Maybe it's just the time of year. Having been absorbing a steady diet of The Nutcracker, It's A Wonderful Life, PBS and WUOT music programs, plus reviewing holiday music CDs out the wazoo, I've been feeling more than a little warm and sentimental. Don't worry, I'll get over it.
But while in that state of mind, I thought I'd make the case for, and brag on, Knoxville's excellent concert music venues: the Tennessee Theatre and the Bijou Theatre. I'm not sure if Knoxvillians realize just how lucky they are to have those two gems of acoustic perfection. Believe me, every city should be so lucky.
In my opinion, in terms of tone warmth and perfect resonance, the Tennessee is the equal of other great concert halls of the world. Believe it or not, its acoustic signature has many similarities to Carnegie Hall.
The smaller Bijou is equally amazing with its subtle and uncanny acoustics. The tiniest pianissimo sounds can be clearly heard in the rear of the balcony. On the other hand, the home of the New York Philharmonic, Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, is, and has been, one of the deadest, most unpleasant modern halls in existence in terms of acoustics.
Knoxville audiences are relatively decent as well, with some exceptions. But, let's be honest--New York City is the cultural center of the universe. Every type of art or entertainment is there for the willing spectator or listener on a daily basis. One would think, then, that New York City would have perfect audiences. Nay.
During my recent National Endowment for the Arts fellowship in New York, we fellows were warned that the New York Philharmonic audiences had devolved just in the last few years from an already questionable level of attentiveness and civility. The phenomenon of people leaving early had become a laughable, but serious, issue, we were told. However, I knew perfectly well audience members had always rushed out to catch trains back to Jersey or the Island, but I didn't realize how bad it had become.
One of the concerts we attended at the New York Philharmonic concluded with Brahms Symphony No. 4 in E minor. As the final chord of the final allegro sounded, and before it had faded, easily one quarter of the audience had jumped out of their seats, put on their coats, and were heading up the aisles. While I was still applauding, these folks were halfway to the #1 train. I was stunned--but we had been warned. It seems that this is peculiar to the New York Philharmonic subscription audiences in Avery Fisher Hall; the same thing doesn't happen elsewhere in the city with other orchestras. After Gerghiev's Mahler Sixth at Carnegie Hall, the applause went on for 10 minutes, and no one had even thought of leaving.
This NY Philharmonic phenomenon has given rise to some wonderfully sarcastic humor directed at the rude and insensitive concert-goers. Contemporary composer John Adams has a brilliant Swiftian parody on his site on NY Phil audience members who just have to leave. Be sure to read the comments as well. You will laugh.
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