Behavior on stage

[dschoenenberger]

Hi all

Still not having much stage experience, I'm wondering about standard habits of pianists when entering and leaving the piano and the stage.

How do you greet the audience? How and when do you bow?
Is there a way to communicate with the audience (beside the music)?
After all, in what circumstances is an encore due? How does the audience demand it?
And when do you leave the stage?

Thank you in advance for any comments/recommendations in these formal matters!

Dominik Schoenenberger.

[Celeste]

I've never really given a concert but I have participated in many recitals. You get up, say your name and what your playing and sit down at the piano. adjust your seat and sit there for a few minutes to add that dramatic affect. Then begin. When you get up, give a formal bow and go and sit down. that's what I do.

[chopinetta]

i don't have any experience on this either but i think it will help... hehehe

greet the audience with a warm smile, don't memorize what you have to say because you might have some stagefright, but maybe you can reherse it anyway.

bow when you're already settled on the stage, no unnessecary movements, then say good evening, i came from etc. etc. make them feel proud of their place (if your making a concert outside your country)

then say, the first piece i'm going to play is etc. etc. give an interesting history on it...

or you can also just play so they'll just look on the program

so on and so forth do this alternately

bow after each piece

the audience demands the encore when they stand or the applause is great or when most of them say bravo!!! at the end of the program. be sure your encore is a show-offy one!

[amee]

I just bow when I get on stage, sit down and play, then bow again when I get off.  That's all.

[rachfan]

When you walk on stage, there will usually be some welcoming applause.  Acknowledge that with a smile to the audience as you walk on, stopping to take a small bow once you near the piano.  You don't want this bow to be too much beyond perfunctory, as you haven't done anything yet!   Enter the bench to get seated from the front (audience) side, not the other side.  Adjust the position of the bench.  Do not play a note until everyone has settled down and you have silence.  Until that happens just look down at your hands, and be thinking of the start of the first piece.  

If your're giving a solo recital (as I have), there should always be a printed program, so the only announcement you will have to make is the title and composer for the encore.  More on that to answer your question in a moment.  If you are participating in a student recital, there may or may not be a program.  If not, then you can announce your piece from the bench, projecting your voice to the back row so everyone can hear.

In a solo recital, you should only get up to bow at certain logical points.  That would be the case after a Beethoven sonata, for example.  But if you have a group of three short Chopin preludes as part of your program, it's best to give a smile and nod while seated on the bench to acknowledge the audience's applause after the first two, then to get up and bow after the third having finished the entire group.  If there will be an intermission, you'll absolutely need to bow after the last piece of the first half.  So you'll need to think about your program and plan ahead on this.  

The bow I like is what I refer to as the "Paderewski Bow". Get up from the bench, take a couple of steps until you reach the end of the keyboard.  Firmly take hold of the piano case (where it curves down in front of the key block) with your left hand, and do a fairly deep bow.   If the applause continues take another bow, and even a third if necessary.

Have two encores prepared if possible.  If your solo recital has gone well, the audience will let you know it at the end with their appreciative, sustained applause.  There is no mistaking it.  First, give them a substantive piece.  If they demand more after that, play a much briefer witty or lush piece and escape.  A great encore piece in the latter category, and one that nobody ever thinks of, is Rachmaninoff's "Lilacs".  

Good luck in your performance!  

[amp]

Is it a solo recital, just you? Normally, it's nice (in my opinion) to start the recital jumping right in to the music. Maybe mention something about it later if you want, however that is not at all neccesary, and sometimes distracting (if you rant).
Walk on to stage bow, sit down, play....when you are done get up bow again. If you are alone, you should walk off stage take a tiny break, and then come back on. You may do that after a long piece, or several shorter ones. (for shorter ones, don't bow in between, hopefully you can "bunch" them together, so the audience knows not to clap). It's fun to put several small pieces together, shows your taste musically and how you pair things.

After you are done the program get up bow, and walk off stage, wait a few seconds, if the clapping continues, come back on. At this point you may play an encore, but normally you walk off stage and back on a few more times.  If the clapping keeps up, play another encore.

This is real formal format, you may not want to be this formal. This is the format I've seen for senior "type" recitals. Sometimes, for a piano recital given by a professional, they play the first half rigth through then take a intermission. But having the little breaks help you cool off, "shake your hands out" etc.

Are you playing in a  recital or is this just because you are curious. If you are fill us in, what you are playing etc. Basically a summary of all this is what Amme said.

[dinosaurtales]

Another piece I always thought would make a good *final* encore is John Field's Nocturne in B flat. Short, pretty, not flashy.

I believe that's the one I'll do if I ever do a recital.  Ha!

[dschoenenberger]

amp -
my next performance will be a student recital, and my own pieces (Rhapsody in Blue, Scarbo) are both piano solo. so I'm not only curious. Thank you all for your replies and encore tipps!
Dominik Schoenenberger.

[tempest-Sonata]

the best reaction is being hyper active.
you can kick if you want, bang your head, kick the pedal and make some hand/arms exhebition.
the people will be amused if you do this. '
( this things are what famouse concert pianist do )

[chopinetta]

not necessarily... some people get annoyed with that. just feel the music,

play as you feel--chopin

those movements are irritating when you reherse them... and it would look too show-offy!

[amee]

I agree, many people would probably find that annoying!  Also you should move just as the music takes you, don't "plan" movements, like here's a phrase where I must kick the piano or something.  It won't seem natural.  Just do what the spur of the moment tells you to do!

[amp]

Dominik....Just wondering.... I don't know if in that type of situtation if an encore is appropraite, with others playing. I'm just guessing, I don't know. Do others on the board think this too?

[chopinetta]

i think you shouldn't give an encore when there are other performers. it sounds unfair on the other recitalists' part.

i'm wondering as well?!

[amee]

In all the recitals I've been to where many people are playing, there have never been a single encore.  It does seem a bit unappropriate.  I suppose you only do encores when you're the sole performer...

[amee]

And also if every performer did encores, the recital would go WAY overtime!

[chopinetta]

that was what i was thinking! then the whole recital time will double.

and if only a few performers make an encore, it would be unfair.

[dschoenenberger]

we are four students of which two play 2p4h. actually, we play 3 pieces plus an improvised one. the 1hour-concert is not that formal and we are good friends. there wont be a jury, we're not even contrahents. we almost expect to play encores.

however, thanks again for the useful advice! Dominik.

[tempest-Sonata]

HEY AMEE
PLs dont do it.
i know that you like hyper active but you just cant. just like me
try it and you will find it nice