Mary Powers <[log in to unmask]> writes:

>[log in to unmask] writes:
>
>>Breathe too loudly? I'd be happy if matronly women would manage to
>unwrap
>>a cough drop in under five minutes.
>
>OK.....
>
>as a lurker who listens to classical music on CD but does not go to
>concerts, let me say this attitude exemplifies why I stay home.  Why are
>matronly women singled out? Because fat women are unwelcome?

That is ridiculous.  Perhaps if you did attend concerts, you'd be aware
of the stereotype.  Too often, someone unwraps a cough drop in ultra-slow
motion.  Frequently this could have been done between movements, when there
was no music to disrupt, but I have actually seen the perpetrators wait
until the next movement to begin, hoping that-- what?-- the music would
drown out the cellophane crackling? And, yes, it almost always seems to be
"matronly" women doing it, although I use "matronly" more to describe their
bearing than their weight.  (If I were to exclude overweight women from
attending concerts, I'd have to exclude myself.)

>Then I should definitely stay home.  Anyway, it seems to me that if you
>get that pissed off about a little crowd noise, you shouldn't be there
>anyway.

The distinction needs to be made between noise which is avoidable and
noise which is not.  If someone must sneeze or cough, one cannot always
help it, and, yes, fellow audience members should be tolerant.  But the
slowly unpeeled wrapper, conversing during a performance, and so forth
*are* avaidable, and are inconsiderate of those who actually want to
concentrate on the music.

>Someone make the case for me that with this attitude, there's "value added"
>- obnoxious bureaucrat term - in going to a concert vs.  just buying the
>CD, or listening to a live concert being broadcast over the radio.

Sure, and you could just watch Shakespeare on your TV screen without
venturing into a theater, but it wouldn't be the same.  While there are
aspects of listening to a CD over a live concert (such as no mentholyptus
wrappers), there is a magic in a well-done live concert that is difficult
to verbalize.  I find this is especially true of chamber music concerts,
but, then, I'm biased.

Jocelyn Wang
Culver Chamber Music Series
(where music lovers of all body types are welcome)