Last night's fascinating evening of music by Peter Eötvös at Zankel Hall had some unanticipated "extras," beginning with a particularly startling cell phone going off right before Encore, a brief string quartet written for György Kurtág's 80th birthday. The woman answered the call. As the musicians waited, the violist tried his best, grinning, "Anyone else?" By this time an usher was glaring at the offender, who apparently didn't know how to turn off the device. After it beeped the third time, the exasperated staffer finally grabbed it, shook a finger at the woman and left, accompanied by more than a few bursts of applause.
Then during a quiet moment in Octet plus, some commotion at the back entrance caused some of us to turn around as a woman tromped heavily down the aisle (in loud shoes on wood floors) while a number of people went "Shh!" as she walked by. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who couldn't believe it when she walked all the way down to the front row and jostled her way past people to sit right smack in the middle. When the ensemble took its well-deserved curtain call, she immediately stood up and faced the audience, extending her hands and bowing along with them. At intermission, police escorted her out.
Update: Rashomon, indeed. Since I was near the back of the hall during all the ruckus, here's another account, via Dan Johnson. (Thanks, Alex!)
Terrible and amusing. People don't want to be in one place anymore.
Posted by: Johan Herrenberg | January 31, 2009 at 04:53 AM
Bloggers are accused of griping a lot, but not enough has been written yet about cell phones going off during performances. And this isn't the first instance I've read about in which the offender actually took the call! (Glad to read that the usher confiscated the phone.)
Posted by: Clayton | January 31, 2009 at 01:43 PM
Yes, the cell phone incident was pretty astonishing. Full disclosure: I have come perilously close to having my own phone go off during a concert, but to actually *take a call* seems like something from another dimension.
Posted by: Bruce Hodges | January 31, 2009 at 04:43 PM
Some people are simply oblivious to others. A pretty enticing story because it's so unusual AND relatable.
Posted by: Ryan Fish | February 02, 2009 at 04:04 AM
Yes, it was an aggressive audience member who yelled about the cell phones, not the boy violinist. And then I think someone else yelled "Shut up" at the first shouter? That incident was a little obscured in my memory by the shock of the drunken interloper in the next piece.
Posted by: KKT | February 02, 2009 at 01:03 PM
Ah thanks! I suspected my recollection was clouded by the surprise of the incident itself (as you note in "Incident No. 2").
Posted by: Bruce Hodges | February 02, 2009 at 02:33 PM
I was performing in the concert, and what annoys me most is that I knew as all of this drama occurred that nobody would talk about the concert anymore, only the few weird things that happened during the first half. Would anyone care to discuss the concert itself and the music performed?
Posted by: Jared | February 02, 2009 at 10:36 PM
Jared, thanks for posting and first, congrats! I *hope* you got tremendous comments on the concert, which was excellent in spite of the interruptions. I have refrained from commenting here only because I am writing an "official" review and didn't want to spill the beans yet. But not to worry: I'll have much to write on the musical values of the evening, which were considerable.
Posted by: Bruce Hodges | February 03, 2009 at 11:53 AM