I just now came from an afternoon concert venue that usually features classical music, but this time, it was a group that performed something they called, "for lack of a better term, Brazilian Jazz." What impressed me most was the easy stage manner they had, and how a classically oriented audience reacted to it in an equally easy manner. Presentational style seems to be as much a part of the difference between classical, and popular and commercial genres, as is the music itself.
Their visual style included an easy and off-hand way of giving over to a solo performance--just a simple gesture; they visually appreciated each others performance, by nodding in appreciation, or by smiling or even laughing, in appreciation; they invited the audience to applaud an ensemble member's solo performance, again, with an easy gesture. There was a relaxed and comfortable audience/performer relationship. I'm sure we've all seen things like this. It's not unusual.
It causes me to wonder why classical musicians have developed a performance tradition that seems so stodgy in comparison? It's not a matter of formality vs. spontaneity--although many at the concert commented that it was so spontaneous, and "of the moment"--as everything I've mentioned can be seen as just as formal as classical performance style--the hand off, the invitation to applaud--these are tried and true formal elements in the performance style of a fair amount of jazz and other popular idioms.
How did we get so stiff?
Tomasino
