2. music
  3. 983886220

It is frustrating.....

I'm an audiophile because I'm a music lover. Like most of the people on this site, I try cables, equipment, spikes, etc with one goal : to get the best out of 'canned' music, make it as close to life performance as possible. Knowing that 'perfect' reproduction is impossible, I go to live concerts as much as I can - on the average 10 classical music concerts, 2 ~ 3 operas, some jazz concerts per year.

Than it starts to become frustrating. Third time this year, I have left a concert at the break in Lincoln centre (NYC).

The acoustics : great, individual instruments : very palatable (!), no coloration, yadi yada yada...

Performance : miserable. No soul, no urge, no involvement from the orchestra... No pride in their work ?

Give me my 'miserable' listening room, 'coloring' cables, 'imperfect' equipment ... even a 'mono' CD - but a good, involving performance !

I'm not even talking about 'technical / mechanical' performance of the musicians - for me, technical brilliance is important, but secondary. It is the feel, interpretation, the 'soul' which is more important.

And the audience - horrible (see the thread 'cough vigilante). It is actually worse ... May be someday they will sell popcorn in the concert halls...

I have decided that I can save that $50/$60 per person / per concert, plus the trimmings, to buy 'canned' performances.

No wonder that the industry is complaining about less and less concert goers - they've just lost two.

Sorry for the rumblings.... I had to let some steam out...
ikarus

Showing 1 response by jnye

jnye
12 posts
 
Excellent post! And I would add to that litany the rigidity of programming. Seems to me that either you get the warhorses, or new "difficult" music that I hate.

I once suggested to the conductor he play more material from lesser known but very accessible composers such as Walton, Stenhammar, Alfven, Hanson... He sniffed that he didn't do second rate composers. This after performing a piece of modernist dreck that was a true snooze!

I've been a loyal supporter of the symphony, but these days, I tend to boycott. My response to their arrogance -- I can live without your nonsense. Reiner, Bernstein, Furtwangler, Kleiber, Szell, Karajan, and Boult are good enough for me to do without the latest mediocrities.

I used to boo at some concerts, but my wife was too embarassed by it so now I just cancelled my subscription and hear at most 2 concerts a year.
More to discover