Concert etiquette

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Part of the audience at Woodstock, observing concert etiquette which is suitable for an open-air rock concert Woodstock redmond crowd.JPG
Part of the audience at Woodstock, observing concert etiquette which is suitable for an open-air rock concert

Concert etiquette refers to a set of social norms observed by those attending musical performances. These norms vary depending upon the type of music performance and can be stringent or informal.

Contents

History

Classical era

At classical music concerts, the cardinal principle is to let others listen to the music undisturbed. Instruments and voices are typically unamplified, and the music is rich in detail and includes passages played very softly. Many audience members want to hear everything, and the normal standard of courtesy is simply to be entirely silent while the music is playing. Thus, during this time experienced concertgoers avoid conversation, try to suppress coughs and sneezes, muffling these with handkerchiefs. Electronic devices are turned off. [1] Concertgoers try to arrive and take seats before the music begins; late arrivals wait until a break between pieces allows seating by an usher.

Dress expectations for the audience are today rather informal in English-speaking countries. Audiences usually meet "smart casual" standards, with some performance companies explicitly telling audiences to wear whatever makes them comfortable. [2] [3] Hats are removed as they block others' view of the stage. Dress expectations may still be very formal for special events, events that are difficult to attend, or that take place in traditional venues. Additionally, concertgoers are expected to dress more formally in certain countries than in others. [4] [5]

Concert etiquette has, like the music, evolved over time. Late eighteenth-century composers such as Mozart expected that people would talk, particularly when audience members took dinner (which many had served during the performance), and took delight in audiences clapping at once in response to a nice musical effect. [6] [1] Individual movements were encored in response to audience applause.

The nineteenth century brought a shift in venue from aristocratic gatherings to public concerts along with works featuring an unprecedentedly wide dynamic range. Mahler clamped down on claques paid to applaud a particular performer, and specified in the score of his Kindertotenlieder that its movements should not be punctuated by applause. [7]

With the arrival of recording technology in the twentieth century, applause between the movements of a symphony or suite came to be regarded as a distraction from the momentum and unity of a work. Today it is usually considered something of a faux pas, though a minor and well-meaning one. [8]

Sacred works offered as worship are not applauded. Such works include settings of requiem, Passion, mass, or Kaddish prayer. Presented in an artistic context, such works, along with secular works of comparable gravity, still often get respectful silence for a long moment before any applause.

Collapses of decorum have occurred often in music history. In 1861 a Paris performance of Richard Wagner's opera Tannhäuser was deliberately sabotaged by audience members bringing noisemakers. [9] The premiere of Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring in 1913 prompted catcalls and whistles from the crowd that degenerated into fistfights in the aisles and police intervention. Steve Reich's Four Organs at Carnegie Hall in 1973 featured audience members sarcastically applauding and shouting to hasten the end of the performance. [10] Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas recalls a woman walking down the aisle and beating her head against the front of the stage, wailing "Stop, stop! I confess!"[ citation needed ]

Jazz

Jazz clubs are as much a social event as they are a musical one, with clubs featuring seats around tables rather than a more traditional line of seats, eating and drinking are often allowed at and facilitated by the clubs. The clubs are generally intimate, small buildings with seats spaced close together with the stage never too far away. Discussion between audience members is common, so long as it does not distract other listeners from the music, with the energy of the audience even potentially bringing out more from the performers. Performers are even expected to engage with the audience more closely, relying on their reactions to form their performance. Audience members even take note of the interactions between performers, despite not always understanding how the performance is laid out. With regards to applause, the audience usually claps after each solo within the jazz tune in order to recognized the soloist. This type of engagement is common throughout jazz performances regardless of the setting and shares the same basic ideas as other clapping procedures: show appreciation for the musicians’ efforts. [11]

Rock

Sometimes at rock concerts, lighters are held or waved in the air to signal an encore or a power ballad. With the decline of smokers, the restrictions placed on carrying lighters during air travel, and the increase of cell phones in the early 21st century, cell phones (specifically the camera flash) are often used in place of lighters, and as a way to take personal pictures and videos. While this is frowned upon by some fans, cell phone use is fairly commonplace at concerts. Several artists, such as Björk, Prince, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Jack White have requested that audience members refrain from using their cell phones during their concerts. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Classical period (music)</span> Era of classical music (c. 1730–1820)

The Classical Period was an era of classical music between roughly 1750 and 1820.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orchestra</span> Large instrumental ensemble

An orchestra is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cadenza</span> Improvised solo between musical sections

In music, a cadenza, is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist(s), usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing virtuosic display. During this time the accompaniment will rest, or sustain a note or chord. Thus an improvised cadenza is indicated in written notation by a fermata in all parts. A cadenza will usually occur over either the final or penultimate note in a piece, the lead-in, or the final or penultimate note in an important subsection of a piece. A cadenza can also be found before a final coda or ritornello.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chamber music</span> Form of classical music composed for a small group of instruments

Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers, with one performer to a part. However, by convention, it usually does not include solo instrument performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concert</span> Live performance of music

A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety and size of settings, from private houses and small nightclubs, dedicated concert halls, amphitheatres and parks, to large multipurpose buildings, such as arenas and stadiums. Indoor concerts held in the largest venues are sometimes called arena concerts or amphitheatre concerts. Informal names for a concert include show and gig.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of North Macedonia</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Applause</span> Form of appreciation or praise expressed by clapping

Applause is primarily a form of ovation or praise expressed by the act of clapping, or striking the palms of the hands together, in order to create noise. Audiences usually applaud after a performance, such as a musical concert, speech, or play, as a sign of enjoyment and approval.

In Western classical music, obbligato usually describes a musical line that is in some way indispensable in performance. Its opposite is the marking ad libitum. It can also be used, more specifically, to indicate that a passage of music was to be played exactly as written, or only by the specified instrument, without changes or omissions. The word is borrowed from Italian ; the spelling obligato is not acceptable in British English, but it is often used as an alternative spelling in the US. The word can stand on its own, in English, as a noun, or appear as a modifier in a noun phrase.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clapping</span> Sound made by striking together two flat body parts

A clap is the percussive sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often quickly and repeatedly to express appreciation or approval, but also in rhythm as a form of body percussion to match the sounds in music, dance, chants, hand games, and clapping games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serenade</span> Musical composition or performance

In music, a serenade is a musical composition or performance delivered in honour of someone or something. Serenades are typically calm, light pieces of music. The term comes from the Italian word serenata, which itself derives from the Latin serenus. Sense influenced by Italian sera "evening", from Latin sera, fem. of serus "late".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schuhplattler</span> Austrian and Bavarian folk dance

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claque</span> Body of professional applauders in French theatres and opera houses

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rehearsal</span> Practice performance

A rehearsal is an activity in the performing arts that occurs as preparation for a performance in music, theatre, dance and related arts, such as opera, musical theatre and film production. It is undertaken as a form of practising, to ensure that all details of the subsequent performance are adequately prepared and coordinated. The term rehearsal typically refers to ensemble activities undertaken by a group of people. For example, when a musician is preparing a piano concerto in their music studio, this is called practising, but when they practice it with an orchestra, this is called a rehearsal. The music rehearsal takes place in a music rehearsal space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music venue</span> Any location used for a concert or musical performance

A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from a small coffeehouse for folk music shows, an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music. Opera houses, bandshells, and concert halls host classical music performances, whereas public houses ("pubs"), nightclubs, and discothèques offer music in contemporary genres, such as rock, dance, country, and pop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Encore</span> Additional performance added to the end of a concert

An encore is an additional performance given by performers at the conclusion of a show or concert, usually in response to extended applause from the audience. They are regarded as the most complimentary kind of applause for performers. Multiple encores are not uncommon, and they initially originated spontaneously, when audiences continued to applaud and demand additional performance from the artists after they had left the stage. However, in modern times they are rarely spontaneous and are usually a pre-planned part of the show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockbjörnen</span> Swedish music prize

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A solo concerto is a musical form which features a single solo instrument with the melody line, accompanied by an orchestra. Traditionally, there are three movements in a solo concerto, consisting of a fast section, a slow and lyrical section, and then another fast section. However, there are many examples of concertos that do not conform to this plan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music session</span> Social gathering to perform music

A music session is a social gathering of musicians and singers who perform music in a relatively informal context. Much of the music performed at such events is traditional music for the area, popular songs and other well-known tunes. In sessions, the participants typically improvise the accompaniment, song arrangements and musical ornaments to the melodies of songs or tunes. The venue may be a public bar, tavern, village hall or a private home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Organ Sonatas (Bach)</span>

The organ sonatas, BWV 525–530 by Johann Sebastian Bach are a collection of six sonatas in trio sonata form. Each of the sonatas has three movements, with three independent parts in the two manuals and obbligato pedal. The collection was put together in Leipzig in the late 1720s and contained reworkings of prior compositions by Bach from earlier cantatas, organ works and chamber music as well as some newly composed movements. The sixth sonata, BWV 530, is the only one for which all three movements were specially composed for the collection. When played on an organ, the second manual part is often played an octave lower on the keyboard with appropriate registration. Commentators have suggested that the collection might partly have been intended for private study to perfect organ technique, some pointing out that its compass allows it to be played on a pedal clavichord. The collection of sonatas is generally regarded as one of Bach's masterpieces for organ. The sonatas are also considered to be amongst his most difficult compositions for the instrument.

References

  1. 1 2 Thorau, Christian; Ziemer, Hansjakob (2019). "21". The Oxford Handbook of Music Listening in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-046696-1.
  2. National Ballet of Canada. Archived 2009-05-01 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 14 March 2009.
  3. Canadian Opera Company. Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 14 March 2009.
  4. Do’s and don’ts of Bayreuth’s Wagner Fest Archived 2013-12-27 at the Wayback Machine July 30, 2013
  5. The Glyndebourne Festival has traditionally encouraged its audiences to dress formally (black tie for men); Archived 2015-11-02 at the Wayback Machine .
  6. Robert Spaethling, Mozart's Letters, Mozart's Life, p. 160.
  7. Alex Ross. "The Rest Is Noise: Applause".
  8. Since applause is delayed to the end of the final movement, audiences sometimes need to guess (usually guided by a printed program) that the movement they are hearing is indeed the last one. Often, final movements give their listeners clear sonic cues to this effect. A a non-final movement that "sounds final" (notably, the third movement of Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony Pathétique) is likely to be applauded against convention.
  9. Tannhäuser (Tannhäuser und der Sängerkrieg auf Wartburg)
  10. Steve Reich. "4 Organs, for 4 electric organs and maracas". Classical Archives.
  11. Pitts, Stephanie E.; Burland, Karen (2013-01-01). "Listening to live jazz: an individual or social act?". Arts Marketing. 3 (1): 7–20. doi:10.1108/20442081311327138. ISSN   2044-2084.
  12. "Musicians are putting a ban on fans taking concert photos and videos". 29 August 2013.