May 2010

Concert Etiquette-What has happened?

May 26, 2010 14:20

About a month ago, I attended a concert by the Takács String Quartet near my hometown. This was the second time I had seen them live, the first being at the Music Academy of the West last summer, so naturally I was incredibly excited. The concert hall itself was very nice too: the Strathmore concert hall in Maryland.

As I sat in my seats at the hall, I noticed with much satisfaction the large range of ages in the hall. Classical music in this age has ceased to become something that appeals to the younger masses, but here I saw plenty of young people mixed in with the more mature music lovers. So, the concert must have been fantastic, right?

Wrong. Well, half-wrong. The music was great; as usual, the Takács proved to the world that they are one of the greatest chamber ensembles ever to have walked the earth. That part of the concert was phenomenal. However, much of it (at least from where I was sitting) was ruined by the terrible etiquette. As I tried to enjoy the lushness of the Haydn that was first on the program, a man two rows down kept opening a Velcro case with a pair of binoculars in it to peer at the quartet for about five seconds, then would noisily put it away, only to rip open the Velcro again within the next few minutes. You would think that a grown man would have the sense to just kindly keep the binoculars out…

Right next to me was a father and his 10 year old son. They were both dressed in stained t-shirts and cargo shorts….not really attire to be wearing to a Takács concert at the Music Center at Strathmore! However, I tried not to let that bother me. It became increasingly difficult to do that, though, when the boy started climbing all over his chair, tapping his foot on the ground, and whispering nonstop. Okay, sure, he’s ten, he doesn’t know better. But shouldn’t the father stop his son from acting this way? You would think so, but the father actually played along with his son, laughing when he climbed on top of the back of his chair and whispering conversations with him. Meanwhile, a few chairs opposite from them was an old woman who kept taking out peppermint candies, unwrapping them, and eating them, the crinkle of the wrappers carrying across the hall and attracting many glares. She didn’t even give them a glance.

That was only four people out of about fifty that I saw being rude during that concert. What is with concert etiquette nowadays? I went to this concert (and several more like it in the past several years) to enjoy quality music made in a formal setting, only to have the experience dimmed by rude behavior. Yes, people like to cough between movements, but when half the audience starts hacking and making horrific noises, one wonders whether they are really clearing their throat or doing it because others are doing it. Same for during the performances; sometimes it was hard to concentrate on the music because of the number of people making hacking noises deep in their throats as the musicians played. I understand if they are sick…but what are the odds of 50% of the audience having a major bronchial issue?

To some, this may be an annoying rant made by a callous, over-dramatic, and arrogant teenager, but to me this is a genuine complaint against the behavior of many audience members during performances. Not to say that all of them act this way...but the number has grown over the past few years. What can we do?

Oh well, when I go to see the Dream Theater and Iron Maiden concert this summer, I will be standing up and cheering with the rest of them, so I’ll get it out of my system. But until then, I would like my classical concerts to be Velcro free.

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May 2010

Concert Etiquette-What has happened?

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