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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
sns
4,120 posts
 

Unruly crowds, this my pet peeve. I've had so many concerts absolutely shattered by loud mouths, people over reacting, its like they want to be the star of the show, make themselves heard. I'm not there to hear you!

rayd
84 posts
 

Sit back and enjoy the sounds of both the individual instruments and the instruments as an ensemble.  You may be surprised at what each live acoustic instrument sounds like vs. a recorded acoustic instrument.

erik_squires
16,923 posts
 

No matter where you sit imagining wikl be crap.

 

🤣🤣🤣

arnieco
9 posts
 

Congratulations. The brandenburg concertos are impossible not to like. Acoustics wise, I'm not a fan of churches as they were not designed for ensemble music.

Due to all the hard surfaces, and a rectangle, the reverb has a long life. I would suggest listening to the concertos ahead of time, and what you may notice is they may play it slower to allow for the reverb to decrease, otherwise you have a mix of current plus previous.

So if you like it a little, my suggestion is to see a piece at a music venue.
In a music venue, small ensemble, no sound system, it can sound great. You hear all the instruments, and the audience is quiet.

Good luck.

fynnegan
131 posts
 

Sorry to say but churches are very challenging venues acoustically, especially for a “small town symphony”. They are good for choral and organ. I suggest you treat yourself in the future for an experience in a proper concert hall in a big city, and as suggested, try to hear Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. 

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