Concertizing and Audience Behavior

I’ve been reading The Hub Review a lot lately.  It’s well written and he gets to see and review a lot of things that I would never make it to see.  What initially caused me to finally bookmark the blog was his story about some audience misbehavior, something I have talked about in the past.

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From The Hub Review:  Monday, March 5, 2012

The latest in audience misbehavior, or: Don’t make me use the cane!

I was lucky enough to witness a truly wonderful performance by Boston Baroque on Saturday night – but it wasn’t so wonderful for everyone, at least not at first.
In the interval between the first and second pieces, I heard a small voice behind me repeating, “Excuse me . . . excuse me . . . excuse me!”
Turning, I saw a sweet little old lady seated across the aisle, trying to get the attention of the gentleman directly behind me. Now I had sensed that he might be trouble – he’d hummed the opening bars of the first movement of Mozart’s Symphony No. 29, and then had wheezed softly on occasion after that.
But I quickly realized that as I’d been sitting in front him, I’d been missing the true centerpiece of what had probably counted as an on-site interpretive dance.
“Could you – excuse me, but could you please – ” the lady was continuing, even though she was obviously being ignored (he was softly wheezing again).
But then she took out the cane.
“EXCUSE ME,” she repeated, more sternly, as she brandished it in close proximity to his stomach (the wheezing ceased immediately).
“Could you please stop waving your arms as if you were conducting the piece?” she continued, with an I-mean-business look in her eye, as the cane hovered. “I’m sorry, but it’s extremely distracting.”
There was only continued silence.
“Thank you,” she added with a smile, setting her cane down again, but on the aisle – i.e., at the ready.
Toscanini took the hint, for the cane remained undisturbed for the rest of the concert.
I have to get a cane.
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A cane.  Indeed, a tempting idea.

At the end of the month of March there is a lot going on among my performing friends.  I’ll update this list as I get more information as I know I don’t have all of it right now.

From the always fabulous Margaret Angelini we hear news of the  Boston Bach Birthday.  It’s an all day, all Bach Birthday celebration of J.S. Bach’s 327th birthday.  Admission is free, details are below.

Saturday March 24, 2012 10:30 AM –   Boston, MA
Boston Bach Birthday 327 Organ Recitals, Lecture and Children’s Program

The First Lutheran Church of Boston, Berkeley at Marlborough Streets, Back Bay, Boston Cost: Free

Boston Bach Birthday 327 is sponsored jointly by the Boston Chapter, American Guild of Organists, and The First Lutheran Church of Boston. 10:30 am — Jonathan Wessler, organ Concerto in d minor (after Vivaldi), BWV 596/RV 565 From Clavierübung III, manualiter chorales: Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam, BWV 685 Kyrie, Gott Vater in Ewigkeit, BWV 672 Christe, aller Welt Trost, BWV 673 Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist, BWV 674 Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, BWV 687 Pièce d’Orgue, BWV 572 (Kenneth Gilbert, ed.) 11:15 — Third Choice: The Leipzig Musical Competition of 1722-1723 Lecture concept and text by Paul A. Blanchard Robert Hiss, Reader 11:45 am — Colin Lynch, organ Trio No. 4 in e minor, BWV 528 Prelude and Fugue in e minor, BWV 548 (the “Wedge”) 12:15-1:15 — German Lunch ($13. Reserve by March 22; 617-536-8851) 1:30 — “PRINCIPAL PAUL”: Peter Krasinski, organ Organ improvisations accompany Sietze de Vries’ children’s story about the organ. Toccata and Fugue in d minor, BWV 565 2:30 pm — Margaret Angelini, organ Herzliebster Jesu, BWV 1093 – from the Neumeister chorales Partita: O Gott, du frommer Gott, BWV 767 (Chorale and 8 variations) O Lamm Gottes unschuldig, BWV 1095 – from the Neumeister chorales Prelude and Fugue in C, BWV 545 3:15 pm — Brandon Santini, organ Trio Sonata No. 1 in E-flat Major, BWV 525 Vater unser im Himmelreich, BWV 682 – from Clavierübung III Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 550 4:00 pm — Agnes Joo-Hee Lee, organ Trio Sonata No. 5 in C Major, BWV 529 Allein Gott in der Höh sei [Ehr], BWV 662 – from the Leipzig chorales Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 547 4:45 pm — Bálint Karosi, organ Prelude and Fugue in c minor, BWV 546 Concerto in a minor (after Vivaldi), BWV 593/ RV 522 Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 532

I’ve already mentioned the El Fuego concert which is happening on 3/31/12.

There is also a Concert/Hymn Sing/fundraiser at St. Peter’s Episcopal in Central Square, Cambridge.  Here are the details from the email I received about it:

On Friday, March 30 at 7pm St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Cambridge will be hosting “Sing Peace,” a hymn festival led by and featuring the hymns of Adam Tice (www.adammltice.com). Born in 1979, Tice is an extremely gifted hymn writer, pastor, and musician. He currently serves as Associate Pastor of Hyattsville Mennonite Church in Hyattsville, MD. Tice has two hymn collections, both published by GIA: A Greener Place to Grow: 50 More Hymn Texts (2011) and Woven Into Harmony (2009). Also, fourteen of his texts are in Worship: Fourth Edition (2011). Many of Tice’s texts focus on issues of peace and social justice, and these hymns will be highlighted in the hymn festival, along with a few spirituals as well.

In conjunction with the themes of peace and social justice, a donation will be taken at the door of the hymn festival to benefit the work of two outstanding groups who work for peace and justice. Half of the donations will go to the Mennonite Central Committee who work for “relief, development and peace in the name of Christ” (www.mcc.org). You might be familiar with one of their partners found locally here in the area, the Ten Thousand Villages stores, one of which is located just down the street from St. Peter’s in Central Square. The other half of the donations will be given to the Scholarship Program for children in Haiti run by the Episcopal Sisters of St. Margaret (www.ssmbos.com/). This scholarship program helps to pay for the schooling of those who otherwise might not be able to afford the tuition costs.

We invite you all to please join us for what will be a wonderful night of music making and supporting wonderful causes! The suggested donation is $20, $10 for students and seniors, but we encourage everyone to attend regardless of how much you can give, whether it is more or less! St. Peter’s is located at 838 Mass. Ave, Cambridge, MA, and is handicap accessible. The church is less than a five minute walk from the Central Square T stop on the red line. Please see www.saintpeterscambridge.org for more info or call 617.547.7788.

And from Matthew Hall comes word of performances in April, some with Musical Offering.

Telemann, Umschlinget uns, ihr sanften Friedensbande, TWV 1:1426

Couperin, Premier concert royal

Sonatas by Handel and Sammartini

Mendelssohn, organ sonatas from op. 65

C.P.E. Bach, Keyboard Trio in B-flat, Wq 77

Haydn, Piano Trio in D major, Hob. XV:16

W.F. Bach, Flute sonata in e minor

Haydn, Arianna a Naxos, Hob. XXVIb:2

C.P.E. Bach, Quartet in G major, Wq 95

C.P.E. Bach, Keyboard Trio in B-flat, Wq 77

Haydn, Piano Trio in D major, Hob. XV:16

W.F. Bach, Flute sonata in e minor

Haydn, Arianna a Naxos, Hob. XXVIb:2

C.P.E. Bach, Piano Quartet no. 3 in G major, Wq 95

C.P.E. Bach, “Hamburger” Sonata in G major, Wq 133

Beethoven, Serenade in D major, Op. 25

Rousseau, Le printemps de Vivaldi

C.P.E. Bach, Piano Quartet no. 1 in a minor, Wq 93

Mozart, Flute Quartet in D major, K. 285

Hopefully none of these will require a cane.

~Kelly