One less as of tonight, and that is seeing a live orchestra.
I found it unexpectedly distracting, if I'm honest, but in a good way. My experience of music is auditory only, and solitary more often than not. Being a very visual person, that suits me well. Seeing the music performed changes the experience entirely, and I become aware of the personalities involved and where the sound comes from.
It is theatre, without doubt. Obviously I have little to compare with, so I don't know if this was typical. The conductor acted at times like a superhero, vanquishing the evils of non-music armed only with a slim stick, but it was hard work for him. Besides that, he reminded me of the times I've attempted to walk around a department store not in time to the music. He was always a little ahead, and I had understood that above everything he should keep with the rhythm. That was a naïve expectation, as I could begin to see how his actions foreshadowed the music's development a beat in advance.
The surroundings combine the decorative style of a lush cinema (OK, less tasteless by a small margin) with the circularity and serious focus of an old brethren's meeting room. For me they do, anyway.
I'll reserve judgment on the music until I've had a chance to compare it with the same thing in a familiar environment. I enjoyed it, and found it interesting, but I don't know yet if I liked it. I would have enjoyed an evening of almost anything novel with friends.
7 comments:
The ambience and atmosphere sure play a part in the totality of the experience. Hmm... also a bit like comparing analog vinyl with digital CD. But let's leave that one alone!
You? Not visual? Maybe you can take a few pointers from this website!
http://www.dhewi.co.uk/
I said I AM visual - therefore to concentrate on sound properly, I need it to dominate. Is that a sensible thought, or am I imagining my deficiency, and just need practice? (practise ... no!)
Very sensible! My reading glasses need cleaning! But what about tactility which also has place in the spectrum of sound, smell and sight?
Odd how are experiences shape future experiences. Music was very much part of my home life as my father made and hid a gramaphone and we had numerous 78 records. We all played instruments and my brother and I played in the school orchestra. With the gramaphone I would imagine that the lights from the valves contained little people making the music- well how else could it have been made.
Just listening with nothing visual I find incredibly hard - my mind wanders. Not that that matters - let it wander but it is a different experience
Incidentally - conductors are sometimes ahead of the beat and sometimes on the beat. They all have their own style and can get cross if the orchestra and/or choir dont either keep up with them or keep just a fraction of a beat behind!
OUR not ARE of course .... sigh
A gramophone? Tut tut, what a wordly family you came from Jill.
My brother borrowed one from a neighbour to listen to the Glasgow Orpheus Choir, conducted by Sir Hugh Roberton, singing Psalm 23 to the tune of Crimond. (Which, incidentally, has never been bettered)
When he came home from work, he found that my father had smashed it completely and had used the fine furniture for kindling-wood.
The spring wind-up part was in the dustbin.
As our blogger entitles his posting "Proms" I assume he had been to the Royal Albert Hall for a Promenade Concert. For the Albert Hall to be likened to a Neche style meeting room is startling in its visualness!!!
But going to a Prom is a good start my friend!
Astute of you, survivor, to notice the difference in timing between the conductor and the orchestra, most people need this pointed out to them.
I suspect that you are in for a number of experiences in which your senses are overloaded until you get used enough to integrate them, a bit like trying to make sense of an aeroplane flight deck.
I predict that you'll get to like live music better than recorded...
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