Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments. Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers
(it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
The show must go on. No one would do this for a crying baby. No one [should] do this if they make a huge mistake. You push through it. Never stop.
It's not like there was an obnoxious drunk in the crowd who was genuinely a problem. That was just a little cell phone ringer -- hardly audible until he actually stopped playing.
The thing is, that concert goer, if has any respect for the performers and the rest of the audience, should have turned off his/her phone before the concert started. It's basic manner, like you don't show other people what you are chewing on dinner table.
The reason why you didn't hear it clearly enough is because of the microphone settings. Most of those are pointing toward the piano/instruments, instead of the audience.
The show must go on, yes. Then where do you draw the line? Until the phone rings exactly a augmented 4th above your melody line?
Marc-Andre Hamelin's trick is the best. He starts playing this.
I think the audience has a responsibility to be quiet during classical concerts. It's not that hard to be quiet for an hour. What would the audience say if the pianist was coughing in the middle of a solo? Have you ever seen that happen? No. Because the pianist knows how to hold it in.
Actually, yes. I attended a recital where the pianist had to leave the stage due to a coughing spell. Granted, such happenings are rare.
Quote
Here is my view on noise from the audience from a real life example: I had tickets to Martha Argerich playing the Ravel G major Concerto some years back, but unluckily I got a persistent cough on the same day. I stuffed myself full of nose-spray and cough drops, got dressed up and went to the concert anyway hoping to keep it together. As the audience was settling in and the orchestra tuning up, the cough came back, and I knew I couldn't suppress it. At this point, I had two options: stay and ruin the performance for everybody, or give up the expensive ticket and go home.
Naturally I did the latter. I have zero tolerance even towards myself
That must have been extremely disappointing. Thank you for doing the right thing.
The show must go on. No one would do this for a crying baby. No one [should] do this if they make a huge mistake. You push through it. Never stop.
It's not like there was an obnoxious drunk in the crowd who was genuinely a problem. That was just a little cell phone ringer -- hardly audible until he actually stopped playing.
REALLY??????? Give me a break. If it was barely audible, I doubt he'd have heard it. Clearly, you've little/no experience performing. Please let me know when you decide to give a recital. I'll be there.
"And if we look at the works of J.S. Bach — a benevolent god to which all musicians should offer a prayer to defend themselves against mediocrity... -Debussy
"It's ok if you disagree with me. I can't force you to be right."
He must definitively was right to stop. If you never make people aware of how rude they are, there is no limit to what they will do. On a side note, thank you for posting this link. I wasn't aware of this site (GSO Play) and I think I will enjoy it a lot
Here is my view on noise from the audience from a real life example: I had tickets to Martha Argerich playing the Ravel G major Concerto some years back, but unluckily I got a persistent cough on the same day. I stuffed myself full of nose-spray and cough drops, got dressed up and went to the concert anyway hoping to keep it together. As the audience was settling in and the orchestra tuning up, the cough came back, and I knew I couldn't suppress it. At this point, I had two options: stay and ruin the performance for everybody, or give up the expensive ticket and go home.
Naturally I did the latter. I have zero tolerance even towards myself
I've done this. Only I didn't get to go home. My daughters were still in there! So I spent almost two hours in the lobby, watching the concert on the silent monitors above the entryway. Joy of joys.
... not only did the cell phone ring at a quiet moment in the concerto, the cell phone owner didn't turn the cell phone off, but just let it ring on.
Cell phones and concert etiquette have existed together long enough that people should know that their devices must be turned off in a concert. That occurrence has to be the height of ignorance.
I almost have to wonder if these two points are related - it was so obvious the offender should have silenced their phone that when it started ringing they were too embarrassed to reach for it and turn it off, which would have revealed they were the one who had committed the social faux pas!
IIRC, in a previous discussion about this same situation, the perpetrator claimed it was an alarm and his phone was off. I don't know if this is the same incident. Regardless, people should not even be allowed to bring the devices in.
I think I would like to go for Bugg's approach if I were in that situation! But playing back is great, thanks, Polyphonist and TwoSnowflakes.
I actually think it's good that he simply stopped the concert and put this person to complete and absolute shame. Now I'm sure that he/she will NEVER forget to turn the thing off next time.
The sound was clearly too obvious for him to continue, and it would have been even more annoying to all the public sat close to this stupid person. So by stopping he was also helping the public fight against the stupidity of this person.
I definitely prefer him stopping and then continuing without that and any other possible noise. That was also a good opportunity for all other stupid people to turn off their mobiles as I'm sure there would have been more than a stupid person in the audience, and for everybody attending to make sure that in future they'll check theirs before any concert, film or play.
Many people simply have no manners. I recently went to a concert in Milton Keynes Theatre, and the woman by my side started to not only direct, but also tap on her hard leather handbag to the music. The light was quite bright, not sure why, so I could perfectly follow her hands and for me the concert was absolutely spoilt by this silly person who couldn't understand that I hadn't paid any money to see her directing the orchestra or tapping her bag (not even able to follow the rythmics, by the way!). Of course it's good to get enthusiastic about music, but in a public -and paid for- performance one has to show some respect to her fellow members of the public. She had none... a phone ring would have been much preferred as it would have been shorter than suffering her and she would have been publicly told off.
After almost 10 minutes, seeing that she would do it till the end of the concert, I actually asked her to stop, but she still continued, so I had to use my foulard to create a "wall" between her and myself because she was driving me nuts... of course either she was too stupid to get it, or simply decided to bully me by continue doing her stupid hand movements and noises during all the concert. And I'm sure that for her I am the silly one!
We all had the chance at the end to clap to the music with the Radetzky March, encouraged by the director, so no reason whatsoever for this behaviour, especially after having been told that it's distracting.
It's just one of those things to me, there are no hard and fast rules. each event depends on so many different elements. How loud/soft is the music, hoe intrusive is the ring-tone, what sort of personality does the performer have, what mood are they in?
I think any reaction short of physical assault is almost acceptable and perhaps his was perfect, apply just enough embarrassment and make the event significant enough to ensure the poor culprit doesn't make the same mistake again.
There's a bit too much, "Holier than thou" for me here on this thread, although let me qualify that by saying that I think people who have lost out through their thoughtfulness and consideration have every right to be a little triumphant about it, but we can all make mistakes.
I don't blame him for his reaction, I do think the cell phone is amplified after he stopped playing, but that's how he chose to handle it. If I was ever good enough to be performing like that I would probably have to go back to the beginning.
But then if I was good enough to be performing in that arena, I probably wouldn't have to go back to the beginning.
Here is my view on noise from the audience from a real life example: I had tickets to Martha Argerich playing the Ravel G major Concerto some years back, but unluckily I got a persistent cough on the same day. I stuffed myself full of nose-spray and cough drops, got dressed up and went to the concert anyway hoping to keep it together. As the audience was settling in and the orchestra tuning up, the cough came back, and I knew I couldn't suppress it. At this point, I had two options: stay and ruin the performance for everybody, or give up the expensive ticket and go home.
Naturally I did the latter. I have zero tolerance even towards myself
You did the right thing, and good on you for doing it.
BTW, cough drops that include benzocaine are by far the best for that kind of situation, because they anesthetize the nerves in the throat to some extent, and that makes it much easier to suppress a cough than if you use cough drops/medicine that don't contain it.
I'm so tired of this sort of mindset concerning this subject. Those with this sort of blase attitude should just stay home and let the rest of us enjoy the music. I ask all those feeling it's not a big deal to invite me to attend their next performance. I will come.
"And if we look at the works of J.S. Bach — a benevolent god to which all musicians should offer a prayer to defend themselves against mediocrity... -Debussy
"It's ok if you disagree with me. I can't force you to be right."
I'm so tired of this sort of mindset concerning this subject. Those with this sort of blase attitude should just stay home and let the rest of us enjoy the music. I ask all those feeling it's not a big deal to invite me to attend their next performance. I will come.
It's becoming an affliction that has permeated all sections of society. People don't think twice these days about texting their nearest and not-so-dearest even while in the middle of a conversation or consultation (maybe to show how adept they are at multi-tasking?), or at a dinner table and certainly in the middle of a concert. As for turning their phone to silent mode, what for??
Almost every single conference or seminar that I've attended in the past few years (my job requires me to attend lots of these) have been interrupted by someone's phone. Frequently more than once - sometimes by the same person's phone, believe it or not. More and more now, things just continue along, nobody even looks around to see who the culprit is to shame him/her, and the person lecturing doesn't stop, no matter how loud that ring tone is. And I've seen the same culprits in different places, so obviously in their minds they they think it's perfectly acceptable. Or they don't learn from their mistakes, which seem unlikely (as they're supposedly more intelligent than the general population.....).
For my part, I've never owned a cell phone, and don't intend ever to, partly (but only partly) because I have no need for one. And I have no hesitation in publicly embarrassing anyone whose phone interrupts my concentration at a concert or conference - I do this by turning round to glare hard at the person, which often gets other people doing the same. Within a second or two there'll be ten or more people doing the same, people who were too timid to do it by themselves, or to start it off..... .
Public humiliation is sometimes the only way forward, and I applaud all soloists and conductors who stop their concerts when a phone goes off.
The performers could pretend the cell phone is part of the show. Sort of like here. Music starts at 0:20. Seriously, if it takes a cell phone to make a pianist stop playing; how do they react to people coughing or sneezing?
Maybe the Ringtone Waltz or Fugue is a good approach. Possibly with the theme of the actual ringtone.
My grand piano is a Yamaha C2 SG. My other Yamaha is an XMAX 300.
Seriously, if it takes a cell phone to make a pianist stop playing; how do they react to people coughing or sneezing?
You can't always refrain from coughing or sneezing however hard you try, but you can always turn off your cellphone or, if you are someone who absolutely need to be reachable at any time, you can at least put it on vibrate. It's a matter of respect and if some people are not able to understand that, then, they do not deserve the talent of the person playing and they have to understand it's not okay (same as kid texting during class).
The performers could pretend the cell phone is part of the show. Sort of like here. Music starts at 0:20. Seriously, if it takes a cell phone to make a pianist stop playing; how do they react to people coughing or sneezing?
Maybe the Ringtone Waltz or Fugue is a good approach. Possibly with the theme of the actual ringtone.
I think that there is a clear separation between perfectly avoidable noises such as mobile phones going off, because it's just a matter of manners to turn them off before the event even starts, and those who are not avoidable and as such are to be forgiven, such as sneezes and similar. If one has a coughing fit then one covers the noise as much as possible and leaves the hall, nobody is going to think about his/her bad manners, just bad luck.
I can only talk as member of the audience, anyway... but if I pay to be in a concert, film or play I really do not appreciate bad manners as the annoyance could have been easily avoided. Turning off the mobiles in public performances should come as something one does even without thinking, there's plenty of time to do so.
...this sounds so righteous that now I deserve to be the next culprit who forgets to turn off her mobile...
![[Linked Image]](https://www.pianoworld.com/ABF_Medals/1medal.jpg)
