ABSTRACT
Less well documented are the mental states of a concert audience. If we are at all to accept the validity of the concept of an audience (ie: a group of people about whom we can make generalisations), we should be brave and recognise that in terms of audience participation, concerts of classical music (compared to rock concerts, for example) are near the bottom of the scale. One reason for this discrepancy is the high level of amplification that the rock genre demands-you cannot fall asleep, you simply have to be there. The resulting physical and aural sensations that are unavoidably experienced serve as a focusing point for the mind, whereas the more subtle energies of a chamber concert will only be consciously perceived and appreciated by individuals with above average sensitivity and powers of concentration. The sheer volume and timbral variety of a symphony orchestra in turn attracts a wider audience than a string quartet.
