Posted by Pete on March 18, 2002 at 04:45:04:
In Reply to: gubmunt 'poser goes on tirade at concert posted by js on March 16, 2002 at 09:46:29:
I'm the product of a state university edumucation. Several of my profs composed works that were premiered during my more-than-4-years course of study. To the visible dismay of the audiences, most of the profs insisted on giving longwinded dissertations on their piece either before or after the work. Many of these pieces lacked tonality, melody, or discernable direction and most demonstrated a fundamental disregard for the principal registers of many of the instruments, as in one, the tuba part was almost always in ledger lines ABOVE the staff. While I agree that it is necessary to support the creative work of the composer, I can't help but be dismayed when the end result is a concert that is horribly misprogrammed as a result, or when a composer's ego gets control of his or her mouth while he or she's in front of a microphone. It might just be me, but I don't see how making the audience feel uncomfortable is in the best interest of the musicians or the ensemble.