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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
chadnliz
3,736 posts
 
Rok, you dont the Cleve is top 5 in entire world? I do and thought others did aswell. Interested in your take, considered elite at minimum!
chadnliz
3,736 posts
 
Rx, cool links!
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,816 posts
 
"Rok, you dont the Cleve is top 5 in entire world? I do and thought others did aswell. Interested in your take, considered elite at minimum!"

How can anyone know? The American Orchestras don't record anymore. I look at my LPs and they are all NY, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and Cleveland. My CDs are almost all European. I think for a few decades after the war we had the best, but then greed reared it's ugly head. Now the Europeans have recovered and have now surpassed the US. You can make the case that MN is now the top American Orch. At least you can buy CDs by them. But my favorite from the past was Philadelphia / Ormandy. A young person getting into classical music today could not be faulted for thinking that ALL classical orchestras are European!!
I think the war helped this country in ways most of us don't even recognize. Now the advantages we gained from the war are disappearing.

But to answer your question: You would have to consider Berlin, Vienna, Concertgebouw, LSO, St Martin Fields, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus. Along with many smaller but outstanding orchestras and chamber groups. Is Cleveland in this company? I certainly hope so. I wonder how many young people know that Cleveland has an Orchestra? But, I am an American first, last and always so... Hell yes Cleveland is in the elite category.
isochronism
2,893 posts
 
"To err is human, to forgive divine"
Alexander Pope
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smortega
67 posts
 
One performer's solution:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uub0z8wJfhU&feature=player_embedded.
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