033: The audience experience, with superfan Roderick Branch

Stand Partners for Life

Chicago Symphony cellist Brant Taylor may have been our very first special guest here at the Stand Partners, but so far we've been missing the perspective of his partner Roderick Branch. Roderick is a musician, though his day job (and sometimes into the night job) is as a partner at a giant law firm. Roderick is what you'd call an extremely savvy listener, otherwise known as a superfan. So today Akiko, Brant, and I talk with Roderick, to remember just who it is we're playing for. Roderick elaborates on the dynamics between orchestra and audience in the context of different halls around the world. We speak about the room for error in a magical rendition, the performer as an audience member, and how the level of familiarity with an orchestra affects our experience of it. We also get into the pros and cons of designs, histories, and acoustics of different halls. Next, we share many stories about what made a particular concert life-changing, and then weigh up the various traits of our favorite conductors. Finally, our pet peeves about off-putting audience or performer behavior take center stage. Key Points From This Episode Performers and audience members might feel differently about the quality of a symphony. The distance of a performer or observer from the orchestra changes how it sounds. Minor mistakes are less meaningful when there is great spirit in a performance. The mood of an audience member might change their experience of a performance. Live symphonies sound different to recorded and mastered ones. The way a musician reacts to something unexpected is an indicator of how prepared they are. Experiencing different hall acoustics is neither good or bad but special. Sometimes one has to try to be less critical to have a good time. Knowing the orchestra might change the experience of watching them for better or worse. Knowing who is playing could change whether Roderick goes to a concert or not. Disney Hall’s modernity compared to the sense of history of Symphony Center. The acoustics of Disney hall are like a soft focus lens, while Chicago Hall is less forgiving. Less forgiving acoustics can be liberating because it allows for powerful playing. Hearing the same orchestra playing in different halls is a good way of seeing their difference. Great conductors bring out aspects in a symphony not heard before. The respect the orchestra has for a good conductor is palpable in their body language. It is difficult to be fully present as a musician in every performance. Several stories of the most life-changing performances the group have ever seen. Barenboim, Boulez, Haitink and Muti compared by Roderick. Off-putting performer behavior: not looking engaged and talking during the applause. Off-putting audience behavior: humming, cellphones, leaving too early, coughing. Links Brant Taylor Roderick Branch Chicago Symphony Orchestra Bartok Concerto For Orchestra LA Philharmonic Disney Concert Hall Symphony Center Orchestra Hall Daniel Burnham The Burnham Plan of Chicago Barbara Walter Milli-Vanilli Musikverein Carnegie Hall Concertgebouw Severance Hall Riccardo Muti Krassimira Stoyanova Pierre Boulez Ben Molar Daniel Barenboim Ma Vlast The Moldau Bernard Haitink Shakespeare Beethoven 9 Verdi: Requiem The Hollywood Bowl Jumbotron Anne-Sophie Mutter “If you’re performing a string quartet or a solo piece, the way you react to things that don’t go totally as planned is the biggest indicator of how well prepared something is.” — @ Akiko Tarumoto [0:12:07] “If you listen to the concert with your music critic hat on, that detracts from the enjoyment of the experience.” — @ Roderick Branch [0:18:10] “It’s actually an interesting hobby to hear an orchestra you know well, play in different halls. It’s the best way to figure out exactly how much d...