[log in to unmask] writes:

>As for listening at live concerts vs.  recordings, I also find no
>comparison.  At home, I can lie on the floor or sofa, pace around the
>room, scratch myself, conduct, dance, sing, etc.  At a concert, I find
>myself trapped on a small cushion, bunched up against other folks who
>might be talking, chewing food, humming, coughing, playing with wrappers,
>giving off infectious germs, and even smelling bad.

Hmmmm....if one paces, scratches, dances or sings I wonder how much
actual listening is going on.  Listening is an 'active' experience, not
a passive one and to really listen to a performance takes concentration.
If one can concentrate at home then one can concentrate in a concert
hall.  If you can't focus in a concert hall, chances are you can't
anywhere anywhere.

>I reserve the worst aspect of attending concerts for last.  It happens
>at the end of a performance when certain audience members (always the
>same histrionic ones) immediately jump out of their seats, clap like
>crazy, and shout "bravo" at the top of their lungs regardless of the
>quality of the performance.  Get me out of here!!

How other people react has little effect on how I experience a performance
at a concert.  I share Don's contempt for people who feel the need to
habitually shout bravo and draw attention to themselves but ultimately
it means little to my perception of the performance going on.  Of course,
if you spend the entire concert worrying about how some dolt in the
balcony will respond at the end of the evening, you have thrown your
ticket money away.  Better then to buy a disc, disrobe and start scratching.

Ray Osnato