I am starting to wonder if live performances are soon going to be a thing of the past. The thing about a live performance, is that it depends on the skill of the person putting on the show. Be it classical music or fireworks. And as such it is each time a bit different. Wanting a performance to be perfect each time means that we not longer accept the vagaries of improvisation or make allowances for less than ideal conditions. We accept that the olympic fireworks in Beijing are taped, so that they look good on TV. The classical music piece at President Obama's inauguration was also taped and played back. Precious old instruments do not react well in very low temperatures. Such a piece should never have been part of an outside event in January.
I object to the "producers" trying to make me believe that I am watching something live. And I don't see the point of play acting it out if it is not. A film would have done the same. Or just the music over loud speakers would also have worked. Have we become so risk averse that in big occasions we prefer to have the performance "in the can" because we can no longer accept imperfection, i.e. reality. Trying to pass reality off after having retouched it on film or tape is the beginning of a very slippery slope. Like tampering with the truth.
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