Stop it. It happens. Get over it.
I’m talking about the interruption of concerts. It happens. Every conductor, every orchestra, every musician has a story about the concert being interrupted by something. It happens. Twenty years ago I had a concert interrupted smack dab in the middle of the 2nd movement of the Shostakovitch “4 notes” concerto, Lynn Harrell as soloist. One of the lights in the prescenium blew up, came crashing down, and forced the timpani player to bail. It happens. One of 6 or 7 times I’ve had to stop a concert. It happens.
Then why, suddenly, are we fixated on this? Other notable events lately: Carnegie Hall announced a National Youth Orchestra! (though perhaps we should ignore the fact that they got a Russian to conduct it). There’s a bill in front of the Virginia Legislature to make it illegal for orchestra musicians to get unemployment benefits in the off-season (we shall leave the debate on “seasonal workers” for another day). Gustav Leonhardt died. The “Countess of Stainlein, ex-Paganini of 1707” sold for more money than Mitt Romney makes in… in…….. ok, 3 months, but cut the guy some slack. At this rate ‘Cellos are going to join corporations as “people” real soon.
Many more articles of import over the past two/three weeks, but yet everytime we turn around there’s another blurb on concertus interrupticus. First, the whole NYPhil debacle. You would have thought that the guy had crawled up on stage and called for the 1% to actually pay their fair share! Castigated! Horrified! He’s the DEVIL INCARNATE!!! Billions of 1’s and 0’s wasted in the New York and the international press over The Incident.
Whatever.
Then there’s The Dayton Incident. I’m sure there will be Letters To The Editor forthcoming, though I doubt the Dayton Daily News has quite as much impact as the New York Times.
Whatever.
The only one I have any sympathy for is the viola kid. Quick on his feet and an obvious sense of humor. Plus, his Bach is tasty.
As for the rest of you – stop it. It happens. Go watch a Republican debate or something. That’s far more scandalous than a ringing cell phone.