tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10680113.post4150266585337290722..comments2024-03-23T11:40:13.092-05:00Comments on Musical Assumptions: Talking to the AudienceElaine Finehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248422399226824168noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10680113.post-76382064910292382952013-01-22T10:51:46.764-06:002013-01-22T10:51:46.764-06:00Ouch. That is....icky.
I've heard the worst a...Ouch. That is....icky.<br /><br />I've heard the worst and I've heard the best, sometimes from the same person, Michael Tilson Thomas. He is wildly variable when he picks up the microphone. Sometimes he really should not have; if he ever rehearses his spiels, he should do it with an audience of people who will tell him when to shut up. On the other hand, he is sometimes brilliant. His talk-from-the-stage before the Berg Chamber Concerto a few years ago was first-class, largely because rather than propagandizing, he discussed the music's themes and construction, and had the players demonstrate the themes.Lisa Hirschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10680113.post-58369635491921578092013-01-22T10:27:03.971-06:002013-01-22T10:27:03.971-06:00The worst talking-from-the-stage I’ve heard has re...The worst talking-from-the-stage I’ve heard has reminded me of an unctuous waiter describing the specials of the day. I’m neither kidding not exaggerating.Michael Leddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05547732736861224886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10680113.post-72845343995147123072013-01-21T11:47:08.221-06:002013-01-21T11:47:08.221-06:00I remember having to introduce my pieces in colleg...I remember having to introduce my pieces in college. We were supposed to talk about whatever concepts and techniques we were using and how that was linked to some deep emotional thing. It seemed pointless. I arrived at a standard little speech "Hi, i wrote this piece of music and i hope you enjoy it" Quick, to the point. (my classmates would talk about set theory and extended techniques for 15 minutes before they'd let the musicians get on with playing ) I dont think there is much need for a speech from the stage in ordinary performance. I dont think it's helpful, you can read about the theory and analyze scores on your own. When i go to a show i dont want a lesson, i want to hear the music.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10680113.post-86088018819189027292013-01-20T21:55:09.150-06:002013-01-20T21:55:09.150-06:00I don't think audiences particularly enjoy tal...I don't think audiences particularly enjoy talk from the stage, though i am sure some audience members do. It's just not possible to know which, though.Lisa Hirschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10680113.post-61655286104563829632013-01-20T20:13:45.592-06:002013-01-20T20:13:45.592-06:00«I suppose we all need to learn how to talk to aud...«I suppose we all need to learn how to talk to audiences, and we have to learn to do it properly, because the talk before the downbeat might just be here to stay.»<br /><br />That sums it up. Musicians need to treat any talking they do as <i>part of the performance</i>. Which means bringing to it the same level of artistry, technical proficiency, imagination and <i>preparation</i> that they would bring to the musical performance. That's it.<br /><br />Some musicians are under the illusion that concert-goers like to see them as "real people" (whatever that might mean) and that amateurish, half-baked talking from the stage will help them better connect with the audience. Not so – talking, done badly, simply irritates many listeners and detracts from the performance. <br /><br />On the other hand, talking, done really well and as part of the performance by a musician who actually has something to say, can be both illuminating and a joy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10680113.post-32496092900936751312013-01-20T19:22:04.973-06:002013-01-20T19:22:04.973-06:00What you describe is one of the things that puts m...What you describe is one of the things that puts me off going to "live" concerts these days. Occasionally a musician has the charisma and story telling ability to pull it off but that's maybe ten percent of the time. Usually I'm sitting there feeling grumpy and thinking: "Please, just shut up and play the music!"canoetoohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08726073879236883399noreply@blogger.com