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Some nice responses to my 'On the bill with Beethoven' blog - thanks. Chili Pipers, Chilli Peppers, Shmilli Pizzas - whoever they were, they were great, and they stirred up a real hoolie from the audience. I'm such an old fogey I didn't even know who they were.....sorry! You ('you' plural) half picked me up right about enjoying these open air gigs - I'm ambivalent about them. Conditions are difficult for playing - the most beautiful evenings are cold and damp by 9:00. Rehearsals are messy and piecemeal because of all the technical stuff that has to be sorted out. For myself, I'm not much of a partying type, I'm uncomfortable in large crowds; and, anyway, we are so pre-occupied up on the big sound stage that it is virtually impossible to feel in the flow of the fun and camaraderie going on in the huge audience. We spend our lives trying to make beautiful and refined sounds - but there has to be industrial amplification. We need gutsy power in our playing, but if it's achieved by just turning a knob, then, isn't it depersonalised - isn't that somehow artificial? I remember doing the cello solo part in Vivaldi's 4 Seasons ("Viv") with Nigel Kennedy......in the rain......on the Edinburgh Castle esplanade......making a noise through the PA that probably scared the shoppers down in Princes Street. But......his "Viv" was the first classical piece to make it into the pop charts. After every big open air concert, even after a whole evening of rain at Glamis Castle, I come away exhilarated by the sheer sense of fun and comradeship whipped up in these concerts. The warm blast of appreciation - that's what we're for - intoxicating.
I haven't been to T in the Park, or Glastonbury, or Womad etc. I look at the pictures of thousands squelching around in mud.....they wouldn't be there if there wasn't something very important going on. All that open-air-ness, the craft stalls, queuing for the loos........ Is it a 'back to basics' thing going on - a re-earthing of community and identity - I'd be interested in your ideas.
I was asking a serious question: without pandering to anyone, or diluting anything that we do, could some of that fun migrate to our regular concerts? What is the open air element that doesn't happen indoors? The last two concerts in the City Hall nearly answered my question. Beethoven 9 was a great experience - plenty of uninhibited cheering - the piece itself is as much a community rite as a work of art. And the 'Hear and Now' Nigel Osborne concert last Saturday - a good turnout, relaxed atmosphere, plenty of uninhibited cheering - what was the secret? It was cutting edge modern music - especially the beautiful viola duo - but all accessible. Tom Service and Nigel were chatty and personable in the lengthy interview bits. Why is there an intimidating etiquette (or whatever) at some of our concerts? Plenty of classical music is serious and sombre, but does that need to create an inhibiting atmosphere? Inhibition is false seriousness. Pomposity and pumped up intellectualism are death to creativity - they also destroy camaraderie. The audience on Saturday brought an almost Prom like contribution - they exuded a sense of, 'We're here at this modern music bash because we like it, and we're going to enjoy ourselves'. They ditched the restraints - and that helped us, the players. For various non-musical reasons the rehearsals had been a struggle, and then the audience brought something for us that was liberating, and that helped create a memorable event. Let's have more.
Anthony
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