ABSTRACT
This essay introduces the classical concert as a research object in the field of empirical aesthetics. Its authors present a research program that draws on a broad spectrum of methods combining theoretical, historical, empirical-experimental, qualitative, and quantitative approaches in order to investigate the specific aesthetic experience that a classical concert—understood as a frame for music listening—can afford to everybody present. As a starting point, the essay explores the two aspects of “live” and “interactive,” both constitutive for the classical concert, with regard to their impact on musical experience. Subsequently, the authors discuss the potential of empirical research methods to access the characteristics of musical experience during a classical concert.
