> >Many years ago, one of our famous colleagues > >gave a concert at Carnegie Recital Hall in New York, and one of our > >other learned colleagues* accosted him afterwards in the green room, > >launching immediately into a detailed critique of everything he did > >wrong, that could be improved, and how- but the performer shushed him > >in mid-sentence and said "NOT NOW, damn it! Talk to me tomorrow, if > >you must!" Even if the criticism is well meant, there is always a > >proper time, way, and place.
It was really bad timing more than bad intentions. The critic was suffering from a fit of frantic pedantry; and couldn't control himself. He has since gone on to become a fine teacher, and the performer has gone on to become a successful concert artist. This happened about 40 years ago; I have been friends of both parties. -Dan > It's hard to determine "the proper time" to potentially make a person > sad and evoke that "tundra-esque" reaction David talked about... > sometimes one should simply leave it or utter a friendly "white" lie, I > agree. But as it seems one has to ask one self how honest one is with > one's urge to utter this and that... (difficult, I know...:-) The > above critic - if I got the story right - intruded the post-concert > celebration with inpolite and harsh negativity only, made himself > important in the most inadequate way to the poor artist - who certainly > had a right to be proud and happy and have a wondeful time in the first > place after having performed at such a prestigious place, it probably > was a big event for him. -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
