The Ultimate Guide to Classical Concert Etiquette

Classical concerts are different from rock, pop or jazz concerts. For one, classical concerts play an entirely different genre of music: classical. Mostly, classical concerts are also held in more formal halls and venues and one hardly finds anybody wearing torn jeans and snickers on a classical concert in as much the same way as one cannot find anyone wearing an aquamarine taffeta gown in a rock concert. The atmosphere and the crowd are also different. With these being said, one can definitely surmise that the difference between classical and punk, rock, alternative, pop and jazz music go far deeper than what people wear to their concerts!

Classical concerts have a different set of etiquettes and expected decorum from that of rock, pop or jazz concerts as well. In order to appreciate the joy that classical music and classical concerts can give to its audience, reading and learning about the history of classical music, the different major instruments of the orchestra and how they relate to each other in the dialogue of classical music are simply not enough. In order to maximize your classical concert experience, certain etiquettes and behavior must be observed while watching classical concerts. With the aim of helping each audience member maximize his or her listening pleasure while attending the classical concert, here are some of those classical concert etiquettes.

Pre-Concert Etiquette

One of the major difference between a rock and a classical concert is the audience's attire. Though one need not necessarily wear a gown or a tux to a classical concert, audiences are always advised to wear clean, decent or semi-formal attire appropriate to the refined nature of the concert and its venue.

Arriving before the time is also essential for classical concert-goers. Unlike in an open-spaced rock concert where you can squeeze in between persons, classical concert audiences are usually seated formally in rows of chairs. Thus, when one arrives late in a classical concert, not only will you be disrupting the audience members who are already seated when while trying to find your seat, you are also disrupting the attention of the musicians who have rehearsed so much to give their audience the best possible classical music experience.

Since you are in a highly aurally-sensitive affair, cellular phones, beepers and alarms in wristwatches should be turned off before the concert starts.

Concert Proper

Eating, talking, laughing, unwrapping of noisy candy wrappers, standing up and going out during the performance, and humming or tapping along with the music during the concert are also prohibited. These are in order to avoid disrupting the performance and to avoid distracting your seatmate who may be concentrating on the music. Usually, a fifteen-minute intermission is given in between the concert to allow patrons and audience members to go to the comfort room. This is the proper chance for anyone to quietly move out of their seat and exit into the restrooms, to make light chat with friends and acquaintances, or to make emergency phone calls outside the hall.

Classical music can come in movements. This means to say that one musical work may be composed of at least two or three movements or independent parts of music where the orchestra pauses in between. These pauses may be mistaken as the end of the piece in which first-time classical concert-goers applaud. However, applause should not be done in between these said movements as the entire music piece has not yet ended. Applause should only be done after the end of the three movements of a musical work. If you are a firtst-time classical concert goer or if you are not sure whether it is the end of the piece or only the end of a movement, wait for the more experienced audience members to applaud. If they do so, it means to say the entire work has ended and you can applaud too.

Post-Concert

Roses and flowers may be tossed onto the stage as a way of expressing appreciation for the musical performance. Certain calls such as "Bravo!" or "Brava!" and a standing ovation may also be considered by the audience if they truly liked the performance. An encore, or a repeat performance of a piece from the concert, may be played again if the standing ovation and applause demand for it. An encore usually happens at the end of the entire concert.

Music has existed for man to serve his intellectual, affective, spiritual and aesthetic pursuits. Though music may come in different genres, be played by different musicians, have different sets of instruments, require different sets of etiquette in concerts, music should ultimately be seen as a unifying factor of all peoples who just have different preferences. Only when this has been realized will we be able to fully appreciate music - in whatever form - to its highest capacity.