Re: The Listener as Artist

[neil@thump.org (Neil)]

On Sun, 07 Feb 1999 10:44:46 GMT, you wrote:

>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".

Caveat: for works which end quietly or need space;

- most DSCH
- much mahler
- some Bruckner
- metamorphosen
- Bach (who can clap after the Art of Fugue ???????)
- Tchaikovsky 6
- Beethoven op 101,109,110,111,31/2, diabellis
- others

Sorry if that came out a bit wrong. Someone rightly picked me up on my remarks.

The kissin business is precisely the sort of nonsense which finally pushed Gould
off the concert platform. I deeply resent Schoenberg's article and all it stood
for.  it chastised our hero for being a non-showman and an individual.

The whole showman as pianist annoys me intensely. my comments about Kissin were
drawn from experience of 3 of his recitals in london which the press were
lukewarm about, I disliked and many of my musical freinds though were not too
hot. Ok that's subjective but his Beethoven moonlight is not good - he played
that at the last recital. His tone is harsh and his youthful freshness has been
usuperped by aggressive pounding, steely tone and decidedly dark and wierd
interpretations (and clinical too).

Ditto a decidedly off form pollini was cheered to the rafters recently in
London. His concert was very dull. 

Ditto a lazar Berman who could not manage the moonlight sonata got standing
ovations.

Contrast Sokolov who played Beethoven and Byrd and has us all totally spellbound
at the Wigmore. We cheered him because he was bloody brilliant and had us all so
keyed up with excitment even with early Beethoven.

Neil 

--------------------------------
_?_ (at home)    ICQ# - 11875525