# Have you ever fallen asleep at the symphony?



## Mister Meow (10 mo ago)

This thread is for anyone who is willing to admit to having fallen asleep at the symphony, or perhaps at the opera.


----------



## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

Sure 

Do you mean a live performance, or being in bed with my headphones ?

But I believe I had a micro-nap at a live performance once, too, but don't remember which one.


----------



## znapschatz (Feb 28, 2016)

Not on your life! I am a fanatic about classical music, and it would be inconceivable for me to pay the money and fall asleep on a performance.


----------



## prlj (10 mo ago)

Absolutely. I hate to admit it, but I've definitely done so, particularly at my own concerts. (Shame!!)

A typical concert day might have me hosting one of our guest artists at a master class in the morning, a lunch with a board member or other donor, then our dress rehearsal all afternoon, followed by dinner with another trustee or donor or artist, then the doors open and being "on" in the lobby for all of our patrons. By the time the first note starts, I've been on my feet and in "schmooze" mode for 10 hours, and that concert time is the first down time of the whole day. (This is after three days of rehearsal prior to concert day, too.) 

I love what I get to do, and I love the music, but sometimes that slow movement hits in a concerto, the day catches up, and suddenly a few measures are lost to the sleepy ether.


----------



## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

A few times.

It is also the reason I prefer matinee performances, a little less likely to happen then.


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

Yes, iirc, leinsdorf was conducting...

once when I was performing...Delius, I think...


----------



## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Yes, somewhere in the middle of Act 2 of Twilight of the Gods. Then suddenly jerk awake and startle the lady next to me. Long night at the opera...


----------



## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

TSV: "when symphonies are too long"


----------



## janwillemvanaalst (5 mo ago)

It happened to me once with Enescu's Symphony no.3, nicknamed his "Dante" symphony. I fell asleep halfway through Purgatory, and woke up again halfway through Paradise. That was extremely pleasant, I can assure you.


----------



## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

Heck148 said:


> Yes, iirc, leinsdorf was conducting...
> 
> once when I was performing...Delius, I think...


How can you sleep when you are performing ? What instrument are you playing ? Or are you a singer ?


----------



## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

BBSVK said:


> How can you sleep when you are performing ? What instrument are you playing ? Or are you a singer ?


Lol!! I was being facetious...tho I do find Delius to provide a dependable cure for insomnia!!


----------



## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

Heck148 said:


> Lol!! I was being facetious...tho I do find Delius to provide a dependable cure for insomnia!!


Never mind. This is a faux opera scene for you, which gives the tenor a chance to take a nap during the performance. It is from the Czech comedy Mystery Castle in the Carpathians:


----------



## RICK RIEKERT (Oct 9, 2017)

Just once, though not at a symphony or opera but during a performance of Schubert's great String Quintet at Lincoln Center some years back. After a long day at the office I suppose I was done in by its 'heavenly length'. But as Stravinsky replied when asked if Schubert's music put him to sleep, "What does it matter, if, when I awake, it seems to me that I am in paradise?"


----------



## HenryPenfold (Apr 29, 2018)

Only once, and very briefly.

Was working hard and long hours leading a major corporate financial turnaround project. A colleague and I left work with just enough time for an LSO Gergiev Mahler 6 concert at The Barbican in London, a short drive from the office. The opening work was Tishchenko's Cello Concerto which starts with a massive solo cadenza. I was mesmerised, so much so that when the orchestra finally came in, I momentarily nodded off and started snoring! My colleague gave my quite a nudge and I woke up.

Impossible to fall asleep after the interval, Gergiev's M6 was just about the most explosive affair I've ever witnessed at a classical concert! The resulting CD release did not capture the event and was a huge disappointment.


----------



## SuperTonic (Jun 3, 2010)

When I was in college I used to go to a lot of recitals on campus, and if I had stayed up late the night before (I was studying, I promise!) sometimes I would nod off.
I don't think I've ever fallen asleep during a symphony concert for which I actually paid for tickets.


----------



## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

Once, during a presentation of the JS Bach B minor Mass. I had taken along the score to follow, too. Oops.

It had been a long drive to this concert and I had worked all morning at the church where I was the organist ...


----------



## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Don't take this the wrong way but....uh duh???


----------



## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Never, not even with Wagner.


----------



## Montarsolo (5 mo ago)

I've never fallen asleep at a concert.

But I do remember that about 20 years ago a Beethoven symphony was broadcast live on the radio. Conducted by Gergiev. I think it was the 6th symphony. I went to listen with my Walkman (with radio) on my bed but fell asleep. The next day there was a review by Thiemo Wind in the newspaper of this concert: "a somnolent performance".


----------



## Tarneem (Jan 3, 2022)

Saint-sean's organ symphony.


----------



## Nate Miller (Oct 24, 2016)

SuperTonic said:


> When I was in college I used to go to a lot of recitals on campus, and if I had stayed up late the night before (I was studying, I promise!) sometimes I would nod off.
> I don't think I've ever fallen asleep during a symphony concert for which I actually paid for tickets.


If departmental recitals count, I all but passed out at some of those when I was in music school.


----------



## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

Le Nozze di Figaro


----------



## Mister Meow (10 mo ago)

Before the pandemic, I occasionally attended a short (1 hour) program of chamber music that was held in the early afternoon, and I recall that I may have nodded off a time or two. This is not to say that the music was boring or bad; rather, it lulled me to sleep. Part of the problem is that the after-lunch time is a naturally low-energy time, for me anyway.


----------



## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

Mister Meow said:


> Before the pandemic, I occasionally attended a short (1 hour) program of chamber music that was held in the early afternoon, and I recall that I may have nodded off a time or two. This is not to say that the music was boring or bad; rather, it lulled me to sleep. Part of the problem is that the after-lunch time is a naturally low-energy time, for me anyway.


I know what you are talking about. A very dangerous time for work meetings or presentations. I have fallen asleep several times at those  . Classical music actually poses a dramatically lower risk for my somnolency than a powerpoint presentation at 14:00.


----------



## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

I once had a good long kip at a matinee performance of Tchaikovsky's Manfred by the Halle Orchestra and an unknown conductor back in the 80s. In my defence I'd been out on the Friday night and had a massive hangover. I don't like Manfred at the best of times but the turgid performance had me nodding after 5 minutes. According to the bloke next to me I slept through nearly all of it (but fortunately didn't snore). It wasn't as bad as falling asleep at a Judy Tzuke gig and having her talking about my snoozing between a few songs. Lol. I woke up for the encore of that one. In both cases sleep was a blessed relief from the tedium.


----------



## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

First half of Friday evening concerts are hard after a days work and going home to get ready for 1 hour driving and sweet music in a comfy chair at the Oslo Phil. concert house...I might have fallen asleep 9 times...


----------



## Waehnen (Oct 31, 2021)

Early this year in Paris where they played some cello music. It was a long day, taking the morning flight from Helsinki. Beautiful Rachmaninov sonata and some modern music, too. I did everything I could to stay awake but... It was just so comfortable (despite the mask) after having been on my feet the whole day!


----------



## MatthewWeflen (Jan 24, 2019)

Muti's Beethoven 3 had me nodding my head and dozing. I fought it, but I'm sure a few measures were missed.


----------



## PaulFranz (May 7, 2019)

BBSVK said:


> Never mind. This is a faux opera scene for you, which gives the tenor a chance to take a nap during the performance. It is from the Czech comedy Mystery Castle in the Carpathians:


Back when you could include opera parody in a work for a general audience without being abominably embarrassed by the soprano's singing. Gabriela was wonderful.


----------



## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

PaulFranz said:


> Back when you could include opera parody in a work for a general audience without being abominably embarrassed by the soprano's singing. Gabriela was wonderful.


I am glad you like her. 
I don't have a problem with current singers as some people do here.


----------



## PaulFranz (May 7, 2019)

Having a slow vibrato, singing out of tune, shaking when singing, and neglecting your chest register are all objective flaws that are very, very noticeably more pronounced in modern singers than in older singers, and the difference is starker the further back (or forward) in time you go. Not having a problem with any of that is very alarming.


----------

