Janos Gereben on the Mahler 9th: >I never heard a live performance of the Ninth without audience noise >ruining the finale. Yup, you never know what other audience members are going to be up to, and the typical coughing and sneezing (which I have no problem with) are just the tip of the iceberg. Quite a few years ago, I was trying to stay engrossed with the 2nd movement of Schumann's piano concerto. There was a heavy-set guy sitting next to me; it seemed like he was taking up half my seat. All of a sudden, I hear him fingering the coins in his pants pocket. Eventually, I ask him to stop doing this. He turns to me and says, "At least I make a good living", and then he gets up and leaves, never to return. I don't know what he was all about, but his departure was the highlight of the evening. The way I look at it, when the highlight is the comings and goings of other audience members, it's time to stay home, acquire the best audio equipment that can be afforded, and enjoy the music. Don Satz [log in to unmask]