18th-century Conclusion


   While there is still much to be learned about the performer-audience relationship during musical concerts in 18th-century England, we can deduce many important things. First of all, there was a great range of how much audiences knew about the music to which they were listening and therefore a great range of the degree and the ways in which they engaged. In general, it seems that there was a belief that the more involvement in the musical atmosphere, the better, though this did not mean that audiences were quiet and still throughout the evening. There was a great amount of talking, moving around, eating and drinking, and sometimes dancing as well. Audiences felt connected to their favorite performers and would call for encores as much as they wanted, giving both a spontaneous and also a connected relationship between those onstage and those listening. Another thing that created this connection with both the performers and the music itself was the trend of attending rehearsals as well as concerts. The community of people listening very much overlapped with the community of those playing, meaning that many performers and audiences really knew each other. The musicians were not subservient to the audience, unless it was the royal family, but neither was the audience subservient to the performers. There was an equality to the relationship that could provide great respect on either end. It is a connection that might inspire us all to try some new ways to connect with our audiences today. And no, I have not seen any sources that say they were throwing tomatoes.