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a mystery or two
There was one odd thing about the little amateur symphony concert I attended yesterday. This was the music director's short talk before the last piece.
He said two things I lot a little strange.
First, he introduced an account of how the orchestra's fortunes are looking up with a comparison to his equal pleasure in the results of the recent elections. I entirely share the political opinions he expressed, yet as a liberal - someone whose political philosophy is based on the right of people to have tastes that aren't mine - I was uncomfortable with this. I don't say that art and politics may never mix, yet there are occasions when personal political opinions are irrelevant to the point, and this was one of them. I just think of how unnecessarily annoyed I'd have been had our political tastes been different, and how there must have been such people in the hall.
He also mentioned having been to the San Jose Arena, or whatever it's called this week, for a concert by The Who, after which he wondered why classical music can't be this popular. Well, it beats me, too, though I'm actually glad of it, because I'd rather attend concerts in smaller venues than the San Jose Arena. Maybe he meant to shock us with the breadth of his musical tastes, though it didn't shock me. I'm not that fond of The Who myself, but they're an eminently worthy rock group.
No, what disturbed me was the arena. I once had the opportunity to wander freely into it to hear a concert: some country-pop singer I've since forgotten, I think it was Faith Hill. Nothing wrong with the music, but the sound - it was so horribly loud and the acoustics in that giant concrete echo chamber were so terrible, I couldn't abide it for more than a couple minutes and had to leave. A pity, as I went in intending to enjoy myself.
What I find difficult to believe is that anyone would venture into such a pit for a whole concert by a famously loud rock group who wanted to preserve his hearing at a delicate enough level to be an orchestral conductor, even a community orchestra conductor. Maybe he had earplugs.
He said two things I lot a little strange.
First, he introduced an account of how the orchestra's fortunes are looking up with a comparison to his equal pleasure in the results of the recent elections. I entirely share the political opinions he expressed, yet as a liberal - someone whose political philosophy is based on the right of people to have tastes that aren't mine - I was uncomfortable with this. I don't say that art and politics may never mix, yet there are occasions when personal political opinions are irrelevant to the point, and this was one of them. I just think of how unnecessarily annoyed I'd have been had our political tastes been different, and how there must have been such people in the hall.
He also mentioned having been to the San Jose Arena, or whatever it's called this week, for a concert by The Who, after which he wondered why classical music can't be this popular. Well, it beats me, too, though I'm actually glad of it, because I'd rather attend concerts in smaller venues than the San Jose Arena. Maybe he meant to shock us with the breadth of his musical tastes, though it didn't shock me. I'm not that fond of The Who myself, but they're an eminently worthy rock group.
No, what disturbed me was the arena. I once had the opportunity to wander freely into it to hear a concert: some country-pop singer I've since forgotten, I think it was Faith Hill. Nothing wrong with the music, but the sound - it was so horribly loud and the acoustics in that giant concrete echo chamber were so terrible, I couldn't abide it for more than a couple minutes and had to leave. A pity, as I went in intending to enjoy myself.
What I find difficult to believe is that anyone would venture into such a pit for a whole concert by a famously loud rock group who wanted to preserve his hearing at a delicate enough level to be an orchestral conductor, even a community orchestra conductor. Maybe he had earplugs.
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Yes, that's a terrible venue for music. I am semi-glad that I didn't find out that the Who had added a Bay Area show until too late to go.
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(Anonymous) 2006-11-22 06:11 pm (UTC)(link)As to the arena ... UGH! I've played there a few times. It's quite unpleasant. I had to laugh, though, back when they hired the San Jose Symphony to play for Pavarotti. All these folks dressed up in their strapless gowns and tuxes, seated on ice, freezing. (Granted, there was a rubber mat between the ice and the concert goes, but still ....) Then we heard Pavarotti giving a little speech at the end of his concert saying that he didn't sound good because it was the worst place he'd have had to perform in. What an event!
I've never attended a rock concert, aside from sitting on stage (with earplugs) to accompany groups. I'm really too much of an introvert to deal with a crowd like that. Besides, I want to listen when I pay for concerts, and I don't know how people listen at events like that. And no, I can't imagine a conductor sacrificing his hearing ... but I'm guessing he'd be smart enough to wear the plugs.
Anyway, I ramble. Just because. (And I'm putting off getting the house cleaned up for t-day.) But I'm definitely in agreement with you.
-patty