When did the standing ovation become de rigueur in British theatre? Where once it was the volume and duration of the applause that marked the exceptional from the ordinary, it now seems that even modest performances have half the theatre on its feet whooping for more. If we are to mimic the audiences of La Scala et al, I reserve the right to boo. (Letter from Tom Challenor, London to The Guardian, June 13th)
Mr. Challenor should live in Washington DC, where every concert gets at automatic standing ovation. Only the length of that ovation is meaningful , and could qualify the audience for an encore. This gets tedious. I, too, would sometimes like to boo heartily, but my Epicurean instincts prevent me from being discourteous. Epicurus would have said, “Treat everyone with consideration and kindness, even lousy pianists”.
As an amateur composer myself I have a constant problem with the way soloists and orchestras play these days. With exceptions, the music is played far too loud and far too fast. It ‘s as if individually and collectively, the players are saying, ” Look at me! See how fast I can play! I must be good!” No! You are not necessarily being musical! Believe me!
I understand why players play loudly. The younger members of the audience have hearing problems caused by over- loud pop music ( invest in the hearing aid industry!). But for those with delicate hearing the volume can approach being painful.
Epicureans appreciate beauty, gentleness and peace.