This Monday Alex Ross gave the annual RPS lecture at the Wigmore Hall, entitled, 'Hold Your Applause: Inventing and Reinventing the Classical Concert'. The text to the talk is available here from the RPS website:
Then on Tuesday Charlotte Higgins of the Guardian released a rumor about the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain allowing it's members to wear anything black for the concerts with the only restrictions being "no strapless, backless, leather or PVC":
Ross seemed to concentrate mostly on the whole 'problem' of when to applaud and then more generally focus on broadly approaching the concert experience. For me, the best line is this:
'the radically different personalities of our composers, from Hildegard of Bingen to Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, demand radically different approaches. The music is bigger than any kind of space we may design for it. '
What do I think of the concert experience? Well firstly it is a performance of a creation. Secondly, people normally have paid more than a cinema ticket to attend, sometimes much more. Thirdly the concert is presented for the audience. When I conduct, I have three major aims: 1. Honour the composer 2. Respect the audience and give them the best experience possible 3. Ensure the orchestra 'enjoy' the experience. I could and probably should add lots of sub-clauses to that statement but I am going to avoid the temptation. Anything that can be done to enhance those 3 points should be done.
Applause: In my perfect 'dream' performance of Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony (Pathétique) the last movement would always erupt out out of raucous applause for the 3rd movement. It is as if Tchaikovsky wants all to seem perfect and ecstatic but then he surges from the grave, ripping open his shirt, baring his chest and saying 'NO - this is what I really feel'. The best experience is one that is natural - thus the no-clapping dictat enforces a sense of unnatural parameters on the given situation. People should clap when they want. Two really toe curling experiences in relation to audience behavior have happened while I have been at concerts at the Royal Festival Hall. The first was on the re-opening night, Jurowski had just started the Firebird Suite, and from the middle of the stalls came the electronic sounds of Mozart's Symphony No. 40. Jurowski turned around, scowled and restarted the piece. True, they should have turned it off, but it didn't warrant the response it got. He should have stopped and re-started with no glare. The second situation was recently when I was at Vanska's incredible LPO concert of 4th and 5th Sibelius symphonies. There was a lady two rows in front of me, who every time the man sitting in front of me turned the page of his program or moved the slightest inch she turned around in utter disgust. She made quite a lot of noise in the process, caused some amusement from my row and much worse by her actions distracted us all from the music, which is why we were there!
More focused lighting and a darker auditorium I think would help. However, the actual design of the auditorium is so important. I always feel I can relax at Symphony Hall in Birmingham, but not so at the Royal Festival Hall - non backbreaking chairs might help. I am not sold in bringing alcohol into the auditorium, but I do think that no programs are great - sometimes. I love the idea of the Night Shift, Club Karabits (at Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra) and Tonhalle Late:
However, the concert experience of overture, concerto and symphony really has its place as well. I am wary of using technology for the sake of being novel, but you don't know until you try. Its easy to add things on and say 'isn't this exciting' but the music must always be at the centre of everything you do - call me conventional, but isn't that the point? Talking is good, but sometimes how about playing it, talking, playing it again later on.
Now, concert dress. BBC Symphony Orchestra have their black suits, shirts and ties, which I think is pretty rubbish. There is your standard tails outfit and also all black open neck - the ladies have the 'luxury' of wearing smart all black. I love the last night of the proms dresses on the ladies in the orchestra but I wouldn't want it every day. Then there is the crazy dress used at one time by the new music ensemble bit20... (it is black but with rubber stamped patterns on!!)
The rumor of the NYO adopting a casual approach to concert dress, I find worrying on several levels. I am sure it is suppose to relax and open up the experience, allowing the music to be the main focus and get away from 'the old prim uniform'. Come on: black shirt, black trousers and the legendary NYO badge is not really prim - nor old - it was introduced about 4 years ago following on from the white shirt / red tie combo, that was pretty horrific and 'school-ified'. People have paid to come to a concert and they expect a level of professionalism. I hope most of the players go with a respectful approach. It could be interesting, but it could end up with a load of teenagers on stage looking scruffy, hair all over the place, and cheapen the whole effect. Also more importantly putting on your concert clothes puts you in a frame of mind, focuses your attitude and prepares you for what you are going to do. Also why black - is it moody? I love the NYO, not only because it gave me the best musical education/experience of my life but also because it performs great music really well. It gets on with the job and you can tell that what really matters is the music.
As a conductor I tend to wear black evening trousers and a chinese come arab shirt thing with no buttons and a collar, oh and red socks. However, when I conducted the Tokyo Phil in Japan I wished I had been wearing tails like them - some of the looks I received as I was coming out of the dressing room were quite telling!
Whatever happens to the concert approach there needs to be respect for what is being performed and who you are performing to and with. There is no quick fix and no right answer - each performance, piece, audience and event is different. What must never be forgotten is that the music you are performing is the most important thing.
F
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment