News: “Turn off the phone!”
Crescendo of rage as phone just doesn't stop ringing at a classical music concert
Words Helen Lawson
A smartphone led to a not-so smart move for one classical music fan in New York, after the persistent ringing of his iPhone led to the conductor stopping the performance and the rest of the audience not too far off from a lynching by the sounds of it.
Film student Max Kinchen documented the incident on his blog, telling how the New York Philharmonic Orchestra’s rendition of Mahler’s 9th symphony was in its final movement when a pesky iPhone rang, incurring the wrath of conductor Alan Gilbert. And rang. And rang some more, just for good measure.
Kinchen wrote: “Finally, in a move that shocked the whole venue, Gilbert put down his baton and signaled the players to stop. The audience was dead silent for a moment, save of course for the terrible sound of the ringing phone. Then, suddenly there was the sound of a great shifting and rumbling as every single person in the hall reached for their pockets and made sure their phones were off. And still, the phone continued to ring.
“We’ll wait.” Gilbert said, sounding more like a chastising kindergarten teacher than a conductor. Myself and those around me cringed in embarrassment, both for ourselves and the nameless dolt who had forgotten to go to vibrate.”
But the iPhone, and its possibly asleep owner, failed to shut the eff up and without an usher on hand to diffuse the situation, this was where things got testy.
“Get out!” came an angry call from one of the balconies. Call is a nice way of putting it, this shout was almost more of a growl than coherent words.
“Shut it off!” Came another voice.
The aggression and anger in the voices of these people was palpable. Soon, a whole chorus of “Turn off the phone!” and “Throw them out!” was rising from around me in the auditorium.
I can’t describe the tension in that room and possibly do it justice, The way the people were shouting made it seem like they were calling for the phone’s owner’s head on a platter. They wanted blood! This crowd of largely elderly, well dressed, seemingly cultured and sophisticated people were shouting and screaming like a group of island natives demanding a sacrifice.
And still the phone kept ringing.
The calls got louder, there was a sense of movement in the sector the phone was coming from. What were those people preparing to do?”
Thankfully the ringing stopped and the perpetrator of the terrible crime was able to leave the Lincoln Center with limbs attached before the angry classical-loving haters mob tore them to shreds. And you thought music fans arguing over the internet was bad?
