Prom 18: Katia & Marielle Labèque (31.07.15)

[Dave2002]

The coughers? Well, just ignorant, I'm afraid. My theory is that they thought the end of the exposition was the end of the first movement. I wouldn't have been surprised if we'd had one of those lukewarm inter-movement rounds of "applause" at that point.

I don't think they were all ignorant, though there was an amazing outburst of coughing and spluttering in the first movement when it went quiet. I think a lot of people must have thought the movement had finished, but boy, didn't they let rip! Unfortunately one of my companions did have a problem and was forced to cough several times a few minutes later, though trying to stifle the noise.

I think the assumption that everyone can suppress every potential cough on every occasion is incorrect.

[Ferretfancy]

I don't think they were all ignorant, though there was an amazing outburst of coughing and spluttering in the first movement when it went quiet. I think a lot of people must have thought the movement had finished, but boy, didn't they let rip! Unfortunately one of my companions did have a problem and was forced to cough several times a few minutes later, though trying to stifle the noise.

I think the assumption that everyone can suppress every potential cough on every occasion is incorrect.

Yes, I do realise that sometimes it's very hard to suppress a cough when it becomes critical, and I sympathise with your friend. I think you can hear a difference between the sometimes heroic efforts to avoid disturbance and the thoughtless barking by members of the audience who are simply careless and cough at random, but maybe this is too fine a point. Perhaps composers should not write quiet bits!