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Erichsen, Karin A little gesture with a big effect
Musicians talk about what makes a concert successful
Category: Essay
Das Orchester 09/2008, Page 25
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Since the late 17th century, when music moved from church and court into the civic sphere, it has become increasingly ubiquitous. Modern technology has created constant access. Against Walter Benjamin's pessimistic expectations, Schulze argues, this development has not destroyed, but enhanced aura. It is exactly this aura of the unique experience, captured in the live performance, which audiences everywhere long for. Yet what is it that turns an occurrence into an experience? Roselt argues that genuine experience is multi-sensory, located within a social arena and open to the unforeseen. Unlike the private listening to a recording, experience is unpredictable – which entails potential displeasure and failure, but also adds a crucial element of excitement. However, while live performances are an important aspect of experience, Keuchel points out that organiser should also keep other aspects in mind. Market research shows that certain formats have a higher appeal than others: informal, relaxed settings that allow social interaction with friends are popular, as are new venues and times. The growing demand for live experiences, Berner writes, has led to a building boom of concert houses in Germany, the most ambitious project being Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie. Yet apart from such prestige projects, a surge of small festivals in all kinds of locations has brought the live experience within the easy reach of audiences – sometimes creating a challenge to fully develop and establish the artistic identity of a town or region. Beyond the venue, Erichsen argues, it is a variety of elements that creates a successful, electrifying live experience – the rapport between musicians and an expectant audience, dialogue with cultural differences, facilitation of more difficult pieces, and, last but not least, the personal style of the conductor. Ultimately, however, the live experience remains a magical moment that cannot be fully explained, as Peter Ruzicka points out. Openness of an audience is important, as is the director’s or composer’s empathy with the specific timbre of an orchestra, yet even so the recipe of the successful live performance remains elusive.
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