Classical Music

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I am surprised that those NYers on the panel did not know him. Goes to show that the high brow industry is in our land is out of site, out of mind. But he was so young at the time of this program. This program was before he became Music Director (and conductor) of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, otherwise they would have known him very well. When I clicked on the link I FF to the Mystery Challenger for obvious reasons, but no. He wasn't famous yet. Some of the Boston Symphony concerts from famed Symphony Hall in Boston were syndicated and were broadcast nationwide on NPR. In 1973 I remember one such concert when he conducted Tchaikovsky "Pathetique" symphony (No. 6) and there was a burst of applause after the third movement, an exhilarating march that has you out of your seat. According to the "audience police watchers" it is bad form to applause before the end of the whole symphony and that march was not the end. Or was so at the time. The applause was so spontaneous and quite long, it was an exhilarating thing in itself.

Yes, I was surprised that they didn't recognize him, as he had been in NYC for a couple years at this point, and had been on Bernstein's Young People's concert series on TV.

The Boston Symphony was on PBS for many years (Evening at Symphony) during the Ozawa era as well.

The local music critic here in Dallas is having a slight battle with the DSO CEO over applause interruptions after movements. His last two reviews contained complaints about such during concerts, asking that the symphony address it by putting in a note in the program or making an announcement regarding concert-going etiquette. The CEO wrote an editorial in reply a week or so later stating that they need to attract new audiences, and they don't want to discourage their enthusiasm by playing school marm (OK, she didn't say that overtly, but that was the gist of it).

I wish American audiences were as restrained as (most) European ones are. Most European audiences wait to applaud until the conductor lowers his/her hands. This lets the last bit of sound reverberate until it dies away. The audience here locally applauds immediately, and is very quick to give a standing ovation. It's the theatrical equivalent of grade inflation.

I approve of waiting for the conductor to come to rest. American audiences may be a bit overzealous with that. American audiences at the Met are so appreciative of performance that they might be thought of as less critical. Contrast with Milan, who actually hiss if warranted.

The last symphony orchestra concert I attended was about seven years ago at the San Diego Symphony. IMMENSE DISAPPOINTMENT. They actuall had the b...lls to mic the concert. I don't ever remembering that happening before. It was Mahler #3. Had I not been with a friend I would have demanded my money back. If I wanted to her electronics I could have stayed home and played it on youtube. Looking ahead at the orchestra, our ears were assailed with crunching noise to our right, from a speaker!. My friend said that he didn't care, "Well, the orchestra was live, there they are." I know they don't do that at the Met, if they do I have been fooled. I attended a guitar concerto once (Tedesco something) and they alerted the audience about it, saying the guitar might just carry. I did not grow livid. I wrote a letter to the Symphony but they did not respond. I have a copy somewhere.

Do you follow the Stars? I am a Canadian fan but they are not going to the playoffs, so I am interested in the Oilers. An amazing season so far. Fun to watch because of McDavid (and Dreyseitl). The Oilers had their streak end a few days ago. Argh/

[txfilmfan]

I am surprised that those NYers on the panel did not know him. Goes to show that the high brow industry is in our land is out of site, out of mind. But he was so young at the time of this program. This program was before he became Music Director (and conductor) of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, otherwise they would have known him very well. When I clicked on the link I FF to the Mystery Challenger for obvious reasons, but no. He wasn't famous yet. Some of the Boston Symphony concerts from famed Symphony Hall in Boston were syndicated and were broadcast nationwide on NPR. In 1973 I remember one such concert when he conducted Tchaikovsky "Pathetique" symphony (No. 6) and there was a burst of applause after the third movement, an exhilarating march that has you out of your seat. According to the "audience police watchers" it is bad form to applause before the end of the whole symphony and that march was not the end. Or was so at the time. The applause was so spontaneous and quite long, it was an exhilarating thing in itself.

Yes, I was surprised that they didn't recognize him, as he had been in NYC for a couple years at this point, and had been on Bernstein's Young People's concert series on TV.

The Boston Symphony was on PBS for many years (Evening at Symphony) during the Ozawa era as well.

The local music critic here in Dallas is having a slight battle with the DSO CEO over applause interruptions after movements. His last two reviews contained complaints about such during concerts, asking that the symphony address it by putting in a note in the program or making an announcement regarding concert-going etiquette. The CEO wrote an editorial in reply a week or so later stating that they need to attract new audiences, and they don't want to discourage their enthusiasm by playing school marm (OK, she didn't say that overtly, but that was the gist of it).

I wish American audiences were as restrained as (most) European ones are. Most European audiences wait to applaud until the conductor lowers his/her hands. This lets the last bit of sound reverberate until it dies away. The audience here locally applauds immediately, and is very quick to give a standing ovation. It's the theatrical equivalent of grade inflation.

I approve of waiting for the conductor to come to rest. American audiences may be a bit overzealous with that. American audiences at the Met are so appreciative of performance that they might be thought of as less critical. Contrast with Milan, who actually hiss if warranted.

The last symphony orchestra concert I attended was about seven years ago at the San Diego Symphony. IMMENSE DISAPPOINTMENT. They actuall had the b...lls to mic the concert. I don't ever remembering that happening before. It was Mahler #3. Had I not been with a friend I would have demanded my money back. If I wanted to her electronics I could have stayed home and played it on youtube. Looking ahead at the orchestra, our ears were assailed with crunching noise to our right, from a speaker!. My friend said that he didn't care, "Well, the orchestra was live, there they are." I know they don't do that at the Met, if they do I have been fooled. I attended a guitar concerto once (Tedesco something) and they alerted the audience about it, saying the guitar might just carry. I did not grow livid. I wrote a letter to the Symphony but they did not respond. I have a copy somewhere.

Do you follow the Stars? I am a Canadian fan but they are not going to the playoffs, so I am interested in the Oilers. An amazing season so far. Fun to watch because of McDavid (and Dreyseitl). The Oilers had their streak end a few days ago. Argh/

I've never been to a straight classical concert where mics are used. I've seen it done at Pops concerts, though. I went to a Mahler 3 concert at the BBC Proms last August. In that case, perhaps the soloist should have been mic'd, or they should have sought out a stronger voice. Her voice was not strong enough to fill the room. The Albert Hall, however, is more of an arena than a concert hall.

Re: hockey - I don't follow it. I grew up where it snows only once or twice a year, and at a time when NHL hockey was pretty much isolated to the northern latitudes. Never can follow the puck. I have been to one Stars game, many years ago, though.

[Swithin]

Leontyne Price turned 97 yesterday. I believe I saw her at the Met twice, in Manon Lescaut, and, I think, in Don Giovanni, where she sang the role of Donna Anna. Here's her "Non mi dir" from that opera.

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