Thielemann Berates Beijing Audience

My Beijing-based correspondent recently witnessed Christian Thielemann scold an audience at the National Centre for the Performing Arts while on tour with the Dresden Staatskapelle:

"...he abruptly cut-off the first solo trumpet note of the Rienzi overture (which was not the first work of the program), turned three-quarters around to the audience, and berated them in English for not taking their seats quietly enough."

Our Man in Beijing goes on to explain that the Rienzi overture was the 3rd Wagner overture on the program & that there was apparently seating of latecomers combined with jockeying for better seats. He reports that the audience was silent after their reprimand & adds, "The audiences in Beijing are noisy by US standards."

§ Dresden Staatskapelle
Christian Thielemann, Conductor

Wagner: Overture to Tannhauser
Wagner: Prelude and Liebestod, from Tristan und Isolde
Wagner: Overture to Rienzi
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor

3. November 2012
Beijing, National Centre for the Performing Arts