In January 2012 tweeters and blogs of New Yorkers were bursting with indignant messages about the improper behavior of an elderly gentleman who brought the performance of the New York Philharmonic to a halt. At the end of the last climax of Mahler’s “haunting” Ninth Symphony when silence and music became almost indistinguishable a disturbing ringing of a cell phone went off from the front row. Alan Gilbert, the conductor with years of experience under his belt, fell in stupor shocked by such an outrageous act. He dropped the hands indicating the no-less-stunned musicians to stop playing, and the great hall was silenced, except the persistent ringing sounds of the mobile device. “Are you finished?” – Alan addressed the man. No reply followed. “Fine, we’ll wait.”
So what are those obligatory rules concertgoers should diligently follow when going to a classical music concert not to find themselves in an extremely embarrassing and rude situation? It will do no harm to both experienced and inexperienced concertgoers to go through these general rules again.
Should I prepare beforehand? There is no strict necessity to study in detail the music pieces before the concert, unless you feel strong interest in it. But normally one should at least go through the program notes and study what the concert will be like: a continuous performance or a few movements, a 90 or 120 minutes act, single composer show or various authors’ works. Also, do not forget to arrive at least 20 min earlier to absorb the ambiance, settle comfortably and study the notes. As concerts start dead on time, in case of being at least a minute late you might end up listening the first part on the other side of the door – the usher will let you in only when your entrance does not bother the audience.
Any dress code? Unless it’s a fancy gala concert when the dress code is indicated in the invitation, no official dress code exists. However, there is an unspoken tradition to dress up for a classical concert making it a more festive occasion and retain from sport clothing and colorful loud sneakers.
When’s clapping appropriate? It is of course normal to greet the conductor and musicians with cheering clapping before the beginning and to shout ‘bravo!’s after the performance’s over. But you should also remember about the long-ish tricky silence pauses that normally occur between the score movements and can be mistaken for the final giving you the urge to clap. Unlike pop or jazz concerts when applauding is heard during the music, at classical concerts it might distract the musicians. So watch the conductor closely – he doesn’t drop the hands between movements but freezes them tensely in the air instead. That’s a good clue to contain the applause. The preliminary program notes’ study will help you get better oriented, too.
How to deal with the cough? That’s natural to feel the urge to cough sometimes. But during the most silent moments of the concert your cough might go off like thunder. What do we do about it? The funny thing is that the less we worry about it, the less likely we’ll cough. Drink some water before the performance and take a few coughing pills (sometimes they are even served for free in the lobby). If you feel the coughing fit is too strong and you can’t wait till the intermission, it’s quite acceptable to silently leave the hall – the listeners will only appreciate your concern.
“I need my gadgets!” You have to understand that a classical music concert is a very specific experience; it’s a different world that you have to fully immerse in if you want to live this experience. Therefore, make sure all of your electronic devices are switched off – not ‘silenced’ but switched OFF completely. Cameras are distractors too, so pictures can be taken only in the lobby, not during the concert. If you are on call duty, you can hand in your phone/pager to the usher and in case of emergency they will find a way to summon you.
Are kids allowed? A standard classical concert is quite hard for a youngster to ‘survive’ without moving: the long attention span is too complicated for them to maintain. That’s why small children are usually not allowed (it can be checked before buying the tickets). But if you want to acquaint your kid with classical music, start with something simple like classical CDs playing around the house, attending special daytime concerts for children at the weekend, and only then, when the child grows up a bit, bring him/her to a standard concert.
All that highlighted, the remaining thing to say is “Enjoy yourself!” and take the most out of your every single visit to the concert. And remember, in case you are not sure how to behave properly at a certain moment – watch the experienced concertgoers around you and follow their example. Good luck!