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When he sensed that the baby’s cries were distracting the musicians, conductor Neal Gittleman decided something needed to be done.
The youngster had been wailing for quite some time when Gittleman stopped the music, turned to the audience, and asked that the child be removed. Some audience members applauded.
It was the first piece in the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra’s classical concert on Saturday evening, Jan. 7 and the orchestra had just started to play Claude Debussy’s Prelude to “The Afternoon of a Faun.”
What transpired has become water cooler conversation in the Miami Valley, especially when coupled with a similar cell phone incident at the New York Philharmonic the same week. In that instance, when a patron’s iPhone went off, conductor Alan Gilbert halted the concert until the phone stopped ringing.
Gittleman said he’s had to stop concerts due to cell phones in the past, but this was the first time a child had caused enough commotion to require him to stop and begin a piece again.
“The very first noise that the baby made was just as the flute was beginning her solo,” he says. “The piece begins with a big, long, famous, hard, flute solo and my job at the beginning of that piece is to make the flute as comfortable as possible.”
At first, Gittleman says, he hoped everything might be alright. But when the child became a distraction, he decided it was time to speak.
Later he told the crowd that there were plenty of opportunities for children to experience the orchestra, but that particular piece wasn’t one of them.
Many who attended the concert as well as those who heard about the incident felt that it was handled in the best possible way.
Jim and Ellen Ratti of Middletown are season DPO subscribers who witnessed “the whole affair.”
“The baby cried several times, not just once, and due to the outstanding acoustics in the Schuster, the sound carried throughout the concert hall,” Jim says, adding the cries were very loud, disruptive and distracting.
“I’m sure that some will say that Maestro Gittleman was inconsiderate and rude for calling attention to the offending parent(s),” he adds. “My reply to those criticisms would be that it’s inconsiderate and rude to bring a child of that age to an event which holds no interest for him or her. It is also inconsiderate and rude to disrupt the listening pleasure of everyone else in the concert hall, or to expect that such disruption would be excused.”
The Rattis have subscribed to concert series in several major cities throughout the country and note that many have policies regarding young children published in their programs.
Some folks suggested the ushers should have gotten more involved and DPO director of marketing and public relations Dave Bukvic agrees. He said there was an apparent break-down in communication. When there’s any kind of disruption, he says, it’s appropriate for an usher to ask the person to be quiet or go outside.
“Let’s face it, we know 16-year-olds who may throw a tantrum in the middle of a concert,” he says. “And if there’s an adult talking loudly through a classical concert, he should also be asked to leave.”
Gregory Ramey, vice president for outpatient services at Children’s Medical Center of Dayton, says he wouldn’t want a ruling that prohibits youngsters of a certain age from attending performances. He believes there isn’t a single age that’s “correct” for all kids. But by 8 p.m., he adds, most young children are in bed.
“That’s typically not a good time to take kids anywhere you would expect good behavior,” he adds. “As parents, we know that children’s behavior is unpredictable and we need to be prepared not to let our children’s inappropriate behavior affect other people.”
Ramey says he’s seen similar situation at movies.
“I have no problem taking young kids to movies. Parents might figure they’ll save baby sitting money and hope an infant will sleep through it. It’s no problem as long as the parent is prepared to act immediately when the child’s behavior becomes inappropriate for that social setting.”
Stuart Secttor, executive director of Clark State Performing Arts Center in Springfield, recalls an unusual related experience.
“David Cook of ‘American Idol’ was here for a rock concert,” he says. “He noticed a patron holding a child in the first rows of the orchestra section and notified his road manager from the stage that he was concerned about the child because of the loud volume and asked that the child be taken out.” Most folks agree a classical concert may be in a class by itself.
“It’s not like an action movie or a concert at Carillon Park,” Ramey says. “I’m concerned about the judgment of any parent that puts their kids in a failure situation. What’s the likelihood that a tired toddler in the evening is going to sit quietly for a two and a half hour concert? It’s bad judgment on our part and a bad experience for the kids.’’
Bukvik, who says his 3-year-old grandson could probably sit through a symphony, says he would only bring him to a concert if they could be seated on an aisle close to the door. At the first “peep,” he says, they’d be gone.
“People at a classical concert are incredibly intent on each and every note and the arc of the piece,” he explains. “Breaking the concentration in a classical concert shouldn’t be compared with anything else. The strength of the experience is the escape from all the annoyances of life, it’s a time for someone else to provide the sound track for your own thoughts. Why ruin it for yourself or others?”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2440 or MMoss@Dayton DailyNews.com.
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