What is it about?
Many classical music listeners attend concerts with some knowledge of the music to be performed, especially when the repertoire is familiar. In the case of music that is new to the listener and/or sung in an unfamiliar language, program notes may provide essential information: however, there is little understanding of what information should be provided or the impact of this information on the listener
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Why is it important?
Program notes, commentaries and descriptions invariably feature in classical music concerts, yet little is known about their impact on the listener.
Perspectives
Are program notes useful? Should they be the same for everyone? When, an in what format should they be presented? The truth is, we don't know! All respondents listened differently to the music once they had been given the program notes. Only 39% of listeners reported that the program notes had had a positive impact on their listening experience. More experienced listeners were far more likely to reject the program note information in favour of their own interpretation particularly if they had experiences of music making. Less experienced listeners abandoned their own thinking in favour of the program note.
Professor Dawn Bennett
Curtin University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Audience reactions to the program notes of unfamiliar music, Psychology of Music, August 2017, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0305735617721339.
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