Cell phones at the Symphony
OK, you know who you are. At least four (4) people left their cell phone ringers on, which for some of us, destroyed the mood several times during Mahler's Resurrection Symphony conducted by Paavo Jarvi Friday night in Music Hall. One time, I believe it was during the "Urlicht," we heard snippets of Beethoven's "Fur Elise."
Marianne Breneman messaged me Saturday morning:
"Any ideas on how to stop the madness???? Last night's Mahler was too
beautiful to be disrupted by people who couldn't be bothered to turn them off even after being reminded."
posted by Janelle Gelfand at 4:25 PM
9 Comments:
at 3/14/2006 01:18:00 PM 
Anonymous said...
-
-
at 3/15/2006 12:35:00 AM 
Anonymous said...
-
-
at 3/20/2006 07:55:00 PM 
Anonymous said...
-
-
at 3/21/2006 10:35:00 AM 
Anonymous said...
-
-
at 3/22/2006 02:01:00 AM 
Daniel said...
-
-
at 3/22/2006 02:02:00 AM 
Daniel said...
-
-
at 3/22/2006 04:45:00 PM 
Anonymous said...
-
-
at 3/28/2006 02:15:00 PM 
Anonymous said...
-
-
at 3/29/2006 10:22:00 PM 
Anonymous said...
-
-
Post a Comment*Projecting an admonition on the stage wall before a performance may help or a spoken announcement. Disturbed glares from audience members near the cell-phone perpetrator may or may not help. However really negative reinforcement from the conductor or soloist will probably stop the perpetrator and remind others to turn off their cell phones to avoid being made an exammple. At a recital by Itzak Perlman, a cell phone rang; Perlman stopped in mid phrase, turned to the audience and asked "May I join your conversation?" That kind of response should occur more often.
the CSO regularly makes an announcement prior to the beginning of each performance, requesting that guests turn off their cell phones.
what bugs me, as well, are the number of people who also have watch alarms sounding during programs.
surely we must agree that such negligence is among the most blatant evidence of contemporary bad manners!
Farting is equally or perhaps more offensive because of the subsequent stench. (I understand some of the senior members of the audience may have difficulties controlling this though. Hey, that's ok.) But recently, the most curious thing happened to me at Severence- I was sitting next to a man who broke into a violent stream of uncontrolled flatulence. I glared and braced myself for the offending cloud, only to see him lean away from me as if he was freeing up to send some more my way. (I wondered how I merited such intimacy.) The barrage continued as reached into his hip pocket and removed his mobile phone. He flipped open the phone and the farting ceased immediately. Imagine my surprise and dismay as I realized the double offence I had just experienced: the cellphone was programmed with a fart as a ringtone.
I'd like to hear Perman's response to that one...
like you have NEVER forgot to turn yours off for church or at some event or place. That many folks in one polace a cell is bound to be on!
Like clasic ROCK??
www.yesfans.com
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I'm a frequent happy reader of your blog and a ccm grad...I was just at a performance of Fidelio at the Met here in New York. Right during the damn prayer at the end--orchestra, chorus all quiet, and suddenly a nice digital carmen comes blasting out of a phone two rows up. I mean, I got the student tickets, but my seats would have cost 195, and someone next to me paid that much...Manners, people. Really.
At the Victoria theatre in Dayton(before the Shuster Centre opened) an announcement was made before each performance.At one point the management recomnmended that anyone who MIGHT get an emergency call or page, leave the pager or phone at the office ,with seat number so staff could find them. I have heard several horror stories from Broadway(before they were banned)one involving Stanley Tucci in "Frankie and Johnny ant the Claire de lune". When the phone rang, Tucci stopped the show,went to the front of the stage and said turn that "bleeping thing off so we can continue". Also during the revival of "Death of a Salesman" someone's phone rang, and the person proceeded to talk about dinner reservations(this was during Linda Loman's soliloquy after Willie's death.)The person sitting next to them took the phone out of their hands and pitched it as far under the seats as possible. The indignant yakker said "how dare you" to which the person responded "No, madame, how dare you!" and got a standing ovation from the audience. My mother and i said that it was a good thing thank Brian Dennehey(Willie)was not on stage, or the person would probably have been seriously injured.... wouldnt want to cross big Brian, would you(He's a favorite of ours.
Lee Ann in Middletown
After I blogged you about cell phones in public, I was watching "The view" and they had a lengthy discussion of the same subject...including cell phones in the STALLS!
Lee Ann
In Berlin and Vienna you'll never hear a cellphone ringing! But these two cities are highly civilized...which cannot be said about most U.S. cities...
* Our online blogs currently are hosted and operated by a third party, namely, Blogger.com. You are now leaving the Cincinnati.Com website and will be linked to Blogger.com's registration page. The Blogger.com site and its associated services are not controlled by Cincinnati.Com and different terms of use and privacy policy will apply to your use of the Blogger.com site and services.
By proceeding and/or registering with Blogger.com you agree and understand that Cincinnati.Com is not responsible for the Blogger.com site you are about to access or for any service you may use while on the Blogger.com site.
<< Home