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It is frustrating.....

I'm an audiophile because I'm a music lover. Like most of the people on this site, I try cables, equipment, spikes, etc with one goal : to get the best out of 'canned' music, make it as close to life performance as possible. Knowing that 'perfect' reproduction is impossible, I go to live concerts as much as I can - on the average 10 classical music concerts, 2 ~ 3 operas, some jazz concerts per year.

Than it starts to become frustrating. Third time this year, I have left a concert at the break in Lincoln centre (NYC).

The acoustics : great, individual instruments : very palatable (!), no coloration, yadi yada yada...

Performance : miserable. No soul, no urge, no involvement from the orchestra... No pride in their work ?

Give me my 'miserable' listening room, 'coloring' cables, 'imperfect' equipment ... even a 'mono' CD - but a good, involving performance !

I'm not even talking about 'technical / mechanical' performance of the musicians - for me, technical brilliance is important, but secondary. It is the feel, interpretation, the 'soul' which is more important.

And the audience - horrible (see the thread 'cough vigilante). It is actually worse ... May be someday they will sell popcorn in the concert halls...

I have decided that I can save that $50/$60 per person / per concert, plus the trimmings, to buy 'canned' performances.

No wonder that the industry is complaining about less and less concert goers - they've just lost two.

Sorry for the rumblings.... I had to let some steam out...
ikarus
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
Another thing the managements are doing is booking all these Teenage wonderkins for $$$ reasons. They play fast with no technical mistakes, but also with no nuance, soul, emotion, etc. But is sell lots of tickets and they are cheaper to contract. The typical person going to the Symphony to be "seen" does not know the difference.

There was a concert conducted by Temirkanov in January with british pianist John Lill who most of you probably have never heard of. They play the Beethoven 5th (Emperor) concerto. Lill was a Tchaikovsky runner-up in the 60s. He does not usually play much outside of europe. Well the concert was fantastic; as good an any Beethoven played by Solomon, Curzon, Perahia, etc. The concert hall was only about 60-65% full at the most. Regular concert goers are not interested in a Bald, middle-aged foreign pianist they have never heard of. The people who did show up probably did so because is was a chance to hear Temirkanov. In the end happily, the ones who did show up gave Lill four rounds of loud well deserved applause.

sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
For those who live near Boston, I highly recommend the Boston Philharmonic and music director Ben Zander. Not only does the orchestra care, the audience does also, so it is a unique experience. Be sure to go early to Ben's pre-concert lecture, not to be missed.
avguygeorge
2,300 posts
 
I remember reading Riner was almost mean as a snake. Well apparently, that's what it took to get the desired performance.My favorite conductors are mostly the old guys, from the 40s/50s/60s/. Sort of how free agency has changed all of sports. Too much $$$;not enough personal caring for the "whole" Hard to get good team players these days.
danvetc
527 posts
 
I'll take two tickets. And Oh, can I sleep on your couch? [:)]
detlof
1,899 posts
 
Ikarus, I feel as you do, however I doggedly keep on going to concerts, because I want to always refresh the imprint of the real thing in my mind and soul in order to keep the memory fresh for the goal I try to tweak for.
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