Silence a sign of respect in concerts

gzlaser

Audience traditions for the performing arts all differ.

IN late June, news was made when a concert in Nanjing by the famous French pianist Francoise Buffet-Arsenijevic was stopped midway. The pianist broke into tears because of an audience that just couldn't stay quiet.

To me, it is not surprising that the pianist was offended.

In the West, concert hall traditions for classical music performances date back to the late 18th century. Before the middle of that century, the \"public\" classical music concert was virtually unknown outside of church and theater.

Since that time, clear rules of concert hall etiquette have evolved, moving from Europe to the rest of the world: One arrives on time, one does not talk during the music, one does not eat, one does not allow children to run around, and more recently, one turns off the cellphone. Of course there are differences in audiences across the world. Europeans, for example, tend to be more respectful in the concert hall than most Americans.

So, in theory, it should not be so surprising or disturbing that classical music audiences in China do not observe the same cultural \"rules\" of etiquette that Westerners do. But we need to understand that the behavior that troubled Madame Buffet-Arsenijevic–children wandering, people chatting and ringing cellphones–bothered her because she felt she was not respected. She lost her concentration, yes, but more importantly, she felt her playing was not valued.

I'm sure that the members of that Nanjing audience did not intend that, but her discomfort was in many ways predictable. I remember attending a Berlin concert and opening up the program notes only to have the German sitting next to me glare angrily. Rustling papers! Indeed! Yet few people in the US would have raised an eyebrow.

Cultural norms vary from place to place. Besides, audience traditions for the performing arts – jazz, theater, movies – all differ. You can tell a rock concert sucks if the audience remains calm and quiet.

Yet, all in all, top-notch classical music concerts in Tokyo are not so different from those in Berlin. I suspect that when Lang Lang, the talented young Chinese pianist, plays Beethoven in Paris, he is greeted with the enthusiasm and quiet respect that his playing deserves.

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predictable 可预言的

rustle 发出沙沙声

etiquette 礼节

glare 怒目而视

BONUS POINTS

top-notch: 等级高的

You need to hire a top-notch lawyer if you want to get custody of your kid. 如果你想要孩子的抚养权，你应该雇一个最好的律师。