Embarrassing or annoying thing happened to you at a consert?

[stevensk]

Here is one of my blunders:

I was playing organ at a concert in a large church and in the middle of the programme I was supposed to give a singer a quiet chord "G major". I played the "G major". -Unfortunately, I didnt notice that the voice "trumpet" were activated.

(And this was a powerful organ  )

[stevensk]

Story no 2:

One time I played a Chopin programme at a small consert. Half way thru the last piece I suddenly (and surprised!) felt knockings at my back and an older lady asked me whith a low voice if I could stay and drink some coffe whith them afterwards. Well, I cant play a Chopin ballade and talk at the same time so I nodded "yes" whith my head. -Strange feeling!

[rachmaninoff_forever]

When I was a wee lad I played for a wedding but had a memory slip and I didn't know what to do so I cried and ran out the building.

[gyzzzmo]

I once played a couple of Liapunov etudes and at a certain point i just really didnt know how it went on anymore. So i just stopped, closed my eyes for a couple of seconds and started over again. Good thing it happened at the beginning of the piece, but i never expected something like that to happen to me, especially not with an etude (at wich you usually spend alot more time on than normal pieces).

Thank god it was the first, -and- the last time.

Gyzzzmo

[j_menz]

I nearly knocked Princess Anne down the stairs. 

[outin]

I nearly knocked Princess Anne down the stairs. 

Isn't that exactly what you are supposed to do with royalty?

[j_menz]

Isn't that exactly what you are supposed to do with royalty?

It is rather frowned upon, even amongst republicans.

[outin]

It is rather frowned upon, even amongst republicans.

Not by everyone it seems...



Ooops, wrong thread 

[j_menz]

Ooops, wrong thread  

Hahahahaha. Good to see you're managing to keep alert without coffee.  

Anyhoo... that's a King, not a Princess, and is, in any case, a statue not a real person. Not a stairway in sight. And they're Americans, so hardly a model of good manners where Royalty is concerned.

[outin]

Anyhoo... that's a King, not a Princess,... 

The French and Russians didn't seem to think there's any difference...

...good manners where Royalty is concerned.

I guess that's something I know little about...nor do I want to... 

[j_menz]

The French and Russians didn't seem to think there's any difference...

The Russians allowed succession through the female line (and by females) so large scale eradication was "necessary".

The French monarchs succeeded under Salic Law, so they were just needlessly and indiscriminately murderous.

[outin]

The Russians allowed succession through the female line (and by females) so large scale eradication was "necessary".

I seem to remember some exceptions in Britain as well?

But I guess The British simply don't have what it takes to make a revolution (it usually requires some knocking down) and if you don't want to help, they are forever stuck with archaic practices...

Back on topic...would have been far less embarrassing had you shouted "Viva la revolution!".

[j_menz]

I seem to remember some exceptions in Britain as well?

Britain likewise allows succession through the female line, and by females.

But I guess The British simply don't have what it takes to make a revolution (it usually requires some knocking down) and if you don't want to help, they are forever stuck with archaic practices...

You seem to have forgotten the English Civil War, and the Glorious Revolution of 1688. 

We here in Australia actually had a referendum on abolishing the monarchy, which lost.

[outin]

We here in Australia actually had a referendum on abolishing the monarchy, which lost.

That's your idea of a revolution?   

[j_menz]

That's your idea of a revolution?   

It's much more civilised. And easier to clean up afterwards.

[ahinton]

What's a consert? (and, for j_menz, what's the age of consert in Australia?)...

Best,

Alisztair

[timothy42b]

I hopped up on the organ bench at a church in Germany.

I was just there to practice the service music, fortunately, it was not a consert.  Nor did I play any consertos or sonastas, though I'm consantly thinking about it. 

What I did not know is that the custodial staff had just done their annual deep cleaning, which they take seriously.  They had waxed the organ bench.  I had just come from work, and was wearing dress pants.  I slid right off the back of it.

[j_menz]

What's a consert? (and, for j_menz, what's the age of consert in Australia?)...

Best,

Alisztair

Consert, as in Albort, the Prince Consert?

I first conserted at three, though it was an effort.

[Bob]

Story no 2:

One time I played a Chopin programme at a small consert. Half way thru the last piece I suddenly (and surprised!) felt knockings at my back and an older lady asked me whith a low voice if I could stay and drink some coffe whith them afterwards. Well, I cant play a Chopin ballade and talk at the same time so I nodded "yes" whith my head. -Strange feeling!

And they'll think you're rude if you don't talk to them.  Haha.

[stevensk]

What's a consert? (and, for j_menz, what's the age of consert in Australia?)...

Best,

Alisztair

I sometimes spell it consert because I am collecting annoying items  

[pianoboy91]

I was performing the Brahms Rhapsody in E-flat, Op. 119 No. 4 in a small concert after a masterclass series and I got through the A, B, & C sections but when B came back I forgot where I was and by mistake I jumped ahead all the way to the coda. It was very embarrassing but the transition was seamless and I nailed the coda... 

[stevensk]

"and I nailed the coda..." Thats the most important!


First of all, sorry for my poor english. Now:

I was invited to play an organconcert in a church at the countryside in the middle of....the countryside. I choosed a Bach programme.
I showed up 40 minutes before the concert to check the organ and what organ voices to choose for the various pieces.
-However,..and what become chocking, when I pressed down the keys, it was almost stuck!! I couldnt press down the keys! I have never ever experienced that! Whats wrong??   -What to do? I checked the organ...couldnt find anything that I could adjust. I ran down and asked the very old verger (what is it called in english? sexton, beadle? -well the caretaker)  I said, (cried) Whats wrong whith the organ?? I can hardly press down the keys!!
-He answered calmy; "well, ..they say its a bit heavy. Is it?"
-Oh my God,...what to do? The audience began to come (mostly tourists). I ran back to the organ but couldnt figure out how to adjust the mechanics. -Should I play at the grand piano instead? No! this Bach programme had been advertised....and I couldn in this panic start to check the piano.
Ok end of the story.
-How did it go? Well, i played the intended Bach programme at the organ but in below the half tempo ...(much below)  I had to HIT down every single note. Embarrassing!


-So, next time....I check out the instrument!

[quantum]

There are a number of organs in my locale that provide an opposite experience to yours.  The pipe speaking point in the key dip is set to something like 1mm, and these keys have an extremely light touch.  One only needs to place a finger with the slightest of weight on a key in order to get sound.  

***

what is it called in english? sexton, beadle? -well the caretaker

Sexton is the term generally used where I live.

[timothy42b]

There are a number of organs in my locale that provide an opposite experience to yours.  The pipe speaking point in the key dip is set to something like 1mm, and these keys have an extremely light touch.  One only needs to place a finger with the slightest of weight on a key in order to get sound.  

Yes.  The slightest nudge plays the wrong key next to the right key.  The organs I've played have been very unforgiving in this regard.  Land that finger in the middle of the key, if you're near the edge you're probably playing two notes instead of one. 

I've been told that tracker actions take more force with more stops but I have not played one.

[Bob]

Not a concert, but during a rehearsal I remember I nicked my finger on a key.  Then I looked down and saw I was tracking blood all over the keys.  And then what? Do I stop?  No, that's not really an option.  Nice black, white, and red keys after that.  Easy enough to wipe off, but kind of surprising and gross.

[stevensk]

Not a concert, but during a rehearsal I remember I nicked my finger on a key.  Then I looked down and saw I was tracking blood all over the keys.  And then what? Do I stop?  No, that's not really an option.  Nice black, white, and red keys after that.  Easy enough to wipe off, but kind of surprising and gross.

OMG!   -The nearest I can come that is when a wasp walked around on the keys when I was playing. I attempted to play and at the same time not press the wasp whith my fingers

[jollisg]

Except from many embarrassing memory lapses... All of these aren't really in concert situations, but in playing situations.

- Sometimes I play in my local theatre/cinema salon. They send live opera from all around the world regularly, so I play before and in the pauses. The annoying thing is when people talk to me It's okay if they say things like "you play good", but sometimes people ask me things like "where have you learnt to play?", "who is your piano teacher?", "what piece are you playing?", "which key is this piece in?", "who is the composer?" and many other things. It's hard to talk while playing a difficult piece 

- One time I played on a meeting for a company, a large building company (like mingle music). I played the pieces my teacher had told me would be good to play in that situation (I wasn't really experienced playing in those situations) - BUT... Some people came to me and told me to play quieter, something nicer and that my playing ahas hurting their ears (Actually, I would blame that on my teacher; he told me to play pieces like Khachaturian toccata, Fantasie in b minor by Stenhammar and other loud stuff so that "people could hear")

- A week ago, I fell into a door and hit my hand on the doorknob right before my concert. Some people saw it

[Bob]

A stupid thing.... Found out the hard way...

Raising my arms to conduct.  Then realizing I should have had someone help me set up those chairs and stands I put just before the concert.