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CONCERT GOING: A HANDBOOK FOR STUDENTS

TO ACCOMPANY MUSIC: AN APPRECIATION

ATTENDING A CONCERT

What's special about a live concert? In a live performance, artists put themselves on the line; their training and magnetism must overcome technical difficulties to involve the listeners' emotions. What is performed, how it sounds, and how the artist feels about the performance and the occasion - these are elements that exist for only a fleeting moment and can never be repeated. As an audience responds to the excitement of such moments, feelings are exchanged between stage and hall. These feelings have a real impact on the performance.

Which Concert to Attend?

You have many kinds of concerts to choose from, by many kinds of performing groups, including choruses, symphony and chamber orchestras, concert bands, chamber music ensembles, opera companies, and soloists.

The symphony orchestra and the categories of instruments that make it up are described in Music: An Appreciation (see Part I). A chamber orchestra is smaller, consisting of 20 to 30 players. A concert band consists mostly of woodwinds, brasses, and percussion. Chamber music ensembles are small groups (usually, no more than about 10 players) consisting of various combinations of instruments; examples are string quartets, wind quintets, and trios of piano, violin, and cello. Chamber ensembles have one performer to a part and - unlike the larger groups - generally appear without a conductor. Choruses are large groups of singers; a chorus often performs with instrumentalists and typically has a conductor. Opera companies, needless to say, present operas (and Operettas); musicals are most commonly presented by theater companies but may be performed by opera companies. There are also performances by solo vocalists, often with piano accompaniment. Strictly speaking, concerts are presentations by orchestras, bands, chamber groups, and choruses; presentations by soloists, with or without accompanists, are called recitals.

At the Concert

What to Expect Orchestral concerts last about two hours, with one intermission of about twenty-five minutes. They generally include three or four compositions representing several stylistic periods and genres, such as classical overture, a twentieth-century concerto, and a romantic symphony. Opera performances last somewhat longer and sometimes have two intermissions. Chamber concerts and solo recitals are usually about the same length as an orchestra concert, or slightly shorter. After the last composition on the printed program, if the audience has responded enthusiastically, the performer of performers may play one or more short additional works; these are called encores, French for again.

If the concert hall or opera house is a large one, your seat may be at some distance from the stage. [Blair Hall Theatre has 460 seats. Room 2L15 has about 70.] When you arrive at an orchestra concert, typically the stage may be lit and some of the musicians will be warming up - though the curtain could be down or the stage dark. (If you're familiar with any of the music that is about to be played, you may recognize snatches of it at this point.) The next thing that happens is the tuning of the orchestra by the concertmaster; then, the conductor will come on stage (to applause), and the first piece on the program, or the overture to the opera, will be played.

Copyright © 1992 by McGraw-Hill, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. The contents, or parts thereof, may be reproduced, without permission, solely for use with Music; An Appreciation, by Roger Kamien, provided such reproductions carry the same copyright herein, but may not be reproduced, or distributed, for any other purpose, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

At a chamber music concert or a recital, the stage will be empty when you arrive, and the players will come on stage together (greeted by applause) to perform the first piece.

It was once rare for performers at concerts or recitals to address the audience, except to identify an encore (and even encores might be played unannounced). Today, however, it is becoming more common for a conductor, a soloist, or one member of a chamber group to speak briefly if a piece has some special significance or is being performed under special circumstances.

You'll notice that professional soloists generally perform from memory, whereas musicians in orchestras, chamber groups, and choruses perform with music. The conductor may or may not conduct from a score.

The Program Booklet The program booklet, given free, often contains a variety of helpful and interesting information. At a concert or recital, it will list the performers and works to be heard; it may also include program notes describing these compositions. If the concert includes a vocal work, the program may provide the text, with a translation if the original is in a foreign language. At an opera, the program will list characters (customarily in order of appearance), acts, and scenes and will usually give a synopsis (a brief description) of the plot (but it will not, typically, include the libretto).

Programs may also have biographical sketches of the principal performers, a listing of the members of the orchestra or opera company personnel, articles on musical topics, and lists of coming musical events.

You should save the program because the instructor will ask you to include it with your report.

Concert Etiquette If possible, arrive at the concert hall at least fifteen minutes before the performance, so that you can relax and read the program notes. (Although you may refer briefly to the program while the performance is in progress, reading it steadily will distract you from the music and is considered poor manners.) Bear in mind, too, that at many concert halls, latecomers aren't allowed to take their seats until some logical break in the music occurs.

**[At Sinclair Community College student recitals, plan to arrive as much before the hour begins as is possible. In Room 2L15, there are sometimes not enough chairs, and if you are late, you may have to sit on the floor or stand at the back of the room. If you arrive late, do not take a seat until after the work being performed is finished and the audience is applauding.]

**[Sometimes student recitals will run 1-2 minutes longer than the class period. Please remain seated until the recital is concluded. If the recital is to last longer and a student has another class or appointment for which they must leave, they will be instructed at the time they may leave.]

During the performance, audience members are expected to remain silent; absolute silence helps the performers to concentrate and enhances the emotional intensity of the musical experience. Performers can be distracted by talking, coughing, humming, rustling and flipping papers, or other incidental noises - which will also distract and annoy other audience members.

[At Sinclair Community College, and at most theaters and auditoriums, there is no eating or drinking of any kind in the seating area. This includes all of Room 2L15.]

If you are expected to report on the concert, you will naturally want to take some notes. But you should resist the temptation to write notes continuously during the actual performance. Instead, to increase you own enjoyment of the music - and to avoid disturbing those sitting near you - jot down a few notes of major events in the music when you hear them, and write more notes during breaks between pieces or between movements, or during the intermission.

At a concert or recital, audiences express their enthusiasm by applauding at the end of a work; if a work has more than one movement, audiences do not customarily applaud between movements. At an opera, however, audiences often applaud at the end of arias, duets, and ensembles.

Taking photographs and using recording equipment are not permitted at concerts, recitals or operas.

WRITING A CONCERT REPORT

Instructors in introductory music courses often require students to write one or more concert reports during a semester. Here are some guidelines for the preparation of such an assignment: first, a few suggestions on working with your own notes; second, points to consider for the content of your report; and third, some information about usage or conventions in writing about music.

Transforming Your Notes into a Report

You should plan to expand your notes into a complete report very soon after the concert - the same evening or during the next day or so.

It is often helpful to begin with an outline and then to write a rough draft. (If your instructor hands out a printed form for concert reports, that will serve as the outline.) Next, polish and edit your draft to produce the final version. Remember to check your grammar and the spellings or names (especially foreign names) and musical terms.

The Concert as a Whole [You should begin your report with a brief description of the concert attended. Include the name and type of performing group or soloists, the place, the date and the general category of music you heard.]

Individual Compositions [Your report must make reference to each composition performed in the concert or recital. In discussing the individual compositions, list the title (underlined), the composer, and the name of the soloist or group if there are more than one on the program.

In about 5 sentences for every 3-5 minutes of music, use the aspects of music you have learned (science of sound, elements of music) to describe the main features of what you heard. Do not write out a "play-by-play" or "blow-by-blow" account. Instead, try to focus on describing the main melodies, the basic rhythms, the timbres and other aspects plus any changes in these that may occur throughout a work.]

Some Basic Performance Vocabulary Here are a few terms you'll need to use in discussing musical performances; some of these are misused surprisingly often.

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Composition, piece, and work

Song

Aria

Vocal, vocalist

Choral, chorus

Ensemble

Chamber music

Symphony

Concert Band

Wind Symphony

Program

Performance

Concert, recital

Production

Show

Act, scene

Movement

Section, passage