Re: The Listener as Artist

[neil@thump.org (Neil)]

On Wed, 3 Feb 1999 18:07:03 -0800 (PST), you wrote:

>But I do think there's a place for pop music because much of it
>touches me in a place classical music simply doesn't. Aside from Yanni or
>John Tesh, I think it's a bigger tragedy when people don't have *any* kind
>of music in their lives to relate to. 

Or people just can't relate to music at all. I'm lost for words when people
express no feelings about any music of any kind. I can't relate to these people.

For me a world without Bach would be unimaginable. I could just about cope
without any other composers.

But as I've elaborated in another post, there's a lot in dance music worth
listening too. Our hero of course loved Streisand (I love "downtown" - and you
should hear the new remix of it ...). When we discuss Gould we are really
discussing the way in which music as a means of communication effects us. I
think one important thing GG was reminding us is what the great music making
need not be live and spontaneous. 

To put this breifly, I've given up symphonic concerts virtually for good as the
live element (frisson, atmosphere etc.) does little for me.  Perhaps as GG began
to feel, I can get more buzz from Horenstein's Bruckner 8 with the LSO (in so so
sound on CD) than any live Bruckner (Abbado's recent concerts in London of
Bruckner with the BPO were sonambulent for example) . 

Where's the pleasure in sitting in hot, uncomfortable seats, in a stuffy halls
with old ladies coughing their guts out in the slow movement whilst unwrapping
their favourite mints*. (Or kids yacking, or corporate sponsors conversing in
the hall bemoaning the lack of house champagne..)

(* yes it happened at a BBC lunchtime concert being broadcast live. She should
have been barred form the Wigmore)

The thing I hate even more is audiences cheering and clapping either a bad
performance or MUCH worse after say a great performance of Metamorphosen . The
end of a performance of the  latter needs about 30 minutes of quiet
contemplation not applause. "Let's ban applause".

E. Kissin recitals illustrate the former, where the audience treat him like some
circus performer. And he believes he's played well, judged by an audience of
groupies and ill informed music lovers. Makes me sick - 14 encores at the proms
!!!!!! As bad as Helfgott.

Oddly, I do go to piano recitals though. Why does no-one give all Bach concerts
these days ??? 

Neil
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