Why is concert and performance etiquette important

At most other kinds of concerts, people clap whenever the music stops, but in classical music you wait to clap until the very end of a piece. You can breathe; you can shift your body in your chair. You can respond to the music, but your response will be inward. You might experience intense feelings while outwardly sitting quite still. This inwardness is part of the style and vibe of classical music. Nowadays some classical events welcome more outward response, but most classical concerts cultivate an inner experience—emotion without motion.

The basic idea is to help each other focus on the music. Your attention and silence will help the musicians to perform a better concert. They can feel your involvement, and it inspires them to give their best. A common concern of listeners at classical concerts, and one of the chief obstacles to enjoying the music, is the dreaded Fear of Clapping in the Wrong Place. But in classical music, one piece may have several parts, each with its own ending. You are supposed to wait to the very end of the very last ending before you clap.

This can be tough. Sometimes you get so carried away by the music that you really want to clap. I know it seems cruel to squelch that urge to applaud, but please wait for the very end of the whole piece. How do you tell when a piece of music is really over? By the way, this tradition of waiting to applaud until the very end of a piece is relatively new. In other times and places, audiences clapped throughout the music. Mozart , for instance, was proud to report in a letter to his father that there had been wild applause during his latest symphony.

One more thing about clapping: snobs might try to make this into a really big deal. Snobs are only too ready to sneer at people whose enthusiasm results in mis-timed applause. Audience members are typically expected to act a certain way during performances, and this concert etiquette can vary, depending on what type of concert it is. Classical music concert goers, for example, are typically expected to be relatively quiet during a performance, and applause should be held until after a song is completely finished.

Rock concert goers, on the other hand, can typically get a little louder and more rambunctious. Some concert etiquette still applies to these types of concerts, though. Concerts should be a fun and enjoyable situation for everyone in attendance, including the musicians. No matter what type of concert one is attending, he is still be expected to adhere to the rules of concert etiquette.

Some concerts may be a more strict than others. Often times the will then gesture for you to return to your seat and gather your things before leaving the stage in the same way you entered. Other times, after the bow and the applause dies down, the conductor may immediately direct you to exit the stage.

Good luck with your performances!! Next week you can read all about good audience etiquette. Skip to content Nothing is more distracting to a performer than bad concert etiquette. The Performer If you are performing in a group, it is always best to do what your director or conductor tells you to, but if you are not given any specific guidelines on how to present your self during a performance, here are some basic guidelines: What to Wear Before I leave my house, I always want to make sure I am appropriately dressed.

Entering Stage Normally your director will give you specific instructions on how you should enter the stage and get to your seat. During the Performance While sitting, a good posture with a flat back and slightly lifted chin will make you look professional and helps you produce a better tone by lifting the weight off your diaphragm.

After the Performance Again it is very important to watch your conductor at the end of the performance so that you see his gesture to stand, face the front, and bow. Like this: Like Loading Let us know what you think! Cancel reply. 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. 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 bad form , though a minor and well-meaning one. Quiet endings have a lingering magic that can be too easily broken by insensitive audience members in a hurry to initiate applause.

Conductors signal the finality of a performance by lowering their hands to their sides. When their hands remain in front of them the expectation is that the music continues, even though it may be very quiet or even continuing through the silence. Sacred works offered as worship are not applauded. Such works include settings of requiem, Passion, mass, or Kaddish prayer.