked up to the stage and began "conducting the orchestra" with an imaginary baton.

As I said, I love attending live music, but when things like this happen, I'm ready to just stay home and save myself the aggravation.

Sorry, just had to vent.
devilboy
brownsfan
1,508 posts
 
You, sir, have opened a can of worms. In Indianapolis, we have over the last few years had a steady increase in people clapping at the end of each movement. If that is not bad enough, we had people applauding twice during a minuet and trio, prompted by the musicians pausing ever so briefly between the minuet and the trio, and then again between the trio and repeat of the minuet.
We all want to see more people who are not die hard classical fans attend concerts, but please people. There is such a thing as concert etiquette. If you don’t know what is going on, just be quiet.
Then there was the fellow that apparently brought his lunch in a paper bag, and made quite a racket getting into his bag of chips.
Embarrassing, distressing, frustrating. Some people can find a way to ruin anything.
isochronism
2,893 posts
 
1/10/12 Lincoln Center, The NY Philharmonic: During Mahler's Ninth Symphony, Conductor Alan Gilbert said" we'll wait" and stopped the performance until an audience member's cell phone's alarm was shut off.
bojack
650 posts
 
I feel your pain. At a recent performance of Brahms' 2nd, a guy behind me's phone rang. He 1] answered like a *&^%$ idiot and 2] proceeded to confirm a doctor's appointment for the next day. It took EVERY ounce of strength for me not to climb over my seat and beat the living daylights out of him. Instead, I clinched my jaw and prayed that God would smite him with some horrible, painful affliction (or that his doctor would at least diagnose him with a dreadful disease).
mt10425
1,138 posts
 
All of you people unwilling to beat the snot out of someone who deserves it, tough. Take back the world. Quit whining.
rdavwhitaker
173 posts
 
Let me add to Brownfan's can of worms the tendency of audiences at both classical concerts and theater performances to reward every performance, whether ordinary, good or great, with a standing ovation.

I don't condemn anyone who sneezes or coughs (unless they have come to the concert ill). It happens to all of us.

But between the cellphones and other boorish behavior, I agree with the original post -- I find myself going to live performances less and less, in favor of sitting in my own comfortable chair, with an excellent stereo system, rather than going down to the concert hall. And I am confident that this is not a good thing.
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