Christian Thielemann scolds his audience!

[Dundonnell]

Trust me, this is the least instance of textual potential-insult-avoidance I've had to employ tonight.


Textual PIA sounds like some kind of security protocol, doesn't it?

[knight66]

I was in Bremen a couple of weeks ago and went to two concerts. One was the Amsterdam Concertgebow, the other was the Bremen Orchestra. The crowd was very warm with stomping etc for the visiting orchestra, who provided an encore. It was certainly warm for its local orchestra, though their concert was less remarkable.

Reports here......

http://themirrorandthelamp.blogspot.com/2011/09/bremen-in-steps-of-napoleonpost-in.html

Not proof really of what Germans do; merely what happens in one German city one weekend.

Mike

[Renfield]

Reports here......

http://themirrorandthelamp.blogspot.com/2011/09/bremen-in-steps-of-napoleonpost-in.html

And as usual, the excellent photography distracts one (or certainly me) from the text itself!

[Dundonnell]

Good to hear that, Mike

[starrynight]

You can't really make somebody like a piece.  There can be various different reasons why a piece may not appeal to somebody, and some of those are completely outside the performer's control.  As reported it sounds like the conductor wasn't complaining about lack of appreciation of the playing but more of the piece itself.  All a performer can do is just perform a piece to the best of their ability (technically and with sympathy and insight) and then it's likely somebody will take something from it.  But you can't expect everyone to, everyone is different and with different individual experiences of music.  I'd rather people respond at that individual level rather than as sheep just clapping loud because someone next to them does.

[knight66]

That all sounds like sense to me.

Mike

[eyeresist]

So, Christian Thielemann: a genius to whom we should be unquestioningly grateful, or a bit of a prick really?

[Renfield]

Sounds like we need a poll!

[eyeresist]

Quick! To the Poll-mobile!

[Wanderer]

Moribund horse. Beaten. Falls down dead. Then beaten some more. Then it's poll time! 

[Opus106]

Judging from the stronger applause after the second hearing, it worked.

Also could have been: Pity applause. Get-me-outta-here applause. It's however nice to think that everyone involved were enlightened at the end of the evening.

[Brahmsian]

I usually give robust applause at any concert (not always, but usually).  If anything, I appreciate all the hard work and hours of practice, (the aches and pains of shoulder and neck kinks for violin and viola players), the musicians, and the conductor, have put into in preparation for the performance.

I don't always give a standing ovation and 'bravo' shouts (I save that for really outstanding performances), but in general I give a generous dose of applause.

[Sergeant Rock]

I recall watching a video of Leonard Bernstein conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in the Sibelius Seventh Symphony in the Musikverein. The performance is a fine one but I was struck by the applause. It would be unkind and inaccurate to describe it as "tepid"; it is polite but it is restrained. There is no cheering, hollering, whooping, feet-stamping, shouts of 'bravo' or any other such demonstrations of wild enthusiasm.

Now it may be that Sibelius is not especially popular with a Viennese audience or it may be that Germanic audiences are naturally much more restrained than audiences in the United Kingdom for example.

I've been to hundreds of concerts in Germany (Berlin, Leipzig, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, Mannheim, Mainz, Wiesbaden, Bremen, Schwetzingen, Heidelberg, Worms). German audiences are not more restrained. Standing ovations are rare though. Applause normally starts after a respectful pause and only slowly builds to a deafening roar with shouting, footstomping, etc. But I've noticed audiences are also more likely than American audiences to express displeasure by sitting on their hands. I've seen that happen with the Berg Violin Concerto and with a work by Sallinen. There was nothing wrong with the performances; the audience simply didn't like the music and half refused to applaud. The other half made a token and tepid gesture for a short time. Ari Rasilainen was so upset (Salinnen was then composer in residence), he scowled at the audience and began pointing at sections that were particularly quiet, making clapping gestures and pointing to the orchestra as if to say, even if you didn't like the music, acknowledge the musicians.

I'm not surprised the Bernstein/Sibelius performance didn't elicit much more than "polite" applause. Germans, in general, including most German conductors, don't care for Sibelius other than the Violin Concerto.

Sarge

[Dundonnell]

Thanks for that, Sarge Very informative and helpful.

[eyeresist]

I usually give robust applause at any concert (not always, but usually).  If anything, I appreciate all the hard work and hours of practice, (the aches and pains of shoulder and neck kinks for violin and viola players), the musicians, and the conductor, have put into in preparation for the performance.

They do get paid, you know.