I suppose we Mahlerians cannot expect standard concertgoers to appreciate this, but for me such an interruption is an egregious offense againt the music, the musicians, the conductor, the composer, and those who attended with the expectation of a sublime experience.
Like Roffe, I do not attend concerts if I have a cold--it would be such a disrespect to all involved to begin coughing. According to the reports, this cellphone continued ringing for several minutes.
Why were ushers not present to immediately eject the premeditatively rude offending person in the audience? (He intentionally brought the cellphone and did not turn it off.)
It is so sad that, for many of us who so revere Mahler's music, we should have to relegate it to listening at home, out of fear that public performances might be disrupted.
The blame lies in the hands of the NY Philharmonic administrators who did not have in place procedures to immediately eject offensive ticket-buyers (I refuse to call such people music-lovers). Shame on adjacent audience members too, who did not identify and request the removal of one who premeditatively stole a moving experience from so many!
If inaction or "a deaf ear is turned to" such disturbances, how can serious music lovers continue to feel welcome at live performances?
