worst attendance at a piano recital

[Alde]

I know many of you attend recitals regularly.  Not counting student recitals, has anybody attended a concert, where one had to pay, and there was nobody there?
I went to see Barry Snyder perform recently and only 30 people came to watch.  The hall seats about 300.  This is a world class pianist and I felt very bad for him.
Even Kissin and Brendel (superstar pianists) recitals that I have attended weren't sell outs.  I drove 3 hours to hear these guys!
Perhaps maybe there are some of you who have tried to put on a concert in a new city and have had a poor attendance.

[mound]

I went to see Barry Snyder perform recently and only 30 people came to watch.  The hall seats about 300.  This is a world class pianist and I felt very bad for him.

Where did you see him? Are you in Rochester, NY?

[shasta]

I saw Ivan Moravec, whom I absolutely adore, perform Ravel's G major pc and the theater was ~half occupied.  I also attended an Eroica Trio performance of the Beethoven "triple concerto" and it was closer to 1/3 occupied.  

Those recitals actually turned out to be very special --- everyone in the back rows moved up to fill the empty seats up front, turning the huge hall into a chamber-esque and private setting.  The recitals became very intimate and very lovely.

[Alde]

Where did you see him? Are you in Rochester, NY?

The concert took place in London, Ontario Canada a couple of months ago at the University of Western Ontario.

[mound]

Ahh..  I've seen Barry several times, in many different settings, he's right here in town (Rochester, NY) -  faculty at the Eastman School of Music.

[Rockitman]

I can't speak for individual communities, but as I see it,  there is a general decline in classical music appreciation with the youth of today.   
When I attend recitals with renowned pianists,  I see a crowd of baby boomers, and their parents.  I see very very few teenagers or young adults. 
It is a crying shame too.  Our culture has made a dramatic shift in the last 20 years, and I honestly feel bad for the future of our country (USA).
Everyone is into instant gratification now as our senses have been overloaded with this entertainment medium and that entertainment medium.  Most of it being passive entertainment too.  Which does nothing for developing the brain. 
Alas,  real culture tends to take a back seat to all of this. 
 

[Rach3]

I've seen Orpheus perform to a virtually empty hall.

[MaryS]

I can't speak for individual communities, but as I see it,  there is a general decline in classical music appreciation with the youth of today.   
When I attend recitals with renowned pianists,  I see a crowd of baby boomers, and their parents.  I see very very few teenagers or young adults. 
It is a crying shame too.  Our culture has made a dramatic shift in the last 20 years, and I honestly feel bad for the future of our country (USA).
Everyone is into instant gratification now as our senses have been overloaded with this entertainment medium and that entertainment medium.  Most of it being passive entertainment too.  Which does nothing for developing the brain. 
Alas,  real culture tends to take a back seat to all of this. 
 

Agree completely.  It's a shame.

[Rockitman]

This is a bit off topic but do you want to know why we haven't had a Mozart, Chopin, or Beethoven in our times?  Because children are immersed into so many activities, (sports, tv, movies, Xbox, etc) that they will never realize their potential as a great composer.   
What the greats had back in their day,  was a much more simple life. A harder life for sure, but a simpler one.   No distractions like the afore mentioned.  Just a room with a piano in it.  Just a couple of parents who helped them focus on one thing.   
If Mozart was born today, do you honestly think that he would/could have composed the works that he has?   For that matter, even if he could, would he do it anyways?  With so many other distractions, I think it would be next to impossible.  And lets look at the monetary factor.  Mozart was in it for the money right?  Well if he grew up in today's world with this "godgiven" talent,  I would think he would use it in a much more lucrative business, like pop/rock.   The hell with classical.   No one's getting rich in that business.

[tomclear]

 With all due respect, there has been no  Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin at
ANY time in recorded human history, except for 1756 to 1849. Circumstances
gave rise to them, then changed.

[Brian Healey]

This is a bit off topic but do you want to know why we haven't had a Mozart, Chopin, or Beethoven in our times?

I think this has less to do with tv and other media, and more to do with the fact that classical musicians are so obsessed with great composers of the past. Everybody's constantly playing Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, etc., so there's little room for a modern composer to make a mark. There may very well be equally great composers around today that we don't know about because we're simply not hearing their music.

[Ed Thomas]

1)  It may not be a primary reason, but one possible reason is because all the music is available at such high fidelity that a classical concert is acoustically inferior to a recording.  Not MUSICALLY inferior of course, but for the price of a CD, DVD, or internet rip, you can have the best seat in the house.... over and over again.  That's a fairly recent phenomena.  You would think TV, video, and CD availablitity would increase the exposure and interest in fine music, but maybe it's watering it down instead.

2)  Only poor people study music???   

Brian, I don't know if I agree completely.  Music written for films sometimes can be some awesome stuff.  I've been reading some of "Schindler's List" (transcribed for piano) and John Williams just went up a few notches in my opinion.  In another thread, I brought up Jan Kackmarek's music for "The Third Miracle", and Bernard talked about the piano music in "Being There".  Shostakovich wrote a good bit of movie music.  I think we just tend to take movie scores for granted and treat them as second rate or not "real" music.  But there's no denying the gripping emotion and mature musicality of some of John Williams' stuff, and I'm sure going to look into Jan  Kackmarek some more.

I once listened to a flute choir perform where the most compelling piece by far was the first performance of a new work by an English composer.  We were fortunate that he was there so we could thank him for writing it.  Unfortunately, I forget the piece and the composer, but that is a chronic problem for me in general and not a reflection on the music... some of which I can still here in my head years later.

I accompany the choir at our Lutheran church and the director/pastor arranges almost everything we do.  It is exciting stuff to play music where the composer is right there and you can share the creativity so directly.  The tunes are usually familiar... but sometimes that's about all!

I dunno... you might be right... but I hope not.

[Ed Thomas]

Of course I meant "Bernhard" (not Bernard)

[Bob]

I attended a masters performance recital once with five people total in the audience.  That was one shocked performer who walked out on stage.  The door opened, she walked out, and her mouth hit the floor.  Ah well.... I tried to clap really loud at least.


I see what Bernhard says about ideas looping around here.  This idea about geniuses came up before.  I was in on it then.  It probably wasn't the first time the topic was brought up.

The idea about history creating the situation is interesting.  That the development of music opened a brief period for these people to develop that area of music with their skills and talent.  That this window is closed now and a genius today wouldn't be able to achieve the same because the historical context is different.  It's kind of a sad, ominous thought if that's true and that's all there will ever be.

[mozartgonebad]

I can't speak for individual communities, but as I see it, there is a general decline in classical music appreciation with the youth of today.
When I attend recitals with renowned pianists, I see a crowd of baby boomers, and their parents. I see very very few teenagers or young adults.
It is a crying shame too. Our culture has made a dramatic shift in the last 20 years, and I honestly feel bad for the future of our country (USA).
Everyone is into instant gratification now as our senses have been overloaded with this entertainment medium and that entertainment medium. Most of it being passive entertainment too. Which does nothing for developing the brain.
Alas, real culture tends to take a back seat to all of this.
 

Ah yes, the ways of obtaining entertainment has increased exponentially in the past 100 years...its so sad, I wish I could do something to promote more classical music.

[Hmoll]

has anybody attended a concert, where one had to pay, and there was nobody there?
 

I think that is impossible.

[Daniel_piano]

I can't speak for individual communities, but as I see it,  there is a general decline in classical music appreciation with the youth of today.   
When I attend recitals with renowned pianists,  I see a crowd of baby boomers, and their parents.  I see very very few teenagers or young adults. 
It is a crying shame too.  Our culture has made a dramatic shift in the last 20 years, and I honestly feel bad for the future of our country (USA).
Everyone is into instant gratification now as our senses have been overloaded with this entertainment medium and that entertainment medium.  Most of it being passive entertainment too.  Which does nothing for developing the brain. 
Alas,  real culture tends to take a back seat to all of this.   

It doesn't work like this, it's not culture fault, it's not people fault, it's not cinema fault, it's not television fault, it's not computer fault, it's rap, rock and pop fault
Attending one of the major schools in my country and one of the most important foundation in classical music I get aquainted with lot of theorists, concertists, composers and music recordings houses chief
I've already explained what the data show the be the cause for peolpe abandoning classical music, accademic music and concertos and recitals

But it has also been showed that by changing the approach that in the first place created the rupture, a lot of peolple are willing to listen and be surrounded by classical or contemporary music, young or less young

I for one am on of those that despite loving music and especially accademical/classic music got disgusted, disinterested and illuded with the serious, snob and manneristic accademic music world both contemporary and classical including recitals and contertos

What classical music need is to regain the faith peolpe had in it, a faith that was betraied and disregarded

(just at hos many competition and association are there to restablish a passionate and honest accademical music world and you'll notice that not only students, composers and teachers are really appasionated and interested in it but a lot of people too from all field musical and non-musical)

Daniel

[steinwaymodeld]

Funny thing in Houston

Pogorelich return recital: around 60-70% attendance
Lang Lang crappy recital: Sold out.

[Daniel_piano]

This is a bit off topic but do you want to know why we haven't had a Mozart, Chopin, or Beethoven in our times?

Who said there are no Mozart, Chopin and Beethoven in our time?
Now, this is all subjective but there are a lot of music genius today
The problem is that you don't find the in the accademic establishment but outside the accademic world
And remember that a lot of people outside the accademic world are just accademical composers with a composition, counterpoint and harmony diploma and that tired of the narrow-minded world of accademical avat-gard

Just some example of people that I consider musical genius:

Rick Wakeman: his mix of counterpoint and applied 20th century harmony theory and the rock accompainment is simply genial, you can hear the quality of his music in works like the Wives of Henry 8th or Journey to the Center of the World

Danny Elfman: his way to utilize chorus in dark soundtracks is pure geniues
Is pieces are all complex, interesting and original and the soungs he write for the score are marvellous works as well

Jean Chatillon: Have you ever read his suites for piano?
It's simply marvellous music, a mix of impressionism and romanticism with a genial use of cromaticism to portrait concrete visual images that appear in fron of your eyes  while you listen to his music
The pieces are complex as well and require a virtuoso pianist to be played

William Allaudin Mathieu: again a genial composer
His music create a perfection of dissonance and assonance to relax the spirit and create a percective abstract picture in your mind full of colour and poetry
Listening to his music is again "living" the music

I would also point out that a lot of music genius are to be searched in the jazz and soundtracks world, you can find really genial talents with lot of meaningfull musical concept to share with the world in these two world

My idea of genial composer today is not exactly like Mozart, but like Mozart would have been if he has lived in our times
I'm sure Mozart would have written lot of movies music and jazz music and would mixed the accademical and the popular style, the antique with the contemporary like he did in all his life in all his opus

And by the way: contemporary music is more lucrative than rock music
A lot of contemporary stuff is just written out of dishonest and high fundings from lot of foundations and association
Because of this lot of beatiful composers and their pieces was not performed where the fundings where all used to creat unoriginal futuristic music just out of experimentalism, to found new sounds and new noises
And you know why lot of contemporary composers who didn't write atonal where not performed or recorded?
Because in the 1940 there has been a major contract with all the major recordings labels to record and sell avant-gard music
So not only they had to left behind the non-avantgardists but they also had to push the accademic establishment music so that the LP could be sold
Our own school run out of fundings for teachers and instruments because they used the foundations fundings to push the recordings-contract
So, actually, accademical contemporary music is far more lucrative than a lot of honest rock out there
We've all been brainwashed

I know this because our foundation and school and hall got the majority of the fundings for our countries, and we students all know how they used them, what did they produced with them, whom they fired and whom the kept, whom they performed and whom they throw out of the school


Daniel

[Goldberg]

Funny thing in Houston

Pogorelich return recital: around 60-70% attendance
Lang Lang crappy recital: Sold out.

Hahaha, yep. You beat me to it. Those were MY recitals, too!

[anda]

worst attendance at a recital: 0%. (no joke!)

also, i went once to a chamber music recital, and there were more people on stage than in the hall

[cziffra]

If i ever walk on stage and find 2 or 3 people in the audience, i think i'll be ecstatic...i'd invite them up onto the stage and they could chat listen in a close, personal setting.  I am so disapointed whenver i go to a concert and i'm quite far away...it actually makes the experience HARDER, because it looks like i'm watching through an impenetrable glass wall, and that all the way down there it doesn't really matter what's going on anyway.