Concert

For other uses, seeConcert (disambiguation).

Aconcertis a livemusicperformancein front of anaudience.The performance may be carried by a single musician, sometimes then called arecital,or by amusical ensemble,such as anorchestra,choir,orband.Concerts are held in a wide variety and size of settings, from privatehousesand smallnightclubs,dedicatedconcert halls,amphitheatresandparks,to large multipurpose buildings, such asarenasandstadiums.Indoor concerts held in the largestvenuesare sometimes calledarena concertsoramphitheatre concerts.Informal names for a concert includeshowandgig.

A music group performing at the open-airDülmener Sommerconcert in Germany in 2018

Regardless of the venue, musicians usually perform on astage(if not actual then an area of the floor designated as such). Concerts often requirelive event supportwithprofessional audioequipment. Before recorded music, concerts provided the main opportunity to hear musicians play. For large concerts or concert tours, the challenging logistics of arranging the musicians, venue, equipment and audience (ticket sales) are handled by professionaltour promoters.

History

While the first concerts did not officially appear until the late 17th century, similar gatherings had been around throughout the 17th century at several European universities, such asOxfordandCambridge.Officially, though, the first public concerts that required an admission were created by the English violinistJohn Banister.Over the next few centuries, concerts began to gain larger audiences, and classical symphonies were very popular. Finally, after World War 2, these events changed into the modern concerts that take place today. An example of an early, post-WW2 concert is theMoondog Coronation Ball.

17th century

Concert,by ItalianbaroqueartistBernardo Strozzi,c. 1630-1631

The first known occurrence of concerts where people are charged admission took place at violinistJohn Banister's home inWhitefriars, Londonin 1672. 6 years later in 1678, a man by the name ofThomas Brittonheld weekly concerts inClerkenwell.However, these concerts were different. Before, there was an admission that people paid upon entering the building where the concert was held, but at Britton's concerts, patrons purchased a yearly subscription to come to the concerts. At 10shillingsa year, people could see as many concerts they wanted to.

In addition to holding concerts at certain venues, concerts also went to the people. In 17th century France, concerts were performed in the homes of the nobility, for only the nobility. Organized byAnne Danican Philidor,the first public concerts in France, and arguably the world, were theConcerts Spirituels.These concerts were held on religious holidays when theOperawas closed and served as a model for concert societies all over the world.

18th century

In the late 18th century, music from the likes ofHaydnandMozartwas brought and performed in English concerts. One notable work fromHaydnperformed at these concerts was his set of 12 symphonies, also referred to as theLondon Symphonies.Concerts reflecting the elegance of England during the time period were held at the gardens ofVauxhall,Ranelagh, andMarylebone.The musical repertoire performed at these events ranged from works composed by young Mozart, to songs that were popular in that time period.

Types

A big band concert inLappeenranta,Finland

The nature of a concert varies bymusical genre,individual performers, and the venue. Concerts by a smalljazzcombo or smallbluegrassband may have the same order of program, mood, and volume—but vary in music and dress. In a similar way, a particular musician, band, or genre of music might attract concert attendees with similar dress, hairstyle, and behavior. For example, concert goers in the 1960s often had long hair (sometimes in dread lock form), sandals and inexpensive clothing made of natural fibers. Regular attendees to a concert venue might also have a recognizable style that comprises that venue's scene.

Recital

A recital is asolo concerto,i.e. a concert by a soloist or small group which follows aprogram.It can highlight a single performer, sometimes accompanied bypiano,or a performance of the works of a singlecomposer,or a single instrument (organ recital). The invention of the solo piano recital has been attributed toFranz Liszt.Also, a recital may have many participants, as for a dance recital. A dance recital is a presentation of choreographed moves for an audience, usually in an established performing arts venue, possiblycompetitively.Some dance recitals are seasonal.

Theatrical

A theatrical concert inParisin 2023

Some performers or groups put on very elaborate and expensive shows. To create a memorable and exciting atmosphere and increase the spectacle, performers frequently include additional entertainment devices. These can include elaboratestage lighting,electronic imageryvia (IMAG) system and/or pre-recorded video, inflatable sets, artwork or other set pieces, variousspecial effectssuch astheatrical smoke and fogandpyrotechnics,and unusualcostumesor wardrobe. Somesingers,especially popular music, augment concert sound with pre-recordedaccompaniment,back-up dancers, and even broadcast vocal tracks of the singer's own voice. Activities during these concerts can includedancing,sing-alongs, andmoshing.

Classical

See also:Concert versionandConcert piece

Aclassical musicconcert in theRod Laver ArenainMelbourne,Australia, in 2005

Classical concerts embody two different styles of classical music — orchestral and choral. They are performed by a plethora of different groups inconcert hallsor other performing art venues. Fororchestra,depending on the number of performers and the instruments used, concerts includechamber music,chamber orchestra, or symphony orchestra. Chamber orchestra is a small-scale orchestra containing between ten and forty members, mostly string instruments, and likely led by a conductor. Symphony orchestra, on the other hand, is a large-scale orchestra that can have up to eighty or more members, which is led by a conductor and is performed with instruments such asstrings,woodwinds,brass instruments,andpercussion.For choral style pieces, concerts includeChoral music,Opera,andmusical theater.Each encompassing a variety of singers who are organized by a conductor or director.

Rock

Main article:Rock concert

Rock concerts are those whererock musiciansperform in front of audiences which may vary from small to hugestadiumconcerts.Mosh pitsare often a feature of modern rock concerts.Rock concertsare often conducted at extremely high volume levels, near the threshold ofhearing loss.

Venues

Jay Pritzker Pavilion,abandshellatMillennium ParkinChicago

There are a wide variety of concert venues that can range in size, location, and the type of music that is hosted at that particular venue. A concert hall is a concert venue which hosts mainly classical music such as a symphony, and they are often a part of a largerperforming arts center.One of the most famous concert halls isRoyal Albert Halllocated in the United Kingdom. This venue hosts a wide variety of genres of music from classical concerts to pop concerts. An amphitheater is an uncovered circular or oval-shaped venue with tiers of seats surrounding the stage. Amphitheaters such as the well-knownRed Rocks Amphitheatre,located in Colorado, hosts mainly rock and pop concerts. Rock and pop concerts, however, are mainly held in sports stadiums and arenas such asMadison Square Gardenbecause of the tendency for these stadiums to have a larger capacity.

Formats

Festivals

Main article:Music festival

Further information:List of music festivals

Donauinselfestis the world's largest music festival according toGuinness World Records

Concerts involving a greater number of artists, especially those that last for multiple days, are known asfestivals.Unlike other concerts, which typically remain in a single genre of music or work of a particular artist, festivals often cover a broad scope of music and arts. Due to their size, festivals are almost exclusively held outdoors. New platforms for festivals are becoming increasingly popular such as Jam Cruise, which is a festival held on a cruise ship, as well as Mayan Holidaze, which is a destination festival held inTulum.

Tour

Main article:Concert tour

Beyoncéon herRenaissance World TouratTottenham Hotspur StadiuminLondonin 2023

A concert tour is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries, or locations. Often concert tours are named, to differentiate different tours by the same artist and associate a specific tour with a particular album or product. Especially in the popular music world, such tours can become large-scale enterprises that last for several months or even years, are seen by hundreds of thousands or millions of people, and bring in millions of dollars, or the equivalent, in ticket revenues.

Residency

Main article:Concert residency

A concert residencyor musical residencyis a series of live music concerts similar to aconcert tour,but only performed at one location.

Revenue

See also:List of highest-grossing live music artists

While admission to some concerts is free, it is common practice to charge money for concerts by selling admission tickets. Before the advent of recorded-music sales and mechanicalroyaltiesin the early 20th century, concerts were the primary source of revenue for musicians. Revenue from ticket sales typically goes to the performing artists, producers, venue, organizers and the brokers. In the case ofbenefit concerts,a portion of profits often go towards acharitable organization.

Additional revenue is also often raised through in-concert advertising, from free local concerts for local sponsorships to sponsorships from corporations during major tourse.g.2009's "Vans' Warped Tour Presented by AT&T".BothVansandAT&Twould have paid significant amounts to have their company names included at the forefront in all marketing material for theWarped Tour.

Concessions and merchandise are also often sold during and after concerts; often by the venue in the case of the former, and by the performing band or artist in the case of the latter.

The global live music industry revenue stood at 28.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.Taylor Swift’sThe Eras Tourin 2023 was record-breaking, generating $1.04 billion in revenue, averaging $17.3 million per show.

Attendance

Further information:List of highest-attended concerts

Vasco Rossi's show at Enzo Ferrari Park inModena,Italy, which set a new world attendance record in 2017

The term "full house" is used to designate full occupancy by the audience of every seat or place at a venue. It also applies totheatrical productionsandcinemas.

As of 2017,Italian singerVasco Rossiholds the record for the biggest attendance of a ticketed concert with a total of 220,000 tickets sold for his show at Enzo Ferrari Park,Modena,Italy on 1 July 2017.The record was previously held byPaul McCartney's 1990 concert with a paying audience of 185,000 inMaracanã Stadium,Rio de Janeiro.Rod Stewartalso holds the record for the biggest attendance in a free concert, with an estimated audience of 3.5 million during his 1994New Year's Eveconcert inCopacabana Beach,Rio de Janeiro.

Concert psychology

Many musicians performing in large venues or to a mass audience throughelectronic mediaexperiencestage frightor performance anxiety. Thepsychological stressof maintaining performance at a high level over a longconcert touris associated withdepressionandsubstance abuse.

In some concert settings, such as classical music, the audience participates passively. In other concert settings, especially folk or rock concerts, the performers encourage and engage with an active audience response. The intensity of the sound environment and the crush of the mass audience can induce atrance-like psychological state in some audience members, and beyond the music itself, functions as an entry point to achieve analtered state of consciousness.Vocalistsand other musicians (if their instrument permits this) will oftendanceor strut on stage as they perform, and the audience will often dance or sway in response (space permitting); this can also be considered a manifestation ofcrowd psychology.

See also

• Concerto
• Concert version
• Environmental impact of live music