Dear visitors,
A truly memorable concert, opera or dance performance requires audience and artist to immerse themselves in the art without disturbance or disruption of any form. The focus of the artist and the concentration of those watching and listening can be maintained only if audience obeys the unwritten rules established in the world’s top concert halls, opera houses and theatres. One man, Hungarian-born pianist András Schiff, did attempt to put these rules into words in a book entitled “A zenéről, zeneszerzőkről, önmagáról” (“Of music, composers and himself”, 2003, Vince Kiadó). We have supplemented his musings with some additional requests the Palace of Arts makes of its guests.
Artists are always expected to perform at their best whatever the circumstances. They owe this to the composer of the work, the audience and – last but not least – themselves. But what of the audience, the thousand-headed mass of humanity that wields the power and influence of a modern-day Caesar? Is it right that the act of purchasing a ticket entitles its bearer to behave as he or she wishes? Sadly, the artistic community has done very little to constructively educate its audiences on the art of listening to music. Most of those behaving inappropriately have no idea that their insensitive coughing can ruin an important pause in a Schubert sonata or break the concentration of a performer playing a complex work without the luxury of sheet music – a Bach Fugue or Beethoven piano sonata, for instance.
There are occasions when a performance is a unique, unrepeatable experience. Even the highest quality recording cannot reproduce the joy of the experience anticipated and realised, the spectacle of the event and the unique resonance of acceptance with the audience. Each member of the audience becomes an active collaborator in the creation of something new. The artist instinctively feels whether the audience is tuned in. The quality of the performance reflects the – positive or negative – vibrations he or she picks up. Just as all music begins and ends in stillness, it is a strict requirement of the audience to maintain this silence.
It is with this in mind that the following ten commandments of the concert-goer have been sent to earth by the spirits of composers Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Frédéric François Chopin, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Richard Wagner, Johannes Brahms, Claude-Achille Debussy, Leoš Janaček and Bartók Béla:
- Refrain from coughing, sneezing or emitting any other odious sound from the respiratory tract. A kerchief may be used only in the event of emergency. There can be no excuse or explanation for turning the majesty of a concert hall into the chaos of a hospital ward in the midst of an epidemic. Those afflicted by illness should remain at home in bed to prevent the infection of others.
- Hold your tongue during the music.
- Avert your eyes from the concert programme throughout the performance. It should be read before and after the event, but causes extreme irritation to others during it. Fortunately, the delinquents that persist in this practice are out of luck in concert halls and theatres that are darkened during performances.
- Never unwrap sweets or biscuits. The rustling associated with throat lozenges is just as loud and distracting as the coughing they are designed to prevent.
- Do not leave during the performance, and do not slam the door when you do.
Sudden nausea, an urgent and irrepressible call of nature or an irrational fear of missing the last bus are convincing reasons indeed, but the habit of certain American season ticket holders who regularly leave the second half of concerts is more difficult to justify. - Do not sing or conduct the orchestra with your hands – and certainly not with your feet. There is a guy on stage paid to do that.
- If you are following the performance through the medium of sheet music, resist the temptation to turn the pages loudly. It is admirable that you are able to read music, but this is highly distracting to your neighbours and gives the performer the impression of being surrounded by a hoard of Beckmessers. Most deserving of pity are the singers and pianists that must suffer the excruciating sound of several hundred people simultaneously turning from one page to the next to follow the lyrics of a choral recital.
- Do not take photographs, particularly with the flash on. This is almost as bad as taking shots at the pianist. Oh, and please do not shoot the pianist!
- Never make recordings without the permission of all participants, including the authorities. And do not forget to switch off your mobile telephone and digital timepiece. It’s best if you do not even bring them with you – or even buy the damn things in the first place.
- Do not applaud before it is time to do so.
This final point is extremely important. There are some works of art that inspire conspicuous and immediate enthusiasm. These include some Beethoven symphonies, Tchaikovsky’s 4th and 5th and Brahms’s piano quartet in G minor. Yet there are hundreds of pieces that end in silence and demand further silence. These heady moments of complete immersion are ruined by a smattering of premature applause. Works in this category include Bach’s Goldberg Variations, opus 109 in E major and opus 111 in C minor from Beethoven’s final sonatas, Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise song cycles, Schumann’s Dichterliebe series, Wagner’s The Valkyrie and Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 – but the list goes on and on. In all these works, the closing silence is both sacred and essential.
Some people like to pretend they are oh so intelligent and know exactly when a piece ends. Yet their premature show of enthusiasm demonstrates they have understood nothing of the spiritual message of the composition.
There are some works, such as Bach’s passions, Mozart’s requiems and Shostakovich’s 15th string quartet, where applause is simply out of the question. It would be wonderful if everyone were to simply stand for a few seconds. What place has applause after music like this?
The undersigned are fully aware that mankind is as unlikely to obey the above rules as it is to follow the other, better known commandments. We are resigned to the sad fact that audiences will continue to cough, chatter, read, rustle sweet papers, slam the door s they leave, sing and conduct, turn pages, flash their cameras, make bootleg recordings, leave mobile telephones and digital alarms switched on, and applaud at the wrong time.
Florence, October 1998
(András Schiff: A zenéről, zeneszerzőkről, önmagáról – Vince Kiadó, 2003)
The cloakrooms at the Palace of Arts are operated for your convenience. Their use is not compulsory, but we request that winter coats, umbrellas and large bags and rucksacks are deposited in the cloakroom as they can restrict movement between seats and effect your own safety and that of other guests. Those arriving with valuable items they do not wish to leave in the cloakroom, such as laptops and instruments, will be allowed into the auditorium provided the items are small enough to be safely stowed under the seat. We would also like to remind guests that the cloakroom remains open for an hour following the performance, after which remaining items will be available for collection from reception desk 2 of the building.
We ask our guests to refrain from taking food and drinks purchased in snack bars into the concert halls. The building offers ample space to consume food and drink in a relaxed and pleasant environment. Glasses and cups left in the foyer are collected by Palace of Arts staff during the performance.
Smoking is prohibited throughout the Palace of Arts with the exception of the outdoor terraces and areas in front of the building.
Recording of audio and images during concerts and performances is strictly prohibited. In most cases, this is a condition of contracts agreed between the Palace of Arts and the performer and extends to photographs and videos recorded with mobile telephones.
We make every effort to commence our events at the advertised time. In order to prevent any disruption to the performance, latecomers will not be allowed to take up their seats until after the interval. Exceptions will only be made under certain circumstances, but our ushers will provide information in all cases.
Closed-circuit television cameras are installed throughout the Palace of Arts for the safety of our guests. Please also note that many of our performances are recorded for archive purposes using professional technology and that this footage may feature members of the audience.
