Years ago I had the pleasure of performing in a concert series for Inessa Khurgel’s Classical Music Encounters in Orange County. In Southern California, it is a great opportunity for musicians and audiences alike to experience some great classical music from some extraordinary artists. This really was an inspiration for me to start Art District Concerts.
My father, Morton Estrin, was my teacher when I was growing up on Long Island, NY – he in fact still teaches there. He had a large addition built on our house many years ago which contains his studio. The studio is used for practice, teaching, and even concert performances right in our home! Growing up with this was a great experience for me.
But why is this significant? Well, there is historical significance to the idea of in-home concerts. Believe it or not, a concert hall is actually a relatively recent development – they first appeared in the mid-19th century.
Back in Mozart’s time, a piano was not loud enough to fill the area of an entire concert hall; Symphony Orchestras were less than half the size of late 19th century orchestras and the instruments everyone played were much quieter. For example, flutes were made of wood; which doesn’t project nearly as much sound as metal. French horns had no valves so for almost half the notes the player would have to shove their hands into the bell to play the notes which muted the sound. Eventually, musical instrument design evolved and became much louder.
So concerts were generally presented in salons or churches. In more intimate settings, you can actually feel the energy of the instruments and the music. I will never forget the experience of listening to my father up close and personal playing concert level performances. When you hear a performance in a concert hall it simply doesn’t have the energy; you actually have to sit very quietly to hear the performance fully. You don’t have this problem sitting next to the instrument; the energy is almost overwhelming!
You might be surprised to find similar types of performances in your area. There are many vibrant communities of classical musicians and performers around the world that perform and host in-home concerts. If you love classical music and you’ve never have had the pleasure of going to one, you should really check them out. It is a completely different experience than listening in a concert hall.
But how does this benefit the artists? There are several reasons: One is that it’s a great way to grow an audience and gain new fans; more importantly it’s because it allows an artist to perform in an informal setting and interact with the audience, break in new repertoire, and essentially practice performing! It is important to get comfortable with the pacing of energy as well as refining programming. This really helps to prepare artists for formal public concerts.
If you are an artist you really should get involved with either a group providing in-home concerts or simply start your own. As a rule of thumb, I always arrange smaller performances before a major concert. I also provide opportunities for my students to do the same.
7 thoughts on “What are In-Home Concerts? The History of Concert Performances”
I want to see a renaissance of in-home concerts. Thank you for addressing this! Your newsletters are always informative and interesting. Thank you for what you do. I wish more people had pianos in their homes… Pianos are like a living, breathing being, especially when played. LOVE your title: living pianos.
Hello,
I am a piano teacher in Central N. Jersey.One of my students who is currently using a keyboard with weighted keys reached a point where she needs to play on a REAL piano to produce a good sound. Parents want to buy a used baby grand, have room but are on a budget.I myself never had a grand anything and play on my trusted upright.
I called a piano tuner that buys and refurbishes pianos and then resells them with his warranty. ( he sold a couple of used uprights to my students in the past) and asked whether he has a used Baby grand. He told me that used baby grands are not recommended since deck that holds the strings is too heavy and usually ( within 3 years) starts sagging. It is very difficult and costly to repair…
He told me that he does not buy the used baby grand anymore for this reason. But he has three very good Baldwin uprights and I should tell the parents that it is a much better option.
Is he for real or is he twisting the truth just to make a sale? I personally don’t think Baldwins ( the ones I played on) are ANY good, which made me even more suspicious.
What do you think? How should I advise my student’s parents? Which make/models of used baby grands ( beside steinway’s of course) are decent? They want to spend under 5k on a grand piano. Or 1-2K on a upright. Which maker/model of decent uprights existfor this price?
Thank you so very much
Lena Rudd
Good to read this! My teacher/mentor did in home master classes monthly. It gave all of us an opportunity to perform, was a wonderful and very educational setting for not only musicians but non-musicians. So many people faithfully came each month to learn, support the performers and socialize. She is gone now and I miss the classes. Time for us to start our own. Thank you!
Great article Robert!
i am a pianist and piano teacher and i use a motorized scooter to get around. due to disability from a brain tumor, i play with only my left hand. i teach in my home, and due to necessity, we have MTAC meetings here at my home. after our last meeting i presented a lecture-recital on LH literature.
what’s my point here?! just that i totally believe in home concerts, and always hold all my student recitals in my house. the piano is in a huge room and there’s plenty of room to set up chairs.
by the way, i also grew up on long island, and my father was my first teacher!
kim
My students and I enjoy your postings—particularly the ones which describe how to practice a difficult spot. Even though they have sometimes heard it from me, it takes on new significance from you, and they profit from it hugely. Thanks.
I have a found a truly appreciative audience for classical concerts — I do both solo programs and song programs with a soprano — in senior communities: posh tri-level places, assisted living and sometimes in “healthcare” (which are somewhat more like nursing homes.) Audiences almost always comment that they rarely hear enough classical music, and my commentary that includes anecdotes, historical background, and funny stories seems to enhance their enjoyment. This has been a satisfying way to perform music in a low-stress environment but with a usually rapt audience. Piano quality varies widely, but I’ve had some terrific instruments to play on. One facility even enjoyed my bringing a coaching session with some talented young singers and their voice teacher.