Itzhak Perlman Scolds Florida Audience For Not Liking Messiaen

The violinist believes so strongly in Messiaen’s Theme and Variations (“I’m telling you, it’s a terrific piece”) that he rebuked his West Palm Beach listeners from the stage for their tepid reaction (“Tell me something: Was it really that bad that half of you didn’t want to clap?”) and then played it a second time.