The Opera Tattler

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Marino Formenti plays Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus

MarinoFormenti * Tattling * 
Marino Formenti's recent performance at Los Angeles Philharmonic convinced me to get a ticket for his performance of Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus in Berkeley yesterday, although I neither like nor understand Messiaen. Unfortunately, it turned out that I had to return to Southern California on Saturday morning for personal reasons, but was able to goad someone into taking the ticket I had purchased. As it happened, I arrived back in Berkeley in plenty of time for Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra's holiday performance. In fact, I was so early I was able to to over to St. John's where Formenti was playing to meet up with some of my favorite bloggers at the recital. I had thought it was unlikely I could go into the hall, since there was probably no intermission.

I was surprised to be able to hear some of the music from outside of the building, and when I entered the lobby, the person selling tickets asked if she could help me. Seeing the sign that said there was no intermission, I remarked that the piece had gone on for an hour already, declined buying a ticket, and sat in the hallway to wait for my friends. From what I could tell, I was missing a great performance, Formenti's playing is so appealing. I could only hear the forte bits of the music, as I was sitting by a rather loud water heater.

I do not know how long I was there before the ticket seller came up to me and said something about it being unfair that I was listening to the music and had not paid for a ticket. This was completely discombobulating to me, and I found I really had no response. I had been listening to what was audible to me, and maybe I should have paid for half a ticket, as she suggested, for sitting in a hallway. I did say in no uncertain terms that I was not going into the hall, as I think that would have been unfair, to disrupt the performance whilst it was going on. The person was placated when I told her I was waiting for friends that were in the hall. However, perhaps she has a point, I did listen to snippets of Formenti playing Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus, and to that end, I have made a nominal donation to San Francisco Performances. I also have a strong suspicion that I will not attend a performance presented by San Francisco Performances this season.

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12 responses to “Marino Formenti plays Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus”

  1. cedichou Avatar
    cedichou

    You’ll be at Nathan Gunn, I know that…at least I hope to see you there.
    It’s not SF Performances fault that St John had a bossy usher. Or is it?

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  2. Lisa Hirsch Avatar
    Lisa Hirsch

    The ticket seller thought you should pay for sitting in the lobby half-able to hear half the music? I wonder if that’s a written policy or something the person made up on the spot, and I also wonder whether SFP knows about it.
    You might contact SFP directly and point them to this posting.

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  3. Immanuel Gilen Avatar
    Immanuel Gilen

    A rather unfortunate (and quite unnecessary) incident…too bad, because San Francisco Performances is usually pretty well-run in my experience.

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  4. sfmike Avatar
    sfmike

    Remember the “Music in 12 Parts” disaster where people were wandering into Davies Hall for a good hour after the start of the concert because the will-call was such a mess? SFP needs to get their ticket act together, and that particular woman who thought you were being “unfair” by listening to stray notes while waiting for friends should be given the boot.

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  5. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    I cannot be certain, but my understanding is that the person wanted me to pay and go into the hall. I didn’t want to do this because I don’t think I could have entered without at least slightly disrupting the performance.
    I did email SF Performances and referenced this post.

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  6. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    Nathan Gunn is not my favorite baritone in their line-up, and I’m not fond of recitals as a form. So I do doubt I’ll go, but look forward to the reviews!
    I think the person at hand worked for SF Performances not the church, but I don’t know exactly.

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  7. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    My experience has been that SF Performances is friendly and more accommodating than Cal Performances, for example. It is unfortunate, but my behavior was pretty darn weird, so I can see where that person was coming from.

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  8. The Book Spotter Avatar
    The Book Spotter

    I was a victim of the will-call snafu at Music in 12 Parts & did write them an e-mail about about it, but never got a response. The person asking Tattler to pay for half a recital was out of line, & I am glad that the Tattler refrained from entering the hall mid-recital. Though I much enjoy her presence, I would be have been highly annoyed by the disturbance. The level of concentration was so high that a creaking door at one point became a huge distraction.

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  9. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    That Music in 12 Parts situation was so unpleasant. I could see the ticket seller’s point, but in the end it makes me unexcited about going out of my way to go to their events.

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  10. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    I would have gone in if there had been an intermission, but am loathe to disturb any performance, especially one as intense as the one in question. I was annoyed that the ticket seller was talking to me at all, but I did put myself in that situation.

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  11. doug Avatar
    doug

    Sorry to hear about this OT and I hope SF Performances opts to make it right with you. Good for you for emailing them. I worked in arts management, including box office, for a number of years, and I surely get that it can be hard. Still, it does seem that SF Performances gets many of the front of house and ticket sales things wrong regardless of venue. Hopefully you will be greeted more warmly — you lobby-based interest alone could be seen as enthusiasm and possibly even future ticket sales — next time around.

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  12. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    Thank you! I was boggled at that as well, why would one go out of the way to alienate someone (especially a young person) who clearly is interested in classical music?

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