I really enjoyed Richard Nilson's article in today's Arizona Republic about humor in music. Part of the reason I am so fond of Franz Joseph Haydn is because of his sense of humor. There's a great anecdote where Haydn and a friend (the composer, Dittersdorf) are walking through the streets of Vienna one evening, when Haydn hears some of his music being played inside of a beer hall. The friends step inside to better hear, and when the tune is over Haydn exclaims, "That minuet stinks!" His joke didn't go over well, however, and Dittersdorf had to shield Haydn from getting punched as they fled the tavern.
Besides the comic antics of composers (of which there are many), what I was most struck with in Nilson's article was his commentary on how we--as modern audiences--expect our classical music to be very serious affairs. I often wish that classical concerts weren't so deadly serious. In fact, a bit of light-heartedness would go a long way towards winning over new listeners.
I love that in Haydn's time audiences would show their enthusiasm between movements of a composition by clapping and cheering, sometimes even asking for the movement to be repeated. I wish we had that much liberty in today's concerts. I like little bits of humor and jokes to show up in my music--I wouldn't mind it if the orchestra wore striped socks one day or if the conductor told a joke between pieces. (Anyone who's been to any of my concerts will know that I'm fond of this). Victor Borge was one of the earliest classical musicians that I could identify by name and sight, and it's arguable that he stuck in my memory as a small boy not because he was a fantastic pianist (which he was) but because he was so charming and funny.
Consider this an addendum to my previous post on etiquette, because I don't think that any of these thoughts change my attitude towards appropriate decorum and demonstrations of respect and appreciation from the audience. One can dress nicely for a concert and still have a hearty and healthy laugh. In fact, as I just finished telling someone else in a completely different context, I think we all need more laughter in our lives.
Besides the comic antics of composers (of which there are many), what I was most struck with in Nilson's article was his commentary on how we--as modern audiences--expect our classical music to be very serious affairs. I often wish that classical concerts weren't so deadly serious. In fact, a bit of light-heartedness would go a long way towards winning over new listeners.
I love that in Haydn's time audiences would show their enthusiasm between movements of a composition by clapping and cheering, sometimes even asking for the movement to be repeated. I wish we had that much liberty in today's concerts. I like little bits of humor and jokes to show up in my music--I wouldn't mind it if the orchestra wore striped socks one day or if the conductor told a joke between pieces. (Anyone who's been to any of my concerts will know that I'm fond of this). Victor Borge was one of the earliest classical musicians that I could identify by name and sight, and it's arguable that he stuck in my memory as a small boy not because he was a fantastic pianist (which he was) but because he was so charming and funny.
Consider this an addendum to my previous post on etiquette, because I don't think that any of these thoughts change my attitude towards appropriate decorum and demonstrations of respect and appreciation from the audience. One can dress nicely for a concert and still have a hearty and healthy laugh. In fact, as I just finished telling someone else in a completely different context, I think we all need more laughter in our lives.
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