In the entry below, you'll find that Dear Husband and I attended a recent concert by Itzhak Perlman, and were surprised by some of the audience behavior. I was talking about this experience with the Red Hat Ladies at lunch today, and discovered that behavior at a classical concert is not universally known.
When I described the faux pas of applause following the first movement, one of the ladies asked if the custom of waiting until the end of the piece was posted in the program. I don't know. Because of my background, I've just assumed that everyone knew that tradition. Posting the guidelines in the program is not a bad idea!
On WGN720 this morning, John Williams was talking with his audience about the same subject. A grade school band director called in to say that not only did they need to teach their students about proper concert behavior, they also needed to teach the audience. Society has become SO casual, that we all act as though we are at home in front of our own TV and can do whatever we please, when there are actually guidelines for concert goers.
I tried to think what I would tell a first-time concert goer. I suppose the most important thing is that you don't do anything which would either distract the performer, or bother the audience around you.
1. Specifically, NO TALKING (OR SINGING) during the performance.
2. Turn off your cell phone, or turn it to "vibrate" for the duration of the concert. (Personally, I'd make you turn it in at the door!).
3. Remain seated, unless you are deathly ill. DO NOT walk up the aisle during the performance.
4. Be in your seat BEFORE the performance begins, or be prepared to have to wait to be seated between the selections, or at intermission.
5. At a concert of "classical" music, wait to applaud until the entire piece is finished. The program will list how many movements there are to a piece. If you're not sure that the piece is over, let the rest of the audience or the actions of the performer(s) guide you.
Perhaps there are other suggestions that I could make, but these seem to be the most basic. Having courtesy and consideration for the performer and for the audience just about covers it all.
Comments (8)
Good advice, some people are ninnies and even if they know the rules they still insist on drawing attention to themselves. Ick!
Posted by janett | May 12, 2007 6:17 PM
Posted on May 12, 2007 18:17
P.S. I am extremely jealous of your having been able to see Itzhak Perlman. What a fabulous opportunity!
Posted by Cop Car | May 13, 2007 9:08 AM
Posted on May 13, 2007 09:08
Janet, you're SO RIGHT!
Cop Car, despite the odd behavior of some of the concert-goers, it WAS a fabulous concert. We were very lucky to get to hear one of the premier performers of our time.
Posted by buffy | May 13, 2007 6:16 PM
Posted on May 13, 2007 18:16
Excellent advice. I have to admit though that people's behaviour at concerts generally is deteriorating. There no longer seems to be a recognition that their own behaviour and noise will disrupt others. I wonder if it's because of the way people are brought up in front of the tv nowadays. I have to admit though that the appalling behaviour of some people at concerts seems not to apply to young generations nowadays. A few weeks ago John and I went to a Big Band concert locally. We were, I think, Some of the youngest people in the audience. Behing us were a couple in, I would guess, their '70s. And the man talked and talked through the music. We tried all the usual things to keep them quiet (turning round to make them realise they were disturbing us, etc) until in the end John turned around and quietly and firmly told them "Shut up". Only then did they stop disturbing our own listening pleasure.
I have to admit I have never seen the advice not to applaud during movements in any programme. As far as I know it's just received behaviour - and it's what the musicians want as well. Surely it's a matter of courtesy towards the musicians.
The use of mobile phones in anyt concert or theatrical performance is totally unacceptable. In fact over here some months ago the newspapers were full of an occasion when one woman's mobile phone went off several times in the theatre until the star of the show, Richard Griffiths, stopped the performance dead and demanded that she left the theatre immediately. As she left the entire audience applauded Griffith's stand. Fortunately there seems to ge a general acceptance that mobile phones and performaces don't mix. Long may this continue.
Posted by Adele | May 14, 2007 3:03 AM
Posted on May 14, 2007 03:03
I forgot to mention one thing. The weekend before last John borrowed a DVD of the opera Aida from the library. The performance came from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. The opera itself was wonderful but we were a little surprised to find full curtain calls after each act, which we found a little distracting. I got the impression, however, that applause between acts was the norm in that opera house. Perhaps it's just a case of different styles in different places.
Posted by Adele | May 14, 2007 11:18 AM
Posted on May 14, 2007 11:18
Adele, I'm sure you're right that TV has had an adverse affect on concert behavior.
What a shame that your concert experience was disturbed by the talker who took so long to get the message!
BRAVO, Richard Griffiths! Performers are not expected to pierce that veil between the stage and the audience, but I think he did exactly the right thing. Sometimes it takes a strong stand like to make the expectations known. It's horribly offensive to performers when you disrupt the art they are creating.
Posted by buffy | May 14, 2007 2:26 PM
Posted on May 14, 2007 14:26
I am getting an amazing education on this subject! Adele, my focus tends to be on instrumental music, rather than vocal. I've never had the opportunity to hear a performance of the opera at the Met. I had always assumed that a full curtain call was restricted to the end of the performance, so this seems to be a major departure. I'll have to give some thought to where I might write to see if the Met follows a different policy, or if that particular performance, or conductor, or diva, had different requirements. Thanks for sharing this variation on a theme! *S*
Posted by buffy | May 14, 2007 2:32 PM
Posted on May 14, 2007 14:32
Buffy, yesterday evening John went to see a performance of Aida done locally. He came back and said that he now understood why on the DVD of the Opera the Metropolitan Opera House had curtain calls: they were a way of using up the time necessary to do major scenery changes. Apparently last night they did not have such curtain calls between acts, instead they had periods of time when the audience was staring at closed curtains. I've not seen another DVD of an opera at the Mtropolitan Opera House though, so I don't know whether they have curtain calls between acts on a regular basis.
Posted by Adele | May 15, 2007 1:58 PM
Posted on May 15, 2007 13:58