??? My First Classical Concert,What Can I Expect ???

IME kind of boring compared to rock. But then when you listen for a while, you start to appreciate what they are doing. Historically dealers told me hi-end audio was for music like orchestra. I guess because you are listening for the quality of the musicians and not just the song itself.

I would be interested if you go into critical listening mode and if you can get yourself out of it. Also after listening will you like your stereo more or less than the real thing?

Baroque is more of an acquired taste even for Classic music listeners. I am one. You might have a more uplifting experience with Mahler Symphony 1 or Stravinsky's Rite of Spring played by a big-name orchestra.

I am more of an opera fan than classical music, but one thing I would do is really pay attention to the sound. I have been to hundreds of concerts as well and although some amplified concerts sounded great, nothing was close to an opera, a live jazz concert or big band jazz. Whether it was Woody Herman or Buddy Rich and their big bands or Bryn Terfel, Cecilia Bartoli or Joyce Didonato singing solo, live unamplified music is a must for all audiophiles, as it gives us a point of reference on what music actually sounds like.

I grew up on the same musical track as you and I think you are in for a treat.

Enjoy the experience.

My First Classical Concert,What Can I Expect
 

During a frantic passage, a trombone slide gets propelled with great velocity. Over the band, past the stage, row 1, row 2…until it hits someone in row 6 😉

Why?

I am envious, I think you will be enthralled.

Awesome you’re trying something new! A few things I’d recommend- check with the orchestra and see if they do pre-concert lectures. Most larger orchestras do these. A good chunk of these will play motifs and excerpts so you have some context when you hear the whole piece. That can be great if you’re new as you’ll then be able to pick out the important parts and then hear how melodies get thrown around and transformed across a piece.

Pick one instrument / person in your sight line and adopt them for the performance. This is great for critical listening, particularly if you’re not familiar with the instrument. Why is that good? You’ll generally find it’s like developing a new muscle- when you go home you’ll be able to pick and isolate that instrument on classical recordings when you get home. Then if you go back to another concert you can adopt another instrument and build more musical muscles.

Those are some quick tips. As a musical omnivore myself no musical genre is boring- it’s just a matter of learning to speak a new dialect and learning what each brings to the table, and ends up giving you a new experience to enrich your home genre.

I too went from rock concerts to classical.  Bach's Brandenbergs are a great place to start.  Forget critical listening and just let the music take over.  One bit of advice, if you're not familiar with classical concert etiquette--each of the concertos consists of three movements; most classical audiences do not applaud until the end of the whole piece, not after each movement.

Also, +1 to d-o-tampa.

You will experience real sound stage. 
Hope you have good seats. 

@d-o-tampa ,

" As a musical omnivore myself..."

Terrific description!

I disagree it’s most of what is written above.  So you won’t see anyone lighting their  violins on fire or being lifted by a cable over the audience.

  The Brandenburg Concertos feature a lot of instrumental effects.  For example the Sixth omits violins and uses low strings only.  The Second features a very high-piccolo- trumpet that Paul McCartney liked so much when he heard it he adopted it for Penny Lane.  The Fifth is basically a harpsichord concerto in the first movement, that ends with a crazy cadenza (solo) where Bach was foreshadowing the Piano Virtuosos 150 years in the future.  The second movement is basically a chamber outing between the flute, keyboard and violin where the 3 lines weave in and out as only Bach could do so seamlessly.

  Every concerto has something special.

  Listen to the music at least twice before the concert so that it has something special familiarity.  Then when you are there are how different choirs of instruments produce the sounds .

Brandenburgs are a staple for "classical" orchestras, but remember it is a BAROQUE composition. A lot depends on the execution:

- Harpsicord should be used, but sometimes the dreaded piano is substituted. Harpsichord (and lute/theorbo) are part of the rhythmic section (aka basso continuo, akin the drum kit in a rock concert). The sharp attack of the plucked harpsichord helps with that, while the smeared sound of a piano obfuscates this key function.

- Authentic strings are played on gut strings and at 415 Hz, but very few orchestras do so. Gut strings have a completely different sound to modern synthetic ones.

- Playing technique in classical orchestras uses vibrato as a sauce, while in proper execution it is an ornament (rank 13 according to Bach). The main ornament are variations on the trill, so listen for variety of trills used (starting on upper/lower note, speed, acceleration or not, ending in a turn or not). Those are not written into the music and are improvised to taste by the musician.

- If you are lucky enough to hear a period orchestra perform it, they will also use a baroque bow (outward curved, not inward as in the classical Tourte bow), which helps with note shaping/messa di voce critical for baroque music to shine. How much that is smeared by the typically reverb-heavy acoustics of a church is an entirely different question. Brandenburgs are rather a da camera piece (to be played in a room), not da chiesa (church music). Accordingly, playing Brandenburgs in a church is a questionable choice.

- Lute/theorbo is typically too quiet for large venues such as 500 seat church, and has to be amplified. (frequently also the harpsichord(s). 

- Repeats are elaborated, but elaborations are not written out. So listen for the type and artistry of the elaboration on the second pass.

Baroque music frequently gets a bad wrap ("acquired taste"). That stems mainly from the mostly poor execution (piano/harpsichord, vibrato sauce, etc.). I heard once a Haydn performance where the keyboardist for one used a piano, and played the bass line (aka figured bass) as single notes, not realizing that a chord is tastefully improvised in Baroque music. I hope you will hear a good performance.

That’s a good first classical concert. Just soak it in and enjoy. Closing eyes can help. Let us know what you think.  Every venue is different. 

I would try not to build it up. Try to enjoy it. Attending a classical concert in an acoustically wonderful 1920's concert hall with a world renowned orchestra can be an incredible experience, assuming you like classical music. 

The acoustics in a church will be unusual... so, perhaps look at it as an opportunity to experience very strange acoustics. Placing a small orchestra (early classical pieces are done with small orchestra's as opposed to Beethoven and later) is likely just to sound unusual. Good that you are up front so direct sound is likely to dominate. 

Anyway, if you are interested by this experience, travel to a major city and go to a great symphony hall. In this setting you can experience the very quietest sounds to over 100db in great crescendos of some of the more modern works. 

I've been to hundreds of symphony concerts. I spent many listening to the acoustics as well as the works. I really enjoy them. Hopefully this can be a gateway for you. 

All good advice above. You will hear natural sound staging, not this over precise image placement we hear with so many recordings. Natural timbre, micro and macro dynamics should also impress.   Hearing non amplified instruments with little or no sound reinforcement provides a unique perspective and may provide a new reference for what one is seeking with their home system.

From an audiophile standpoint, you will be amazed at how NOT BRIGHT a live orchestra is. ;-)  I think unamplified symphony concerts are very good for training your ears toward a more natural sound.  On a musical level, you'll be thrilled by the sound of a massed orchestra.  On a few occasions I've had the amazing experience of performing as a voice artist in front of a symphony orchestra.  The experience was indescribable!  Finally, you will love the Brandenburg Concertos.  Tuneful, danceable, moving and uplifting music.  Enjoy!

@dogearedaudio 

+1

If you can, I would sit back in the hall a little further.

Hello Freediver, first let me congratulate you on the decision to expand your live concert genre.  One suggestion is to avoid "overthinking" this new experience.  The most notable and most obvious contrast will be that you'll hear the purity of the artists,the instruments and the music.   No electronic enhancements such as amps, equalizers, mixers, dynamic lighting, speakers, etc. Also be prepared for a much lower SPL than you've encountered at rock concerts where the SPL averages 90 to 120 dBs.  Live classic concerts SPL averages around 70-90dBs (much less stressful on the ears) with a few loud passages approaching 100 dBs.  I enjoy every musical genre but especially so when the musicians are truly talented.  Arrive early and take you seat so that you can listen to the artists warm up.  This will also help prepare you for a marvelous first time experience.  Enjoy the music.

WOW,I debated starting this thread,not expecting the kind of responses posted so far..I’m really glad I did..I appreciate the informative replies so far..
 Just to add a few thoughts..I’ve been to plenty of small Jazz clubs, seen plenty of unamplified folk musicians & the occasional Classical Trio at weddings so it’s not like I’m unfamiliar with unamplified music..Just never been to a larger venue like this specifically featuring unamplified music...
 I would also note,I am a fan of most genres of Classical music & adore harp music(which my late wife played),wind instruments & the cello so this isn’t a complete venture into the unknown..
 Lastly & specifically for @horn13, could you elaborate on why you suggested this?

And if the piece is a real drum crasher you will gain an enhanced appreciation of what drums can do in a hall.

Pay attention to the sound and how it is affected by the space you are in. Notice the blending of the sections, and for goodness sake, don’t applaud between movements of the same piece (unless the performance was exquisite).

And have fun

This is mainly to reinforce what others have already said!

The six Brandenburg Concertos are very early 'classical' pieces and do not feature soloists like later concertos do.  The original meaning of concerto was 'playing together'.  The original instrumentation did not use any drums, instead the harpsicord provides an improvised rhythm section and according to Sir Thomas Beecham sounds like two skeletons copulating on a tin roof.  The volume produced by each harpsicord keystroke is fixed!

Each concerto is very short - somewhere between 10 and 20 minutes - but much longer than most modern 'songs'.  The first concerto has four individual movements with pauses between them, the other five are just three movements.  These pauses are the best time to wriggle, cough and say a few words to your partner.  Otherwise, try to stay silent.  Take a few cough lozenges unless you fancy being a featured soloist - always embarrassing. Best to wait for most of the audience to clap before you join in, unless you know the piece being played.

As far as acoustics go, in Bach's day the only venues were echo-prone churches and cathedrals, or much smaller rooms.  The Brandenburgs were composed for intimate spaces where the very fast notes don't get lost in reverberation.  You have to fast forward to Mozart's time to get custom built 'listening spaces' aka chambers and true chamber music.

The sound will vary dramatically throughout the church.  Being near the front, you may just be able to shut your eyes and localise an instrument, but the original intent was to play together!  I have never been able to pinpoint an instrument in a full symphony orchestra playing live in a real venue.

I hope you do have fun, but it can be hard when everybody around you is po-faced and deadly serious!

@freedriver

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/where-is-the-best-place-to-sit-in-the-concert-hall/

You could go to the church on Sunday and see what the seats are like.;)

Actually, I live 30 miles from Dallas, so by the time I drive downtown, get parked, and make my way to the venue, I have a little trouble with being sleepy during the beginning, if it is beautiful music. After the very beginning, I have Loved it and can’t figure out why I don’t go more often.

Live music, at a venue made for music is awesome. I bet the church will sound great!

@horn13 that's awesome,the church is a fan shape so my seats should be golden!

Ever heard of high-end audio? It's like that. How does high-end sound? The boiler plate answer: It depends. Depends on the hall, the orchestra, conductor, the music being played, your seats, etc.. In general, live orchestra music has a very homogenous sound. Not a lot of pin-point imaging going on.

Try to pick some music you know and like. Something light and lively. Live vocal music is pretty cool. Also something with lots of percussion. 

There are many differences between live band classical and rock concerts. First and most important is you will hear music without any distortion in this environment as opposed to amplified rock music.

Since the concert is in a church, pay attention to the long reverberation of sound, i.e., slow decay of musical notes which adds more to your enjoyment. Do you know which Brandenberg concerto they will play? The second concerto has a most unusual solo ensemble consisting of trumpet, flute, oboe, and violin. Pay attention to the trumpet and its long decay of notes unlike you have heard elsewhere. Same goes to other instruments. Bach's third concerto may be the most popular concerto grosso ever written. 

So you are in for a treat. Don't worry about imaging, layering, 3D sound-staging and other crazy stuff we pay attention to in our hi-fi audio systems. This is pure unamplified music. What you hear is the real thing. There is no comparison for this.

Concerts and their venues

l am not a classical music concert goer.

l do love to hear a full 100 piece orchestra with the music l enjoy and collect.

Original film music by the most respected 20th Century composers. Ennio Morricone, John Barry, Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Ron Goodwin (to a lesser degree as he was not so prolific in his writings)

The Royal Albert Hall is where l have heard all of these……it’s not the venue for great sound. The acoustics are and have been forever bab, bad, bad! The shape and design of the building is like a great big oval bathroom with sound reflections and reverb/echo from all sides.Unless you are sat in the stalls roughly dead centre is the only place to be for the best it gets. You may get a great performance but never the greatest sound. Things have been tried over the years to tame these acoustic failures with those upside down mushroom treatments in the god’s. l can honestly say the only instrument that sounds okay for me in the RAH is the organ……at least it sounds like it is being played in a church.

If you want good acoustics, go to a newer concert hall built with thought and designed for optimum sound delivery. The Barbican London is my favourite and a few of the provincial local theatres dotted around the county.

My most respected film composer who appeared in London (and Scotland) every year before his death, chose The Barbican. He was able to reproduce his film scores on stage without loosing any of the dynamics from the original recordings. He was not afraid to talk to the audience between the pieces injecting humour and personal insights which facilitated a more intimate feel to the evenings. Goldsmith at pre concert talks opened up personal opportunities for direct questions and answers. He was a showman who enjoyed conducting his own music and others when opportunities allowed. IMHO perhaps the only silver age film composer to consistently give his audiences what they craved for year in, year out.

His concerts were always near sell outs even though he reappeared every year, and into his late 70’s which demonstrated his public support. He even carried on composing and conducted while receiving cancer treatments…..Sadly missed R.I.P

Just wear decent clothes. It’s a social event. So at least something properly tailored. 

I love Bach, but the Brandenburgs are not my favorite of his over 1000 compositions.  Still, they are beloved by many and may grab you too.  The delights of Bach, for me, are his sacred works for chorus and orchestra…the Cantatas, the Magnificat, B Minor Mass, the Passions, and his solo instrumental masterpieces for violin, cello, and keyboards, especially the Art of Fugue, The Goldberg Variations, and The Musical Offering.  If this concert doesn’t hook you, try some of the other stuff!