A concert performance or concert version is a performance of a musical theater or opera in concert form,[1] without set design or costumes, and mostly without theatrical interaction between singers.[2]
Concert performances are commonly presented in concert halls without a theater stage, but occasionally also in opera houses when a scenic production is deemed too difficult or expensive. During a concert performance in an opera house, the orchestra does not play in the orchestra pit. Frequently, they play on the stage, with the choir (chorus) behind them and the soloists standing in front of them.
Concert performances, which cost less to produce and require less rehearsal, have been produced since some of the earliest operas of the 17th century; this mode has become increasingly popular in the 21st century.[3]
Since 1960, concert performances have been a part of the annual Salzburg Festival alongside scenic productions.[4] In Theater an der Wien, concert performances have been presented regularly since 2006, particularly of baroque operas with elaborate set designs.[5]
- ^ Hotz, Jürgen (2006). Brockhaus Musik: Komponisten, Interpreten, Sachbegriffe (3 ed.). Mannheim: Brockhaus. p. 349. ISBN 3-7653-0393-3.
- ^ "concert performance: definition of concert performance in Oxford dictionary (American English) (US)". oxforddictionaries.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2015.
- ^ Belcher, David. "Concert Versions Take Opera to a More Personal Level", The New York Times, 31 March 2015, accessed February 14, 2016.
- ^ "Salzburger Festspiele / Konzert". salzburgerfestspiele.at.
- ^ "Theater an der Wien - Spielplan". theater-wien.at.