# Local live chamber orchestra vs youtube excellence. Is it so bad?



## jonatan (May 6, 2016)

After 2 covid19 years at last I had the opportunity to attend the live concert of our local (national) chamber symphony orchestra last nigh with the guest piano musician. Program featured a bit from contemporary music, Haydn symphony and Beethoven piano concerto. 

And I didn't like it, despite it is our nation chamber symphony orchestra on our national stage number one.

Those last 2 years I have lived on youtube videos which feature the best music and immediately before Covid I had the opportunity to attend the live concerts of the greatest world musicians (London Symphony Orchestra, Maisky and Seong Jin-Cho etc.). And now yesterdays concert. What a difference! No energy, no routine mastery (our chamber symphony orchestra prepares new program each month, concerts are repeated max 2 times, maybe this is because of this tight schedule? Is such schedule normal?), sometimes lacking mindfulness and consciousness in the interpretation, no story in the interpretation, no sophistication on the tactile matters/touches of piano etc. Yes, it was interesting to listen and to thing what I had done differently if I had conducted the piece. But well, youtube concerts are not raising such thought in my, I enjoy the amazing mastery and story telling that are in them.

My question is - is local music orchestra of small Easter European country so bad that it is hard to enjoy the live music performed by it? Or youtube concerts and big names create different atmosphere and evaluative context that live concert of local orchestra does not (despite the fact all of its musicians are professionals and some of them are named the best in our country)?

Are the gap among different professional musicians and professional orchestras so big that some of them can not be enjoyed much?

Is it normal that I have so high demands for quality and sophisticated taste (a sign of age?)? If everyone had had such demands then there would be no chance for local, national music to survive... And it is not the only concert of this orchestra that I didn't enjoy. But I have no much options in our country/city.


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## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

Youtube brings to your home the best of the best in the world, and you get spoiled by it. But it's nothing new, recordings did the same thing, only the best of the best got recording contracts. 

And yes there is a big difference between world class musicians and the kind you would hear in your local orchestra which is probably made up of a good number of amateurs. You have to scale down your expectations. These local orchestras make up it for by being less expensive and more accessible geographically. And in ingenious ways, like unique program choice and interesting high-quality guest soloists, some of whom are on the cusp of world fame.

And there are so many tiers of quality. We have been listening to a chamber group on youtube that has been a draw at the summer vacation destination we visit every year. We were critical even of their playing lately; I don't know if it is lack of practice due to covid or what. You get spoiled (develop high standards) and then nothing less will do.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

I generally always prefer a live concert, and adjust my ears. I try to hear around problems (wrong notes, balance, odd interpretive choices) and enjoy the music, even if it's played dreadfully.


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## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

MarkW said:


> I generally always prefer a live concert, and adjust my ears. I try to hear around problems (wrong notes, balance, odd interpretive choices) and enjoy the music, even if it's played dreadfully.


There are more mistakes and more roughness in a live performance than in a studio recording, but the world class groups make fewer and less noticeable mistakes. Their abilities take your breath away. With lesser musicians, you might always be waiting for a clunker, or you're constantly aware of their imperfect intonation or imprecise timing.


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## jonatan (May 6, 2016)

My guess is that the tight programming schedule can also be of importance. Great orchestras are in demand all of the world and they can travel around with the same program for years.

In my case there are subscription concerts of our chamber orchestra - each month new concert with new program. The same program can be repeated in one other town and that is all, no more travel, no more repeat. And orchestra also delivers additional concerts on important occasions. In my case it is professional orchestra with professional musicians who certainly can read from page the new material and, I guess, they can learn 3 new pieces over 2-3 weeks to deliver the concert quality performance. But, well, it can be hard to achieve the brilliance under such conditions.


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## jonatan (May 6, 2016)

But, all in all, to be honest, while I am writing all this - I am starting to wait and longing for their next concert. It can be better or a bit not so good, but it is music and collective joy of music, adventure!


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

I prefer live concerts as a general approach...yes, there is the chance of mistakes, but there is also the chance of a stunning, exciting performance..
for your local group, it's possible that the conducting is simply enervating and lifeless...that will make a huge difference of course...and, the caliber of musicians employed is crucial as well. there are so many variables..
If the one group doesn't provide satisfaction, then try another group that's active in the region??


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## 59540 (May 16, 2021)

jonatan said:


> But, all in all, to be honest, while I am writing all this - I am starting to wait and longing for their next concert. It can be better or a bit not so good, but it is music and collective joy of music, adventure!


Yeah, unless it's absolutely horrible just be thankful there's an ensemble you can go hear live. Not every outfit is going to be the Vienna Philharmonic.


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## FrankE (Jan 13, 2021)

At least you got to go and see something, there's nothing on here until mid December and that's a seasonal thing so not my scene.
People were saying spring 2020 when things open up again live concerts are going to be less than optimal for a bit as bands / orchestras / ensembles won't be as practised as normal.
Live classical I always hear as much of the hall than the ensemble.

I prefer the comfort of my home. I do like live but the old saying goes that most people when they have a cough go to their pharmacist or healthcare provider, classical fans go to concerts.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

Part of the charm of concert performance is it is real people playing in a place designed for music -- not you sitting alone at home or elsewhere listening to an electronic version of same. Music is meant to be heard in space, not through speakers or ear buds. The latter are OK substitutes for the real thing in part because they sound better than reality. But they are unreal and I think this is probably what disappointed you about the concert.

All the same issues hold true for the differences between live theater, movies, television and streams via various devices. To prefer the latter is to prefer production over humanity, in my book. Production can be perfect and, in the 21st century, be seen and sound better than perfection. But it's unreal.


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## Livly_Station (Jan 8, 2014)

I have to admit it's been some time since I went to a concert. I used to go almost all weekends, but then I stopped -- the first main reasons being distance, the second being money, but I'd also argue that listening to classical music at home is generally better.

I'd like to go to classical concerts again after covid, but only with an adjacent social reason for that, like going with friends or to enjoy the environment besides the music.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

I think I am a little spoiled living in LA. 

But it seems to me, that the differences between the best ensembles that come through on tour, are only a couple of small steps above many of the local ensembles here.

Maybe it's because of the movie studio orchestras here, or the very good music departments at UCLA and USC, and music schools in the Southern California area (Coburn, Music Academy of the West), and many studio musicians that are grads of classical schools, feed the local chamber ensembles here.

I've been to performances by all of the above, and have seen some extremely good performances. Maybe the biggest weak spot, is in interpretation, but technically, very few complaints.


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## progmatist (Apr 3, 2021)

Never mind CDs, Hi-Res, vinyl, et cetera...the ultimate sound quality is going to be live in a halfway decent performance space.


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## Bruckner Anton (Mar 10, 2016)

Honestly, if I have live performance (by good performers of course) to watch, I would not bother spending time on recordings. However, if the concert/recording is not performed by decent players, I would not waste time on it. So, good performance and good sound, both are important for me to enjoy a good piece of music.


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