I’ll have what she’s having! Err, what she’s listening to… and the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 seems to have done the trick. Concert-goers are reporting that someone in the audience of the Walt Disney Concert Hall last Friday night delivered a loud, moaning sound, which, allegedly, was an orgasm.
“A woman in the audience had [a] loud and full body orgasm during the 5th’s second movement,” tweeted Magnus Fiennes, a composer and music producer who was in attendance. “Band politely carried on. Props to LAPhil (and Pytor Ilyich) for bringing it on.”
In a report from the Los Angeles Times, attendee Molly Grant was quoted describing the sound as a “scream/moan.” She saw the originator of the sound, too, and described her as a woman, heavily breathing, sitting with her partner. “Her partner was smiling and looking at her — like in an effort to not shame her,” Grant told the Times. “It was quite beautiful.”
Many others in attendance have weighed in as well, with some calling the moan “rather wonderful and refreshing,” and others suggesting that it may have been less pleasurable than it sounded.
But there is a long history of classical music eliciting euphoric, physical responses — in the 1840s, pianist Franz Liszt was so popular and dynamic in performances that crowds would go ecstatic, and the phenomenon was dubbed “Lisztomania.” Fans would literally throw themselves at Liszt, and would try to get pieces of his clothes or hair, or even take the leftovers of his tea. Some female fans were so stirred that they even threw their panties on stage… so, hey, the Los Angeles Philharmonic still has things to achieve.
Whether it’s a return to the Liszt brand of classical concert etiquette or just one concert-goer’s memorable night, the moan has captivated minds online, and alleged audio of it has made rounds on social media. Unverified, the Los Angeles Times reports that attendees they spoke to described the clip as accurate. Listen to it below.
During Tchaikorskys 5th symphony at the LA Philharmonic last night, apparently, a woman had a full-body orgasm just from the music. It was recorded. pic.twitter.com/uLJIGvJ3yQ
— Macrodosing (@MacrodosingPod) May 1, 2023
Went to see @LAPhil play @Thomasades and Tchaikovsky 5 last night. A woman in the audience had loud and full body orgasm during the 5th’s second movement… Band politely carried on. Props to LAPhil (and Pytor Ilyich) for bringing it on….
— Magnus Fiennes (@magnusfiennes) April 29, 2023