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

 In my 65 years I've been to somewhere around 1000 rock/blues/reggae concerts..I've seen them all at one time or another,Led Zepp,The Stones,The Who,Pink Floyd,Carlos Santanna,SRV,BB King,Marley,Tosh,Cliff & on & on..
 But in all those concerts,I've never been to a Classical Concert..Well I decided to change that & am going to my first one in early June..Nothing big time,our small town symphony performing Bachs Brandenburg  Concerto's  at one of the bigger churches of about 500 seats..
 We'll be 6 rows from the stage,second & third seats in from center isle..In all the concerts I've ever been to,I don't ever recall listening for imaging or staging or micro detail or any of the things I sometimes listen for at home..I'm curious what I can expect regarding the Acoustics & if I get into critical listening mode what to look for as far as the technical aspects of the performance..
 Am I overthinking this adventure,should I just sit back & let the experience flow whatever direction it takes?What are your thoughts?

freediver

Showing 2 responses by mahler123

mahler123
3,628 posts
 

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 .

mahler123
3,628 posts
 

It sounds like you were at a concert featuring Historically Informed Performers (HIP).  Wood flutes and oboes have unique timbres.  They can be a problem in very large auditoriums and in smaller venues they can lack some dynamic range but have their attractions in the right settings.  HIP horns and trumpets sometimes lack valves and are a b**** for the player who has to do all the work with breath control.

  The harpsichord can be beautiful, especially in Bach Brandenburg #5, which I believe was on the program.  It also gets lost in a large hall.

  The sound stage, etc are a product of the venue and might be completely different in a different space.  IMO venues matter with acoustic instruments and not so much with electrified going through a sound processor.

  Modern gear is great but no system can equal a full symphony orchestra in a good hall.  Our gear just attempts to create an illusion but even a seven figure system in a cathedral like home misses the boat by a mile.  It might be different with pop.

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