A concert program (in

American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the United States, most widely spoken lang ...

) or concert programme (in

British English British English is the set of Variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United Kingdom, especially Great Britain. More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in England, or, more broadly, to ...

) is a selection and ordering, or programming, of pieces to be performed at an occasion, or

concert A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

. Concert programs can be organized into a booklet. In some occasions the programs might be simpler, and will be put on a piece of paper. Programs may be influenced by the available ensemble of instruments, by performer ability or skill, by theme (

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

, programmatic, or

technical Technical may refer to: * Technical (vehicle), an improvised fighting vehicle * Technical area, an area which a manager, other coaching personnel, and substitutes are allowed to occupy during a football match * Technical advisor, a person who ...

), by musical concerns (such as

form Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens. Form may also refer to: *Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter dat ...

), or by allowable time. For example, a brass ensemble may perform an "all brass" program, the pieces of which may be chosen by a theme, such as "all Bach", and the chosen pieces may be ordered so that they build in intensity as the concert progresses. Concert programs may be put together by ensembles, conductors, or ensemble directors, and are often explained in program notes. The structure of modern concert programs can be traced back to the contributions of

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions inc ...

while he was director of the Gewandhausorchester in Leipzig. Mendelssohn's programming style consists of an overture (or other short work), a

concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The ...

or suite, an intermission, and then a larger work such as a

symphony A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning c ...

or operatic movement. ''Coherence in Concert Programming: A View from the U.K.'', International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music, vol. 45, no. 2, 2014, p. 3. Gothan, Mark. Program notes or annotated concert programs are common where

contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from about 1945 to the present. In the social sciences, contemporary history is also continuous with, and related t ...

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

is being performed. These were introduced in Edinburgh and London in the 1840s, first for

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

concerts, notably by John Ella and his Musical Union, under the name "Synoptical Analysis". They became common in symphony concerts in the 1850s. In 1862, the Viennese critic

Eduard Hanslick Eduard Hanslick (11 September 18256 August 1904) was an Austrian music critic, aesthetician and historian. Among the leading critics of his time, he was the chief music critic of the '' Neue Freie Presse'' from 1864 until the end of his life. Hi ...

considered this particularly necessary for the English middle class: "Feeling usually uncertain about things aesthetic, the English listener loves direct instruction." Program notes arrived later in continental Europe. Program notes serve two purposes: to provide historical and background information on the piece, and to give the audience some sense of what to expect, providing what to listen for during the concert. Also provided, if necessary, is information about the conductor and performers of the ensembles, and especially featured soloists. With the presentation of contemporary pieces, it is common to include notes provided by the composer. Program notes may include information about, and quotes or commentary from, the composer, conductor, or performers, as well as provide context regarding the musical era. Programs may also include information about the programmatic or absolute content of the music, including

analysis Analysis (: analyses) is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts in order to gain a better understanding of it. The technique has been applied in the study of mathematics and logic since before Aristotle (38 ...

, and may point out details such as themes, musical motifs, and

sections Section, Sectioning, or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sig ...

movements Movement may refer to: Generic uses * Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece * Movement (sign language), a hand movement when signing * Motion, commonly referred to as movement * Movement (music), a division of a larger c ...

Notes

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University of Wisconsin–Whitewater The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater (UW–Whitewater or UWW) is a public university in Whitewater, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System. As of Fall 2024, the university offers 47 undergraduate majors ...

students
Guide
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University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

students
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Notes

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External links