Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-12-22
MANNERS OF AUDIENCES

MANNERS OF AUDIENCES
TIME Telegraph is in receipt of tn
following letter;
To the Editor of the Telegraph;
Can you not use the attached
editorial taken from an issue OF
the New York Times this week?
Mr.. Paderewski at the meet
ing in behalf of Poland was dis
pleased with the ambulatory
habits of part of his audience. and
pointedly admonished the restless
ones to remain in one place If they
would hear him. Those who have
attended the recitalS of the first OF
pianists should know by this time
that he is sensitive to eNtraneouS
influences. But is he to blame?
Hundreds of years ago a sage or
the Apocrypha wrote, 'Shew not
forth words where there is mu-
sician.' Yet many nowadays think
it makes no difference if they ar
rive late and with noise, depart
early with more noise, slammtng
doors or holding them open for
drafts and distracting lights and
echoes, and in the meantime con-
verse and are as fussy as they
please. when the argument in
speech or in music is something
that the thoughtful majority de-
sire to consider without disturb
ance. When one on the platform
makes a stand for the dignity of
his art he is also defending the
peace of mind of all who are be-
fore him. However desirable cour-
tesy may be in private, in public
it becomes Indispensable. Those
who obtrude their own lack of
good manners and thus inflict
their minority selfishness upon the
long suffering majority deserve
the censure, and the victims of
their misbehaVior are glad when
any has the courage to read them
the sorely needed lesson in de-
pertinent"
1t surely seems timely for some
of our Harrisburg audiences and
might reach and correct some of
the offenders. Very truly,
A SUBSCRIBER.
There is no greater nuisance thar
he man or woman who whispers oil
-attles a program during the rendition
Of a musical number, and the gigglel
las driven thousands of music-lover:
20 commit murder in their hearts
When the great pianist. Ethel Leginska
played in Chestnut Street Auditorium
he other evening the noise during the
opening number was so great that the
lrtist paused for a few seconds until
he audience took the hint and became
luiet.
You may be simply burning to tell
our neighbor that you first heard
1elba sing the selection of the moment
n New York ten years ago and how
delighted you were at the time, but be-
lot so much interested in your remi-
liscences as he is in the music he is
learing, and the man or woman on
he seat in front thinlks-and very
properly, too-that you are merely
rying to let folks know how extern
lively you have travelled or how many
f the great musicians you have heard,
nd it is a safe guess that his esti-
nation of you is not materially raised
hereby.
The man who talks during a musical
lumber is only equaled as a public
Nuisance by the wretch who sits all
through a play telling his friends in
tage whispers what is coming next"
nd how much better the original
was. The theater manager
Who provides padded cells or muzzles,
II both. for such will confer a boon
Ipon long suffering humanity and win
or himself a place among the i'm
nortals.
Whiln t.nrr,rn snandinn IL ,-n,, rno11 !.