I am the 'cello friend' in the video. Yes, the moment I heard the first few notes, I knew I was there for a treat. He is a living legend and listening to him playing this piece live was definitely something I'd remember over many years. Just commenting on the audience reactions - the audience here in NZ are generally extremely friendly people with lesser judgemental perspectives hence why those impulsive reactions to his extraordinary artistry. Paganini probably had similar reactions from the audience when he performed live.
I have laughed when people have shown extraordinary ability. It's like a step above awe.. I'm so in awe and almost disbelief at the skill that a laugh just slips out. It is absolutely not meant disrespectfully. Any time I've done it, my internal thoughts were: "I could not do what this person is doing even if I devoted my entire being from now on to this. What I am witnessing is incredible."
Thank you for your comment. I was in Brussels when he was a young man and only came 5th in the Queen Elizabeth Violin Competition. I saw him play Paganini in the earlier rounds and immediately realised that he was the best violinist I had ever seen. Not just an amazing technical player and actually an extremely rare musical talent you only see once in a generation. I am really happy is still out there performing. You were absolutely right to smile knowing what was to follow! I really like pro players like you!
I think the audience first thought he was doing mockery of the anthem, so they laughed. When the second variation came, most of them realized that this is something more than that, something elaborate, so they stayed quiet but a few dummies kept laughing.
its funny how people make fun of very talented people without even being close to perform at the same level. like lets see a random dude in that audience play god save the king
They paid to listen to him play, so it’s his job to perform well. If they aren’t satisfied, they can by any means judge and laugh. Also, not being able to play as well doesn’t mean they can’t laugh. It’s the same as restaurant reviews, people still judge even if they can’t cook well.
@@acerzz2287 "let them eat cake" ass attitude people are entitled to their own opinions but interrupting someone's performance is not cool you also don't get to disrespect people just because you gave them money, that's really messed up
@@acerzz2287You've clearly got no respect for that musician. There are unspoken(or, sometimes, even WRITTEN) rules/etiquette for watching a classical performance. That man was playing a piece so impressive most could not even dream of playing it. If you cannot appreciate that, why pay to watch it? What's so funny about someone pouring all that dedication towards a piece?
Imagine yourself playing this piece that you've worked on for thousands of hours and people start laughing. Just the most horrible and disrespectful audience I've ever seen.
I was at that concert. The audience loved every minute. Ning Feng wasn't offended (he plays with that orchestra to that audience every year or two), and if you hadn't cut off the video exactly as he finished, viewers would have heard the roar from an appreciative audience. But don't let all that get in the way of a narrative.
Yeah I suspected as much and found the original video. Despite what he saying at the start, having stumbled upon this channel and watched a few videos I think he in fact regularly indulges in recreational outrage.
Interesting… Now this is useful information, and it does make sense. I mean, he did play something amazing, so why would they not be appreciative? But how did you, as an audience member, feel about all the interruptions? I mean, I have season tickets with my local philharmonic society and, while the audience is showing appreciation by clapping in the middle of pieces and whatnot, I personally don’t appreciate it. It affects the mood of the piece, for me at least🤷🏻♂️
@@Tennisisreallyfun It was an encore, it was playful, and it didn't bother me in the slightest. For context, this is an orchestra with a loyal following that goes every week and understands the protocols. For the most part they won't clap between movements or anything. Recently, though, when some people did clap between movements and there was a nervous laughter in the crowd as a result, the music director stopped the concert, turned to the audience and said, Never feel embarrassed about clapping in the 'wrong' places, don't feel inhibited about showing how much you're enjoying the music, that's what we're here for. I thought that was great. But I can understand why you'd feel it affects the mood, and that's fair enough. People using their phones during a concert, though, makes me homicidal.
Laughter is not always out of judgment. Laughter is also a way of releasing energy and it can be an expression of surprise. Most of the times audiences have lots of energy built up from an entire concerto, holding it in for almost half and hour or longer. Very often I announce my encores starting with “thank you very much”. And almost always the audience laughs at THAT. Not because what I said was funny, but because they are able to let go and connect with me through laughter. And some of them might be surprised that I speak at all. People here are laughing initially because they are surprised by the famous melody, and later on because they can finally let go, they can finally breathe freely and not feel held back by the typical seriousness of a classical concert. And PLEASE: let them have fun! Let them laugh! Let’s not make classical concerts even stiffer then they need to be. If people were giggling and clapping and laughing during my encores (as sometimes they do, although much less then in this video) I would be HAPPY about that! Don’t assume the violinist is angry or disappointed , he is much too experienced and great to be angry about such a beautiful thing. If I had to guess I would say he is happy about the fact that the audience is having FUN! Let’s not shame people for having fun and let’s not pretend this Paganini encore is anything other then a wonderful showpiece! The audience reaction was EXACTLY what it had to be in that moment. It was real, it was genuine and honest , and it was free. Let’s cherish that please 🙏
@@75Chopin A cell phone chime doesn't come with the judgement of a human being laughing in the face of a man playing the most difficult piece created and who worked all his life to get to that point. I'll take a cell phone ring over that any day.
@@Stu0457 Nah. The encore was probably chosen exactly because it is a playful and entertaining piece. There is a certain humor to it - you take a really well-known simple piece and play ridiculous variations based on it. Do you think Paganini's audience would have been quiet during these variations? Something can be really difficult and kind of funny at the same time.
Amen!!! This is exactly the point of Paganini's composition. Paganini himself performed this piece at the start of several of his concerts here in London. (Until relatively recently every concert began with the National Anthem). The audience would no doubt have rushed to their feet, as was the custom (and is still today, when it is played), and since the Theme is fairly stately presented (chords, double stops plus the odd flourish!), they would not necessarily expected just how astonishingly intricately - and amusingly! - the variations were to unfold! It was - and is - supposed to amuse, astonish and delight. I think the presenter here has rather missed the point here. After all, the Caprices are chock-full of humour....animal sounds, imitation of other instruments, imitation of the human voice, unearthly sounds....it's all amazing stuff and a far cry from the rather stuffy 'flashy etude' approach which leaves so many performances impressive in dexterity but musically and humanly dry.
Absolutely, everyone seems to be missing the point to me! This piece is designed to entertain and incite a bit of amusement! When an audience breaks into applause after an aria in a bel canto opera is it seen as disrespectful? Other than the initial laugh the audience didn’t get in the way at any point here which is what matters.
Check out Midori playing Zapateado at her Carnegie Hall debut. She was 18! After the first insane pizzicato section the audience cheered! It wasn't disrespectful because the audience KNEW the piece and it was at the end of a section so she had a chance to recover. A big smile came over her face and she recovered instantly. This audience was simply rude and most likely ignorant of the fact that it was Paganini. *sigh*
I think the audience here cheered because it was so amazing it deserved it. She gave them an appreciation of this, and moved on, which is a real feat, granted; they clap during the piano interlude and it fades instantly right before she starts again. Honestly it is hard to believe it had "malicious" intent there.
Had the honor of watching him play Bach's second violin partita, his shoulder rest fell off near the end of the chaconne but didn't phase him at all and still gave a wonderful performance.
There is something about left handed pizzicato that is really difficult for the player yet entertaining and fun for the untrained listener. I imagine Paganini himself would have appreciated the laughter and excitement.
I watched the original Ning Feng video, there were some interruptions, but nothing too outlandish in my opinion. Ning Feng seemed grateful that he was performing for the audience this Paganini piece that had a special place in his heart as he was the winner of the 2006 Paganini Competition that launched his career.
Thank you for this video! It kinda reminds me of my classmates and how they treat our teachers, it's sad. But I'm happy that there are people who can still appreciate hard work. (Good luck with your livestream, I hope I can be there! :-) )
My good friend is a virtuoso pianist who no longer plays concerts and only does studio recordings because of similar reasons. Glenn Gould also comes to mind as a top pianist who hated audiences and exclusively did recordings after a while.
I think this is an unfortunate situation but you’re much too hard on the audience. An audience isn’t expected to know anything, particularly not a very seldom-played piece. There is an inherent humour to the piece that you completely miss out of your reaction: God Save the King is a stately and somewhat pompous hymn, and Paganini treats it as the basis of extremely lively, lighthearted and virtuosic variations. There’s a mismatch there that is amusing. To a nation with it as their anthem this piece is funny. As an Englishman I laughed at the piece, not out of disrespect for the performer but at Paganini’s irreverence. These variations are so completely anathema to the associations of the anthem, it’s kinda hilarious. The original is very plodding and metrical, the Paganini requires a lot of rubato, the original has a very simple chorale texture, the Paganini employs a number of frantic textural effects, the original has a small range of a sixth, the Paganini goes right from the very nasal lows to the piercing highs of the violin. The extremity of the treatment is funny, and the audience as Kiwis got the humour. Those from outside the UK and Commonwealth could miss this, as it seems both you and the performer are surprised by the audience reaction. In this case the audience have it right: no matter how challenging it might be to play, it’s an 18th century meme joke.
How are they narcissists, though? They laugh about a, frankly, funny, tickly piece. No, it's not proper etiquette, maybe it's disrespectful, the performer seems to feel disrespected at least, but you could also see the aspect that it's a genuine reaction to a piece of music that adds ridiculous shenanigans to a relatively simple piece of music. If anything, I think that they didn't quite realise the difficulty and need for concentration of it all. They took it as a little wink towards the audience after the main program of the concert, which is quite reasonable if you don't know much about violin playing. How do you spin that into an armchair diagnosis?
I think you are right, I'm a very intermediate violin player and general lover of classical music but I didn't know this piece besides it being the British national anthem. It can easily sound like a humorous mockery which is imho exactly what the British monarchy deserves. NZ was a colony at the end of the day, know your audience. @@hannahschneyder6651
I like the analogies you used in how interupting during a performance can be so detrimental all around. I'm looking forward to the live stream at 500 likes!!
Thank You for Your insightful and Compassionate Narration of this Concert! Very educational, too! That said; It's so very sad for Ning Feng to have received such a disappointing reaction from the Audience, that it caused him sorrow.😢 However, we can be consoled by the Fact that he is a 🌹Legendary Violinist,🌹 and can expect better reactions from more appreciative Audiences in the future. Thank You, Great Video! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Das Werk ist sicher schwer, aber es gibt mehr als eine Handvoll Leute, die es spielen können. z. B. YITZHAK PERLMAN, HILLARY HAHN ,GIDEON KREMER, ROMAN KIM, YEHUDI MENUHIN, DAVID GARRET, JASCHA HEIFETZ, JOSHUA BELL, STEPAN GRYTSAY, .......
Not nearly as bad but this reminds me of the time I was singing (I was 8) and the audience started clapping to the song. Usually it’s just annoying but this time they were clapping soo off beat and I was trying my hardest to not get thrown off😭😅.
Honestly, I don't think its disrespectful. If someone played paganini's god save the king, I'd be freaking out in my seat from the shure impressiveness. But from their perspective, its understandable that some of the audience don't understand it. At the end of a day, a concert is a show, an experience. And introducing people who don't know better to a such an arrangement of god save the king with all these insane techniques (tell me left hand pizzicato doesn't look funny) only adds to educating them better.
I think most classical musicians would find this audience reaction to be perfectly acceptable, especially during a light-hearted encore/showpiece (even one as technically difficult as this). The violinist is basically putting on an acrobatics display, so let the audience have fun. I don’t believe your narrative about the musicians onstage taking offense.
Love that interspersed close up and explaination of the technique. My personal opinion is that the laughter is sheer joy and amazement. It's about as expected as a firecracker going off in the hall though and he was justified in being super annoyed.
Something similar happened to me once. I was doing an orchestra audition and one of the jury members started laughing when I started playing one of my excerpts. It was really bothering me but I kept playing, not sure what was going on. I actually was accepted but I never understood why he had this reaction
He was probably testing you. For situations like this, you know... He probably wanted to test if you can handle it if someone in the audience coughs or laughs or something. Good on you for passing the test and making the cut.
Heartbreaking but I can’t say I’m too surprised because it’s New Zealand. That country is the international equivalent of Florida if you know what I mean.
Having grownup in NZ this is true. Also, it looks to be at one of their Townhalls and not one of the venues where orchestral music is usually playing. But I think this has more to do with the fact that it's God Save the King and most people really do not care for him. Someone always tries to throw an egg or two at the Royals when they come to visit.
I think you have all forgotten what we musicians are. We are performers. We are nothing without the audience. This fabulous musician chose a piece that was extremely difficult and impressive, however it is still known famously as God save the king, something we know will get a kick out of the crowd. Picture yourself at a Paganini concert - women screaming, people talking, and laughter/enjoyment. This was commonplace, Paganini knew this and was composed the variations for the delight of the crowd. To say that “this is not a reaction that is acceptable from a crowd” is absurd, the crowd reacted exactly how Paganini would have expected them to react. It is the job of the performer to adapt and meet these challenges, not the crowd. Unfortunately the performer in this instance did not see the humour of this situation and clearly neither do you. We musicians need to start taking ourselves a little seriously.
7:20 you asked how we would feel to perform with passion after years of practice, only to be laughed at and i felt it so deep in my heart because I can honestly say it happens all the time for me. People think fire spinning is easy because i make it look easy. Its exhausting, so in a long performance i will stumble and drop it on occasion, just like a violinist may miss a note after playing for 30mins+ The ignorant masses have no concept of what we do. To them; your thing sounds pretty, my thing looks pretty...but a person is doing it and they are a person, and you make it seem easy so it must be easy. And they wouldnt have done it the way we just did it, so we aren't as good as them even though they have never picked up an instrument. One guy came over to me after a performance and said "can you show me how to do 'that easy move' please?" I was happy to introduce him to fire spinning so i showed him the basics, he shook his head. "No, i just want to spin it in a circle like you did" the Full Wrist Roll that creates a perfect circle of fire...is....NOT.....'That EASY Move'!!! It is a move that i have practiced for hundreds of hours, maybe thousands of hours. I make it LOOK easy, thats called Performing! Rant over, you gave me mega flashbacks and i needed to vent lol.
The worst reaction you can expect from the audience is no reaction. Most musicians I know would appreciate any non-malicious reaction from the audience. Gasping, laughing, clapping at the wrong time. It's all fine. We are here to entertain, not to show off how good we are. And the last thing we want, especially at this day and age, is people thinking you can't enjoy classical music without taking it so seriously.
The audience may have no idea about the difficulty of playing this piece so they have no appreciation of it...he should just have played Flight of the Bumblebee and I bet this audience would have given him a standing ovation!!.🤣🤣
I'd be honored to be in Ning Feng's live, plus listening his Paganini would be one of the greatest experiences in my life. If I were on that stage playing those pieces, I'd be massively mad, maybe my arm(s) start shaking by anger. And I wouldn't forget to tell the concert organization that never let me play in your concerts - and I will never visit this country again. I mean, I can't even imagine my reaction! At first laughing at someone's performance (not only in music though) is not OK. I'm sure that Ning Feng isn't weak as I am so he would stay cool but I hope that he won't be traumatized by this.
Every classical concert I went to, I suspected the majority of the audience were there to be seen, or had their reasons, not neccecssarily for the music.
It was a popular tune in late 17th century Europe, so ends up in many theme and variations of that period, including one of Fernando Sor's guitar studies!
Probably the audience are historically informed performance enthusiasts who realise that this music is fun and impressive and audiences would never have sat solemnly through it like it was Sunday mass…
Sadly this happened to him more than once, I went to his Hong Kong concert last year. When he was playing the Sibelius violin concerto a little boy was yelling for at least 10 seconds, Ning Feng stopped playing just like in this clip until the boy the escorted out by his mother.
As a violinist, this piece might sound like heaven, but trust me folks, playing it is just straight out of hell. And you better pay respect to every single one who dares and has the guts to play this piece. Cuz you might be blessed with the music, but the musician is cursed with those curly notes.
its just the audience was probably full of a bunch of musically uneducated elderly people who dont realise its paganini they think hes just playing the anthem.
Having grownup in NZ he probably should have read the room before playing God Save the King. Which is honestly the last thing most people from the colonies want to hear. The Monarchy really isn't as popular as you might think. They probably laughed at first because they thought he was in on the joke by playing a funny version of the anthem. As difficult as it might be I think it just landed wrong and seemed like a joke.
When I first started orchestra, the conductor would have audience etiquette pamphlets to inform the audience on proper times to clap and show appreciation for the musicians. You can’t expect everyone in the audience who may not be musicians to respond in a way a fellow musician may respond.
You can be so skilled and have practiced so many hours, but the moment you get made fun of, your confidence absolutely gets destroyed and is possible to ruin a performance. Its not fun, its not cool. Respect the talent, respect the time these people dedicate to their crafts. If this video truly is real, and the audience is really disrespectful, shame on them.
To audiences that don't know the piece it actually sounds humoristic, especially if the context is an encore. In this case, NOT giggling would be seen as impolite. It would be like not laughing at a comedian's jokes. I don't think this audience was malicious. Just ignorant.
For sure Feng is such a perfectionist, hence his flawless playing. Just missed 1 note and he is pissed off. I hope he can take it easy. It was a flawless performance as far as everyone else’s concern!
I love watching your videos but, in my heart, it was not disrespectful and a human way of reacting to being in awe! I would have preferred a reverent audience but this is just one of those nights where everyone is having a good time. ❤
I dont think the audience mean bad, I think it is just ignorance. This piece is more about technoque than anything else, and some pizzicato techniques are even when performed flawlessly sound quite comical especially when performed constantly. To be honest, as a professional oboist myself, I am not sure I can really understand the difficulty, I am almost sure it can only really be appreciated by violinists and string players. I am nut sure you can blame the audience for laughing if they have not even the basic understanding of difficulty. And this goes also the other way around when a flashy easy effect blows peoples mind but everyone in the bussiness knows that doing is not nearly as difficult as people think. I adore Ning Feng and his solo CD is a dream (Erlkönig is so amazing) but maybe this encore was not the best choice for that audience. Sorry for the big rant, just wanted to drop my 2 cents.
It’s like you had a bad experience and are projecting. My local symphony played Hungarian Dance No. 5, people were laughing, applauding, and the musicians did the same. It’s not unnatural, and in many places is a sign of respect/gratitude.
No one except violinists or classical enthusiasts know this piece. It is supposed to be fun, people have a genuine reaction to it. Its not like you can't hear the piece. It's not like he was booed off the stage or something. He will play it again for more "cultured" people in the future. No need for fake outrage, just go next. Also, the speech comparison is truly stupid, because it is not a serious speech it is a musical joke of a kind (while being hard). You can be amused by the character of the music and amazed by the skill at the same time, it is not mutually exclusive. They wouldn't have laughed during Erlking
Do you think Paganini's audience would have been quiet? It is a playful piece, not a super serious one. That's why it was chosen as an encore. Yes, it's super difficult, but that doesn't make it serious. I find it baffling that people don't hear the playfulness and humor in this piece, and only focus on the amazing technique. Without the playfullness, it would have no musical value IMO, even if it's super difficult. I mean think about it this way. God Save the King is such a recognizable and simple melody. It's also a pretty serious piece of music - a national anthem. There's a certain "dignity" to it. And then Paganini writes really playful and entertaining variations that are simultaneously super technical based on it. I think there's definitely some humor involved in it. Being amused by it is at least a very understandable reaction (but I would go further and say that it is the expected reaction). The performer knows well that the audience will hear the playfullness of the piece. Again, that's why he chose it as an encore. I doubt he feels "disrespected", especially after the huge applause this performance got.
Ok, I think there is a need to be fair here. Is it frustrating that people didn't understand the skill involved? Of course. But I think performers need to realise that their audience doesn't owe them ANYTHING. Don't expect a random person to know that God save the King by Paganini is some unicorn piece of musical excellence, just don't. Be happy that you made people laugh. I am quite sure not a single person in the audience laughed because they thought what was played was bad. Yes they clapped at the wrong part. how the hell were they supposed to know it didn't end there? Be happy that they liked it and get over your annoyance at something that has to be expected.
This video really made me laugh! I think the audience is just reacting to what it sounds like a joke, probably related to history of the colonies. Anyway, why some people think about classical music concerts as something extremely serious? It seems they are having fun and if they don't know the piece is obvious they will clap when something feels like an ending. I do not find anything disrespectful here just a video in which someone assumes that all audiences have to behave the same way, being familiar with the ritual of a classical music concert, something that I don't agree
God Save the King isn't just the British national anthem, it is also one of New Zealand's two official anthems (the other being God Defend New Zealand).
I understand that this piece is very difficult and I would never be able to play it and I respect the artist and the musician but it kinda sounds horrible. Mad respect to the musician, I can only imagine how difficult this would be. ❤ I ALSO UNDERSTAND HE PLAYED IT THE WAY HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BTW!!!
0:49 I-, this just tipped my world on the axis. What. I have a friend that, every time they warm up they play passages from this piece.. I thought that was a normal thing to do. Like that they were just a average violinist.
I miss the days when applause and interaction was a normal part of music performance. We have over-formalised music attendance far too much to the point where audiences are bland. I want interactive audiences, I want performances in the round. Performers are not used to a responsive crowd, and thus don't know how to deal with them. Performers are expected to be robotic performers, and that's sad.
While that is true, it's not the case here. The audience can always be responsive and interacting with the performer if the moment calls for it. In this exact piece I don't think it applies bc it requires such concentration that it would be considered disrespectful bc it distracts the performer and can take away the momentum. Ofc there are pieces where the audience is required to interact (look no further than the Radetzky March) and the audience can clap and cheer if impressed (example: Zapateado interpreted by Midori) but this audience was straight disrespectful
Your opinion is of course valid and I'm sure there are many who share it, but I believe you are wrong. Many musicians do not play for their recordings or their own accolades, or even for the composer- but for the audience. Most lovers of classical music albeit not musicians, are very very knowledgeable of scores amd their difficulty. Even the neophyte can discern a challenging piece from a simple one. So my point is to say that to truly woo an audience is to extract a reaction from them. Stoic, rigid and silent awe is great for concentration, but gasps and giggles of disbelief and glee are great for passion. I do not think they are laughing for the gaiety of the piece but for the technical accomplishment he had just performed. He also does not seem upset, he was smiling and motioning to them. Lastly, and this is just my take- I do not at all think he missed a note due to the audience, if he did, it was because it is an insanely challenging piece. Good day.
I think he was just sad about the fact that those people are not able to understand the pure shallow beauty of music. This is actually so sad that the most people on this planet will nerver get in contact with music
I think it is absolutely absurd how you can know what everyone is thinking and their reasons for reacting they way they do. If the audience was not being respectful, they would leave in the middle of his performance. And who made you the gate keeper and arbiter of reactions in the performance space? When my audience stays in their seats, I don't care if they laugh or cry, I consider it to be a compliment and respectful that they are still giving me their time. And I think you're the only one who knows that the performer missed a note. Maybe they are laughing because they know how difficult the piece is -- maybe they are an audience full of violinists who realize just how difficult it is. I can tell you that I have been in several performance situations where people laugh out of sheer enjoyment of the performance and engagement with the performer. And how did you know that performer was disappointed? Maybe he is overcome with the beauty and awe of the composition he just performed and maybe he is humble enough to know and feel how privileged he is to be able to play it himself -- maybe for him it represents something or someone dear to him. How can you actually know?
Everytime i go to a classical music concert 90% of people in the audience are there just for the photo or Instagram moment, they have no idea of what they are seeing and get bored withing the first 5 min, even if the piece is hard as hell. But most of them would get impressed by some "quick" and easy piece you won't impress anyone by playing this Paganini's piece but people will lose their minds if you play the first notes of Vivaldi's "summer" 3rd movement 😅
I don't think, that the audience knew it's a piece by Paganini. And if they knew they may laughed especially because it's Paganini. In germany composers like Paganini or Wieniawski are not taken really seriously, because back in 19th century people believed music by Paganini, Wieniawski or Ernst is no art, because it's just to show of and just mechanics. And all these asthetic theories where received so in the german musicology you still have a lot of people who think like this. They love their Beethoven, Bach, Brahms and so on, but laugh on Paganini, Wieniawski, Ernst etc.
I don’t think he was crying nor do I think the audience were intending to be disrespectful. He is a seasoned professional. I have seen other videos of him and he just has a hangdog expression all the time. He’s a bloody good violinist though: wow.
500 Likes for God Save the King Sightread Challenge LIVESTREAM
Im pulling up with my 500 alt accounts. 1000 likes and u play with ur teeth 2😈
@@HellNoNotKerry same
Don’t skip the double harmonics!!!
@@ChunkyBanana83 I read this comment right after I saw Violin Mechanic play Stile Nacht..
how about carnival of Venice or Ernst Hungarian airs
I am the 'cello friend' in the video. Yes, the moment I heard the first few notes, I knew I was there for a treat. He is a living legend and listening to him playing this piece live was definitely something I'd remember over many years.
Just commenting on the audience reactions - the audience here in NZ are generally extremely friendly people with lesser judgemental perspectives hence why those impulsive reactions to his extraordinary artistry. Paganini probably had similar reactions from the audience when he performed live.
I have laughed when people have shown extraordinary ability. It's like a step above awe.. I'm so in awe and almost disbelief at the skill that a laugh just slips out. It is absolutely not meant disrespectfully. Any time I've done it, my internal thoughts were: "I could not do what this person is doing even if I devoted my entire being from now on to this. What I am witnessing is incredible."
Thank you for your comment. I was in Brussels when he was a young man and only came 5th in the Queen Elizabeth Violin Competition. I saw him play Paganini in the earlier rounds and immediately realised that he was the best violinist I had ever seen. Not just an amazing technical player and actually an extremely rare musical talent you only see once in a generation. I am really happy is still out there performing. You were absolutely right to smile knowing what was to follow! I really like pro players like you!
@bredyhopiSarasate? In high school? Are you the soloist? Because that's unbelievable!!!
@bredyhopi What has your comment to do with the comment that jycello9633 wrote? Why bothering replying to random comment from someone? geez
I think the audience first thought he was doing mockery of the anthem, so they laughed. When the second variation came, most of them realized that this is something more than that, something elaborate, so they stayed quiet but a few dummies kept laughing.
exactly. just some dumb and uneducated ppl in the audience, nothing to be angry about.
I think you hit the nail on the head; innocent mistake but there's always a few who carry on.
its funny how people make fun of very talented people without even being close to perform at the same level. like lets see a random dude in that audience play god save the king
They're not making fun of him, they just don't know the piece and are finding it humoristic.
Some people are really great at showing their ignorance
They paid to listen to him play, so it’s his job to perform well. If they aren’t satisfied, they can by any means judge and laugh. Also, not being able to play as well doesn’t mean they can’t laugh. It’s the same as restaurant reviews, people still judge even if they can’t cook well.
@@acerzz2287 "let them eat cake" ass attitude
people are entitled to their own opinions but interrupting someone's performance is not cool
you also don't get to disrespect people just because you gave them money, that's really messed up
@@acerzz2287You've clearly got no respect for that musician. There are unspoken(or, sometimes, even WRITTEN) rules/etiquette for watching a classical performance. That man was playing a piece so impressive most could not even dream of playing it. If you cannot appreciate that, why pay to watch it? What's so funny about someone pouring all that dedication towards a piece?
Imagine yourself playing this piece that you've worked on for thousands of hours and people start laughing.
Just the most horrible and disrespectful audience I've ever seen.
I agree. Shame on them.
They could have been laughing in awe. People often do that.
still honestly disrespectful as fuck@@Averagebum21
It was all in good fun. No feelings were hurt.
As the violin that he played on, I can say that was the most disrespectful crowd i’ve seen
I was at that concert. The audience loved every minute. Ning Feng wasn't offended (he plays with that orchestra to that audience every year or two), and if you hadn't cut off the video exactly as he finished, viewers would have heard the roar from an appreciative audience. But don't let all that get in the way of a narrative.
Exactly, this video is stupid
Yeah I suspected as much and found the original video. Despite what he saying at the start, having stumbled upon this channel and watched a few videos I think he in fact regularly indulges in recreational outrage.
@@egodeosumThe clue is in the video thumbnail. This channel is for dolts.
Interesting… Now this is useful information, and it does make sense. I mean, he did play something amazing, so why would they not be appreciative? But how did you, as an audience member, feel about all the interruptions? I mean, I have season tickets with my local philharmonic society and, while the audience is showing appreciation by clapping in the middle of pieces and whatnot, I personally don’t appreciate it. It affects the mood of the piece, for me at least🤷🏻♂️
@@Tennisisreallyfun It was an encore, it was playful, and it didn't bother me in the slightest. For context, this is an orchestra with a loyal following that goes every week and understands the protocols. For the most part they won't clap between movements or anything. Recently, though, when some people did clap between movements and there was a nervous laughter in the crowd as a result, the music director stopped the concert, turned to the audience and said, Never feel embarrassed about clapping in the 'wrong' places, don't feel inhibited about showing how much you're enjoying the music, that's what we're here for. I thought that was great. But I can understand why you'd feel it affects the mood, and that's fair enough. People using their phones during a concert, though, makes me homicidal.
Laughter is not always out of judgment. Laughter is also a way of releasing energy and it can be an expression of surprise.
Most of the times audiences have lots of energy built up from an entire concerto, holding it in for almost half and hour or longer.
Very often I announce my encores starting with “thank you very much”. And almost always the audience laughs at THAT. Not because what I said was funny, but because they are able to let go and connect with me through laughter. And some of them might be surprised that I speak at all.
People here are laughing initially because they are surprised by the famous melody, and later on because they can finally let go, they can finally breathe freely and not feel held back by the typical seriousness of a classical concert.
And PLEASE: let them have fun! Let them laugh! Let’s not make classical concerts even stiffer then they need to be.
If people were giggling and clapping and laughing during my encores (as sometimes they do, although much less then in this video) I would be HAPPY about that!
Don’t assume the violinist is angry or disappointed , he is much too experienced and great to be angry about such a beautiful thing. If I had to guess I would say he is happy about the fact that the audience is having FUN!
Let’s not shame people for having fun and let’s not pretend this Paganini encore is anything other then a wonderful showpiece! The audience reaction was EXACTLY what it had to be in that moment. It was real, it was genuine and honest , and it was free.
Let’s cherish that please 🙏
I am sure their laughter is much better treat than those annoying cell phone calls during concerts! Those are most disrespectful interuptions
@@75Chopin A cell phone chime doesn't come with the judgement of a human being laughing in the face of a man playing the most difficult piece created and who worked all his life to get to that point. I'll take a cell phone ring over that any day.
Ngl them laughing would have made me so insecure about my playing. Probably would have started crying and ran off the stage lol
Definitely enough to give one permanent stage fright!
They're not making fun of him, they just don't know the piece and are finding it humoristic.
Perhaps, but it is quite disrespectful to continuously interrupt the performer. Especially since it’s such a formal event.
@@Stu0457 If it's the encore then they are at the end.
@@Stu0457 Nah. The encore was probably chosen exactly because it is a playful and entertaining piece. There is a certain humor to it - you take a really well-known simple piece and play ridiculous variations based on it. Do you think Paganini's audience would have been quiet during these variations?
Something can be really difficult and kind of funny at the same time.
Amen!!! This is exactly the point of Paganini's composition. Paganini himself performed this piece at the start of several of his concerts here in London. (Until relatively recently every concert began with the National Anthem). The audience would no doubt have rushed to their feet, as was the custom (and is still today, when it is played), and since the Theme is fairly stately presented (chords, double stops plus the odd flourish!), they would not necessarily expected just how astonishingly intricately - and amusingly! - the variations were to unfold! It was - and is - supposed to amuse, astonish and delight. I think the presenter here has rather missed the point here. After all, the Caprices are chock-full of humour....animal sounds, imitation of other instruments, imitation of the human voice, unearthly sounds....it's all amazing stuff and a far cry from the rather stuffy 'flashy etude' approach which leaves so many performances impressive in dexterity but musically and humanly dry.
Absolutely, everyone seems to be missing the point to me! This piece is designed to entertain and incite a bit of amusement! When an audience breaks into applause after an aria in a bel canto opera is it seen as disrespectful? Other than the initial laugh the audience didn’t get in the way at any point here which is what matters.
Check out Midori playing Zapateado at her Carnegie Hall debut. She was 18! After the first insane pizzicato section the audience cheered! It wasn't disrespectful because the audience KNEW the piece and it was at the end of a section so she had a chance to recover. A big smile came over her face and she recovered instantly. This audience was simply rude and most likely ignorant of the fact that it was Paganini. *sigh*
I think the audience here cheered because it was so amazing it deserved it. She gave them an appreciation of this, and moved on, which is a real feat, granted; they clap during the piano interlude and it fades instantly right before she starts again. Honestly it is hard to believe it had "malicious" intent there.
@@fabriceclement6587the audience here is not cheering, though. They are laughing. _Throughout_ the piece, not just at the appropriate moments.
@@kristopherwilson506 yeah I was specifically referring to Midori’s performance at Carnegie, pointing out it was two different things.
Cheering is clearly a positive reaction from humans. Laughing is not.
I can’t imagine being so lucky to see this live. Maybe one day.
Had the honor of watching him play Bach's second violin partita, his shoulder rest fell off near the end of the chaconne but didn't phase him at all and still gave a wonderful performance.
yikes, i can imagine the string players cringing at all the laughter and interruptions
There is something about left handed pizzicato that is really difficult for the player yet entertaining and fun for the untrained listener. I imagine Paganini himself would have appreciated the laughter and excitement.
If you haven’t tried to learn it yet, it’s very unintuitive at first but falls into the hand quite easily after a few days of brute forcing passages.
I want to give this poor man a hug. That is genuinely the worst audience that I’ve ever seen.
"There is no harder piece"
Roman Kim: "Hold my beer!"
I watched the original Ning Feng video, there were some interruptions, but nothing too outlandish in my opinion. Ning Feng seemed grateful that he was performing for the audience this Paganini piece that had a special place in his heart as he was the winner of the 2006 Paganini Competition that launched his career.
Thank you for this video!
It kinda reminds me of my classmates and how they treat our teachers, it's sad.
But I'm happy that there are people who can still appreciate hard work.
(Good luck with your livestream, I hope I can be there! :-) )
It’s New Zealand. People wear slippers to greet the Queen. It’s a such relaxed country.
I wanted to cry with him at the end 😭
Thank you for the post. I did enjoy mastero Ning Feng's recital in Taiwan Nov. He is simply amazing.
My good friend is a virtuoso pianist who no longer plays concerts and only does studio recordings because of similar reasons. Glenn Gould also comes to mind as a top pianist who hated audiences and exclusively did recordings after a while.
I think this is an unfortunate situation but you’re much too hard on the audience. An audience isn’t expected to know anything, particularly not a very seldom-played piece. There is an inherent humour to the piece that you completely miss out of your reaction: God Save the King is a stately and somewhat pompous hymn, and Paganini treats it as the basis of extremely lively, lighthearted and virtuosic variations. There’s a mismatch there that is amusing. To a nation with it as their anthem this piece is funny. As an Englishman I laughed at the piece, not out of disrespect for the performer but at Paganini’s irreverence. These variations are so completely anathema to the associations of the anthem, it’s kinda hilarious. The original is very plodding and metrical, the Paganini requires a lot of rubato, the original has a very simple chorale texture, the Paganini employs a number of frantic textural effects, the original has a small range of a sixth, the Paganini goes right from the very nasal lows to the piercing highs of the violin. The extremity of the treatment is funny, and the audience as Kiwis got the humour. Those from outside the UK and Commonwealth could miss this, as it seems both you and the performer are surprised by the audience reaction. In this case the audience have it right: no matter how challenging it might be to play, it’s an 18th century meme joke.
I can’t wait for that livestream it’s literally been 8 hours and you already got past 500 likes
Are they drunk?. I cant imagine THAT many narcisstics in one place
Makes we want to buy that "People R Stupid" bumper sticker lol
How are they narcissists, though? They laugh about a, frankly, funny, tickly piece. No, it's not proper etiquette, maybe it's disrespectful, the performer seems to feel disrespected at least, but you could also see the aspect that it's a genuine reaction to a piece of music that adds ridiculous shenanigans to a relatively simple piece of music. If anything, I think that they didn't quite realise the difficulty and need for concentration of it all. They took it as a little wink towards the audience after the main program of the concert, which is quite reasonable if you don't know much about violin playing.
How do you spin that into an armchair diagnosis?
I think you are right, I'm a very intermediate violin player and general lover of classical music but I didn't know this piece besides it being the British national anthem. It can easily sound like a humorous mockery which is imho exactly what the British monarchy deserves. NZ was a colony at the end of the day, know your audience. @@hannahschneyder6651
I like the analogies you used in how interupting during a performance can be so detrimental all around. I'm looking forward to the live stream at 500 likes!!
omg, they are so rude... i can imagine how disappointed he was. When he took his final bow, I screamed and cried.
Student: I'm nervous
Me, a teacher: what's the worse that can happen?
Me, a teacher after this video: 😶
I think the audience is in awe, and not laughing at him.
Thank You for Your insightful and Compassionate Narration of this Concert! Very educational, too!
That said; It's so very sad for Ning Feng to have received such a disappointing reaction from the Audience, that it caused him sorrow.😢 However, we can be consoled by the Fact that he is a 🌹Legendary Violinist,🌹 and can expect better reactions from more appreciative Audiences in the future. Thank You, Great Video! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you so much!
Das Werk ist sicher schwer, aber es gibt mehr als eine Handvoll Leute, die es spielen können. z. B. YITZHAK PERLMAN, HILLARY HAHN ,GIDEON KREMER, ROMAN KIM, YEHUDI MENUHIN, DAVID GARRET, JASCHA HEIFETZ, JOSHUA BELL, STEPAN GRYTSAY, .......
It is impressive that he managed to keep his composure so well.
Not nearly as bad but this reminds me of the time I was singing (I was 8) and the audience started clapping to the song. Usually it’s just annoying but this time they were clapping soo off beat and I was trying my hardest to not get thrown off😭😅.
Honestly, I don't think its disrespectful. If someone played paganini's god save the king, I'd be freaking out in my seat from the shure impressiveness.
But from their perspective, its understandable that some of the audience don't understand it. At the end of a day, a concert is a show, an experience. And introducing people who don't know better to a such an arrangement of god save the king with all these insane techniques (tell me left hand pizzicato doesn't look funny) only adds to educating them better.
I think most classical musicians would find this audience reaction to be perfectly acceptable, especially during a light-hearted encore/showpiece (even one as technically difficult as this). The violinist is basically putting on an acrobatics display, so let the audience have fun. I don’t believe your narrative about the musicians onstage taking offense.
HUH????
Love that interspersed close up and explaination of the technique.
My personal opinion is that the laughter is sheer joy and amazement. It's about as expected as a firecracker going off in the hall though and he was justified in being super annoyed.
Something similar happened to me once. I was doing an orchestra audition and one of the jury members started laughing when I started playing one of my excerpts. It was really bothering me but I kept playing, not sure what was going on. I actually was accepted but I never understood why he had this reaction
He was probably testing you.
For situations like this, you know...
He probably wanted to test if you can handle it if someone in the audience coughs or laughs or something.
Good on you for passing the test and making the cut.
Maybe he was in awe of your performance. Some people react differently.
Thanks for your fascinating revelations regarding violin playing.
Heartbreaking but I can’t say I’m too surprised because it’s New Zealand. That country is the international equivalent of Florida if you know what I mean.
Having grownup in NZ this is true. Also, it looks to be at one of their Townhalls and not one of the venues where orchestral music is usually playing. But I think this has more to do with the fact that it's God Save the King and most people really do not care for him. Someone always tries to throw an egg or two at the Royals when they come to visit.
I’ve liked the people I’ve met from New Zealand. They’re very friendly.
They probably thought that he was taking the piss out of the British national anthem.
They think he is making fun of great britain anthem. All this situation came from the audience ignorance.
As someone who's from new zealand i'm really ashamed to see this. Horrible audience.
they prob thought it was comedic
I think you have all forgotten what we musicians are. We are performers. We are nothing without the audience. This fabulous musician chose a piece that was extremely difficult and impressive, however it is still known famously as God save the king, something we know will get a kick out of the crowd. Picture yourself at a Paganini concert - women screaming, people talking, and laughter/enjoyment. This was commonplace, Paganini knew this and was composed the variations for the delight of the crowd. To say that “this is not a reaction that is acceptable from a crowd” is absurd, the crowd reacted exactly how Paganini would have expected them to react. It is the job of the performer to adapt and meet these challenges, not the crowd. Unfortunately the performer in this instance did not see the humour of this situation and clearly neither do you. We musicians need to start taking ourselves a little seriously.
I would be laughing with sheer joy and amazement at the sheer difficulty of the performance.
7:20 you asked how we would feel to perform with passion after years of practice, only to be laughed at and i felt it so deep in my heart because I can honestly say it happens all the time for me. People think fire spinning is easy because i make it look easy. Its exhausting, so in a long performance i will stumble and drop it on occasion, just like a violinist may miss a note after playing for 30mins+
The ignorant masses have no concept of what we do. To them; your thing sounds pretty, my thing looks pretty...but a person is doing it and they are a person, and you make it seem easy so it must be easy. And they wouldnt have done it the way we just did it, so we aren't as good as them even though they have never picked up an instrument.
One guy came over to me after a performance and said "can you show me how to do 'that easy move' please?"
I was happy to introduce him to fire spinning so i showed him the basics, he shook his head. "No, i just want to spin it in a circle like you did" the Full Wrist Roll that creates a perfect circle of fire...is....NOT.....'That EASY Move'!!! It is a move that i have practiced for hundreds of hours, maybe thousands of hours. I make it LOOK easy, thats called Performing!
Rant over, you gave me mega flashbacks and i needed to vent lol.
Feeling so bad for the violinist 😢
The worst reaction you can expect from the audience is no reaction. Most musicians I know would appreciate any non-malicious reaction from the audience. Gasping, laughing, clapping at the wrong time. It's all fine. We are here to entertain, not to show off how good we are. And the last thing we want, especially at this day and age, is people thinking you can't enjoy classical music without taking it so seriously.
The audience may have no idea about the difficulty of playing this piece so they have no appreciation of it...he should just have played Flight of the Bumblebee and I bet this audience would have given him a standing ovation!!.🤣🤣
I'd be honored to be in Ning Feng's live, plus listening his Paganini would be one of the greatest experiences in my life.
If I were on that stage playing those pieces, I'd be massively mad, maybe my arm(s) start shaking by anger. And I wouldn't forget to tell the concert organization that never let me play in your concerts - and I will never visit this country again.
I mean, I can't even imagine my reaction!
At first laughing at someone's performance (not only in music though) is not OK.
I'm sure that Ning Feng isn't weak as I am so he would stay cool but I hope that he won't be traumatized by this.
Every classical concert I went to, I suspected the majority of the audience were there to be seen, or had their reasons, not neccecssarily for the music.
I bet none of them have 1% of his talent
this is so sad :((((((
I would be crying tears of joy and amazement, not laughing if I heard this.
It was a popular tune in late 17th century Europe, so ends up in many theme and variations of that period, including one of Fernando Sor's guitar studies!
Probably the audience are historically informed performance enthusiasts who realise that this music is fun and impressive and audiences would never have sat solemnly through it like it was Sunday mass…
And we never heard the piece finally..
.
Sadly this happened to him more than once, I went to his Hong Kong concert last year. When he was playing the Sibelius violin concerto a little boy was yelling for at least 10 seconds, Ning Feng stopped playing just like in this clip until the boy the escorted out by his mother.
As a violinist, this piece might sound like heaven, but trust me folks, playing it is just straight out of hell. And you better pay respect to every single one who dares and has the guts to play this piece. Cuz you might be blessed with the music, but the musician is cursed with those curly notes.
its just the audience was probably full of a bunch of musically uneducated elderly people who dont realise its paganini they think hes just playing the anthem.
Can't wait for your stream 🔥
Can’t wait to see you there!
Having grownup in NZ he probably should have read the room before playing God Save the King. Which is honestly the last thing most people from the colonies want to hear. The Monarchy really isn't as popular as you might think.
They probably laughed at first because they thought he was in on the joke by playing a funny version of the anthem. As difficult as it might be I think it just landed wrong and seemed like a joke.
When I first started orchestra, the conductor would have audience etiquette pamphlets to inform the audience on proper times to clap and show appreciation for the musicians. You can’t expect everyone in the audience who may not be musicians to respond in a way a fellow musician may respond.
You can be so skilled and have practiced so many hours, but the moment you get made fun of, your confidence absolutely gets destroyed and is possible to ruin a performance. Its not fun, its not cool. Respect the talent, respect the time these people dedicate to their crafts. If this video truly is real, and the audience is really disrespectful, shame on them.
To audiences that don't know the piece it actually sounds humoristic, especially if the context is an encore. In this case, NOT giggling would be seen as impolite. It would be like not laughing at a comedian's jokes. I don't think this audience was malicious. Just ignorant.
Ernst last rose of summer is also extremely challenging
I’m not a classical musician by any stretch, but I certainly look listen to it and I certainly wouldn’t disrespect a talented musician like this one.
"Nobody plays this piece cause it's too difficult"
Roman Kim: hold my beer.
For sure Feng is such a perfectionist, hence his flawless playing. Just missed 1 note and he is pissed off. I hope he can take it easy. It was a flawless performance as far as everyone else’s concern!
omg that's so brutal, I would cry
It is outrageous to accept people who place themselves above all the others and to whom we have to address as his/her majesty.
I love watching your videos but, in my heart, it was not disrespectful and a human way of reacting to being in awe! I would have preferred a reverent audience but this is just one of those nights where everyone is having a good time. ❤
I dont think the audience mean bad, I think it is just ignorance.
This piece is more about technoque than anything else, and some pizzicato techniques are even when performed flawlessly sound quite comical especially when performed constantly.
To be honest, as a professional oboist myself, I am not sure I can really understand the difficulty, I am almost sure it can only really be appreciated by violinists and string players.
I am nut sure you can blame the audience for laughing if they have not even the basic understanding of difficulty.
And this goes also the other way around when a flashy easy effect blows peoples mind but everyone in the bussiness knows that doing is not nearly as difficult as people think.
I adore Ning Feng and his solo CD is a dream (Erlkönig is so amazing) but maybe this encore was not the best choice for that audience.
Sorry for the big rant, just wanted to drop my 2 cents.
It’s like you had a bad experience and are projecting. My local symphony played Hungarian Dance No. 5, people were laughing, applauding, and the musicians did the same. It’s not unnatural, and in many places is a sign of respect/gratitude.
No one except violinists or classical enthusiasts know this piece. It is supposed to be fun, people have a genuine reaction to it. Its not like you can't hear the piece. It's not like he was booed off the stage or something. He will play it again for more "cultured" people in the future. No need for fake outrage, just go next.
Also, the speech comparison is truly stupid, because it is not a serious speech it is a musical joke of a kind (while being hard). You can be amused by the character of the music and amazed by the skill at the same time, it is not mutually exclusive. They wouldn't have laughed during Erlking
Do you think Paganini's audience would have been quiet? It is a playful piece, not a super serious one. That's why it was chosen as an encore. Yes, it's super difficult, but that doesn't make it serious. I find it baffling that people don't hear the playfulness and humor in this piece, and only focus on the amazing technique. Without the playfullness, it would have no musical value IMO, even if it's super difficult.
I mean think about it this way. God Save the King is such a recognizable and simple melody. It's also a pretty serious piece of music - a national anthem. There's a certain "dignity" to it. And then Paganini writes really playful and entertaining variations that are simultaneously super technical based on it. I think there's definitely some humor involved in it. Being amused by it is at least a very understandable reaction (but I would go further and say that it is the expected reaction). The performer knows well that the audience will hear the playfullness of the piece. Again, that's why he chose it as an encore. I doubt he feels "disrespected", especially after the huge applause this performance got.
I would have dropped my violin if I was him
Ok, I think there is a need to be fair here. Is it frustrating that people didn't understand the skill involved? Of course. But I think performers need to realise that their audience doesn't owe them ANYTHING. Don't expect a random person to know that God save the King by Paganini is some unicorn piece of musical excellence, just don't. Be happy that you made people laugh. I am quite sure not a single person in the audience laughed because they thought what was played was bad. Yes they clapped at the wrong part. how the hell were they supposed to know it didn't end there? Be happy that they liked it and get over your annoyance at something that has to be expected.
He is playing My Country tis of Thee.
Don’t mess with The Shredder.
I wouldn't be laughing. Yes I know how it feels like when you bust it destroy the best yet still disrespected and laughed at.
Isn't that Roman Kim's recording playing in the background while you talk?
This video really made me laugh! I think the audience is just reacting to what it sounds like a joke, probably related to history of the colonies. Anyway, why some people think about classical music concerts as something extremely serious? It seems they are having fun and if they don't know the piece is obvious they will clap when something feels like an ending. I do not find anything disrespectful here just a video in which someone assumes that all audiences have to behave the same way, being familiar with the ritual of a classical music concert, something that I don't agree
God Save the King isn't just the British national anthem, it is also one of New Zealand's two official anthems (the other being God Defend New Zealand).
i feel so bad for this guy
You surpassed 500 likes!
I understand that this piece is very difficult and I would never be able to play it and I respect the artist and the musician but it kinda sounds horrible. Mad respect to the musician, I can only imagine how difficult this would be. ❤ I ALSO UNDERSTAND HE PLAYED IT THE WAY HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BTW!!!
0:49 I-, this just tipped my world on the axis. What. I have a friend that, every time they warm up they play passages from this piece.. I thought that was a normal thing to do. Like that they were just a average violinist.
I miss the days when applause and interaction was a normal part of music performance. We have over-formalised music attendance far too much to the point where audiences are bland.
I want interactive audiences, I want performances in the round.
Performers are not used to a responsive crowd, and thus don't know how to deal with them. Performers are expected to be robotic performers, and that's sad.
While that is true, it's not the case here. The audience can always be responsive and interacting with the performer if the moment calls for it. In this exact piece I don't think it applies bc it requires such concentration that it would be considered disrespectful bc it distracts the performer and can take away the momentum. Ofc there are pieces where the audience is required to interact (look no further than the Radetzky March) and the audience can clap and cheer if impressed (example: Zapateado interpreted by Midori) but this audience was straight disrespectful
well we couldnt hear the audience because you kept talkikn
"There is no harder piece"
Last rose of summer: Exists
Your opinion is of course valid and I'm sure there are many who share it, but I believe you are wrong. Many musicians do not play for their recordings or their own accolades, or even for the composer- but for the audience. Most lovers of classical music albeit not musicians, are very very knowledgeable of scores amd their difficulty. Even the neophyte can discern a challenging piece from a simple one. So my point is to say that to truly woo an audience is to extract a reaction from them. Stoic, rigid and silent awe is great for concentration, but gasps and giggles of disbelief and glee are great for passion. I do not think they are laughing for the gaiety of the piece but for the technical accomplishment he had just performed. He also does not seem upset, he was smiling and motioning to them. Lastly, and this is just my take- I do not at all think he missed a note due to the audience, if he did, it was because it is an insanely challenging piece. Good day.
That's a ridicoulus difficult pieces, and the audience laugh... what a shame.
But they might just be laughing in amazement and delight instead of gasping - just hard to tell with this one.
I think he was just sad about the fact that those people are not able to understand the pure shallow beauty of music. This is actually so sad that the most people on this planet will nerver get in contact with music
I think it is absolutely absurd how you can know what everyone is thinking and their reasons for reacting they way they do. If the audience was not being respectful, they would leave in the middle of his performance. And who made you the gate keeper and arbiter of reactions in the performance space? When my audience stays in their seats, I don't care if they laugh or cry, I consider it to be a compliment and respectful that they are still giving me their time. And I think you're the only one who knows that the performer missed a note. Maybe they are laughing because they know how difficult the piece is -- maybe they are an audience full of violinists who realize just how difficult it is. I can tell you that I have been in several performance situations where people laugh out of sheer enjoyment of the performance and engagement with the performer. And how did you know that performer was disappointed? Maybe he is overcome with the beauty and awe of the composition he just performed and maybe he is humble enough to know and feel how privileged he is to be able to play it himself -- maybe for him it represents something or someone dear to him. How can you actually know?
Everytime i go to a classical music concert 90% of people in the audience are there just for the photo or Instagram moment, they have no idea of what they are seeing and get bored withing the first 5 min,
even if the piece is hard as hell.
But most of them would get impressed by some "quick" and easy piece
you won't impress anyone by playing this Paganini's piece but people will lose their minds if you play the first notes of Vivaldi's "summer" 3rd movement 😅
and they thought plucking only works in guitar lol
I don't think, that the audience knew it's a piece by Paganini. And if they knew they may laughed especially because it's Paganini. In germany composers like Paganini or Wieniawski are not taken really seriously, because back in 19th century people believed music by Paganini, Wieniawski or Ernst is no art, because it's just to show of and just mechanics. And all these asthetic theories where received so in the german musicology you still have a lot of people who think like this. They love their Beethoven, Bach, Brahms and so on, but laugh on Paganini, Wieniawski, Ernst etc.
stimmt leider
People laughed once when Yuja Wang started playing Mozart Ronda all antics for her encore…it’s sad
It doesn't mean they didn't enjoy the performance. In fact, it's one of the legendary ones
I would label the audience as ignorant rather than disrespectful. Their actions could be labelled disrespectful, but not the people ... in my opinion.
I don’t think he was crying nor do I think the audience were intending to be disrespectful. He is a seasoned professional. I have seen other videos of him and he just has a hangdog expression all the time. He’s a bloody good violinist though: wow.