The Cleveland Symphony Orchestra at Nashville (Cont.)
Screen 3 of 4The first number started with the full orchestra responding to Mr. Sokolof's strong down beat of the baton. The strings and woodwinds were supported by trumpets, trombones, drums and bass violins in a loud and thrilling introduction. It was a Tchaikowsky composition I believe, but I'm not sure. I just know I had never heard anything like it before, and I liked it. Oh, how I liked it: In fact, I think I decided that night that I would like to play the trumpet, and later I did play that instrument in bands and orchestras for many years.
The music soon quieted down in response to the conductor's hand signals, and for a while everything was much calmer and more soothing. We all relaxed in our seats.
It was at this point that we heard some women's voices in the audience slightly behind us and to the left. Their voices were not loud because the music was soft, and they were talking at that level so as not to be heard by others around them. But all the people in our area could certainly hear the low hum of their continuous conversation, while we were trying to listen to the orchestra.
Even though my mother had told me it is impolite and in poor taste to look around and stare at people at a concert, I could not resist turning around and trying to identify the persons who were talking. It was not difficult to find them. Two women sitting next to each other were talking constantly--softly when the music was soft and louder when the music increased in volume. They must have done this sort of thing before, because they seemed quite skilled in keeping the volume of their conversation up to but not above the loudness of the orchestra music. And it was obvious even to a novice like me that they were neither talking about the music nor listening to it.
But their time was to come.
In the middle of the first number, the orchestra began a slow but gradual build-up in volume from a very soft to a much louder level. First the violins played alone. Then they were joined by the other strings and some of the woodwinds. When I whispered to my mother that the music was gradually getting louder, she put her finger to her lips and said very quietly, "Yes, we call that a crescendo." (She was a music teacher and knew such things.) Next, the basses, the trumpets and trombones joined in the build-up, followed by the drums, cymbals and what my mother later told me were kettle drums or tympani.
Everything was so loud I was about to jump out of my seat. I thought once the roof might be caving in. Even the feather on the woman's hat began to wave back and forth. She may have been just swaying and keeping time with the music, but I wasn't sure. At any rate, the music was very loud, and the conductor was waving his arms wildly.
Then all at once--with no warning at all--Mr. Sokolof brought down his baton through the air with a strong and decisive fast movement.
This was followed immediately by a complete and deadly silence. All the musicians had suddenly ceased playing, and for an instant there was not a sound throughout the entire auditorium. Then we all heard a shrieking woman's voice. "We fry ours in lard:" she screamed. It was one of the women behind us who had been talking all during the concert. And now they were caught. The surprise cut-off had been too sudden. The one who had screamed out about her cooking couldn't make the noise level adjustment quickly enough, I suppose.
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