Has everyone been following these Richard Dare op-eds in HuffPo? For anyone who gives a crap about classical music – or any other kind of music, for that matter – it's essential reading and a rare blast of unfiltered truth from someone actually in a position to posit change in the hidebound world of concert music. For those who might still be in the dark, Dare is the new CEO/Managing Director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, and is working closely with BPhil Music Director Alan Pierson to stir up the traditional orchestra model, pursuing alternative forms of funding and presenting free concerts in the shadow of the projects, among other innovations.
One of Dare's latest HuffPo pieces, "The Awfulness of Classical Music Explained," cites the many alienating conceits of classical concerts: politely applauding the concertmaster and conductor; sitting quietly on your hands between movements; staring blankly ahead "presumably enraptured…possibly catatonic." In other words: a bunch of stupid old rules that have sucessfully sapped every last ounce of feral energy from these works of art and have put the whole endeavor at risk of extinction. As Dare says, "It's a musical North Korea."
The irony is that silence at concerts was once a genuine reaction to what took place onstage. When Wagner's Tristan was first performed at the Met Opera in the late 19th century, the audience, according to Lilli Lehmann (who sang Isolde), "sat still for minutes, silent and motionless in their places, as though drunk or in a transport." But, there was nothing polite about this silence: at other points, middle-aged women would "stand up in chairs and scream their delight for what seemed like hours," according to Joseph Horowitz.
According to Dare, today's rigid behavior at concerts is one that composers such as Beethoven or Schubert would hardly recognize. And, it certainly isn't something today's composers feel comfortable with.
"The living composers I know are real people. They drink beers and feel tired and ride subways and dream about a better life. They are human and they want us to share a deeper, richer human experience together with them."
Ditto that.
In a follow-up post called "The Danger of Writing About Music" (tell me about it), Dare admits that he prefers to listen to concerts in silence. As do I. But he also says that we shouldn't impose our own habits on others, at the risk of driving away potential audiences who are more accustomed to less stringent musical environments.
I can't say that I entirely agree. After all, it's not a rock show or a DJ set, where you can talk freely over the music without risk of being heard by your neighbors. It's not a jazz club, where you're fully expected to break in with applause at the end of each solo. And, let's face it: the feeble whooping you hear at new music shows – meant to mimic what you might hear at an indie pop show – is just fucking annoying.
The fact of the matter is, concert halls are built to amplify sound. Which means that the strings and winds come through crystal-clear, but so do coughs, rustles, and the occasional iPhone (much of which, btw, is a passive-aggressive response to the music.) These things are definitely a distraction if you're trying to listen.
If you want to get into it, the real issue with concerts is that there's nothing to look at, no visual component to divert the listener's attention. Think about it: have you ever heard anyone complain about coughing at the opera? When was the last time you went to a rock show without stage lights, if not full-on visuals? Hell, even dive bars string Christmas lights around the stage.
The situation with classical music is exacerbated by the fact that almost everyone – save for the conductor and basses – sits motionless. And, they all wear the same thing. It's the blandest canvas you can imagine, purposefully designed so as not to distract from the music. But, that's not how we're wired. We want to be stimulated visually, as well as aurally.
Classical presenters don't need to coddle their new audiences, nor do they need to ask their longtime subscribers to deal with distractions. They just need to stun. Every time out. Do that, and you'll have all the silence you want.