Reimagining The Salon Concert: Intimate live music settings for the twenty-first century
A guest post by composer, pianist, and author, Simeon Walker
It is always an honor when others choose to write articles for No Dead Guys, and even more so when the contributor is such a gifted wordsmith. Composer, pianist, and author Simeon Walker has appeared on No Dead Guys before in an interview about his music. Today he graces this site with his words, and on a topic dear to me: bringing concerts to the people, or, as he writes, “I am seeking…to encourage audiences to be close and to be present, in the belief it is this connectivity between audiences and performers which creates the conditions for genuine and meaningful interactions between like-minded people…”
Whether through the introspective music he composes and plays, the Brudenell Piano Sessions he curates, or the thoughts he shares on his Substack blog, The Cut Through: Simeon Walker, his artistry and gifted sensitivity shines through all he creates. It’s an honor to feature his writing on No Dead Guys
The phrase ‘Salon Concert’ strikes fear into my heart. The words are heavily loaded with many preconceptions, which, frankly, I hoped I would never have to think about ever again. It would be somewhat dishonest for me to say I have wanted to attend one, or - worse still - perform at, or organise one, despite my background as a Masters-level music graduate, with a decade-long career as a musician, pianist, composer, educator, curator and overall music-lover.
Despite these reservations, the overall concept is one which, conversely, also appeals greatly to me, in that the intimate setting for these live music events, and experience of musical performance, audience engagement and general closeness and honesty they create, seems to be exactly the type of environment I would wish to share my own music, and to hear and experience others do the same. How to navigate this seeming paradox?
The pianist and writer Frances Wilson helpfully introduces an historical background to the Salon Concert in the following way:
‘The French word “salon” literally means “large room” and suggested a spacious room where people might withdraw after a meal…In keeping with the spirit of the 18th-century intellectual salon, the musical salon was a place where like-minded people could gather to enjoy performances, conversation, and refreshments. Because only grander houses possessed a salon or salons, these events were populated by the well-to-do, the rich, the nouveau riche and the bourgeoisie, an exclusive community of people who generally knew one another, or were connected by others in a similarly elite demographic. Performances in such salons were considered rather exclusive – an opportunity for both hosts and guests to demonstrate their wealth, education and cultural awareness’. [1]
There are, clearly, many elements to this historical context which present challenges to how most of us would seek to embrace wider access, participation and engagement in musical activity of any genre or style in the twenty-first century. At the same time, it is always worth examining if some aspects of these formats and activities from days gone by, could be repurposed and reimagined for a modern context, to enable music to be experienced in a variety of meaningful and transformative ways.
In this process, I draw on some of my own past performances, creative practice and choices; examine how others are doing it, with reference to a number of global approaches; and share how I am attempting to embrace this nascent methodology in my upcoming extensive UK touring schedule this autumn. Seen and read as it is through the lens of my own practice, I am in no doubt my thoughts may annoy, frustrate and even infuriate some people. My email address is readily available, and I am ready and eagerly awaiting your comments, critiques and ire. I contend it is always through conversation and the sharing of ideas that we find a way forward, and I look forward to continuing the discussion.
Reimagination over reinvention
My first thoughts revealed a heightened sense of anxiety and nervousness about sharing this piece. This demonstrates an ongoing battle with an entrenched overall insecurity about my “place” within the wider musical ecosystem, especially anything in which the C-word (read Classical) is mentioned. As a composer-performer, I am well-aware my music can divide opinion as to whether it merits inclusion within the C-world at all. I am trying to be less bothered by that, but it’s a process. Until I find a better way or place to include it, I feel like it is there where it must reside.
The oft-used phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” came to mind - were salon concerts all that bad? For a luminary such as Chopin, the academic consensus is that salon concerts provided the intimate setting and freedom for some of his most-loved works to be born [2]. Imagine if we had been forever bereft of his magical nocturnes, mazurkas and polonaises, due to his distaste for the larger concert-hall stage, where ‘the crowd intimidates me, its breath suffocates me, I feel paralysed by its curious look, and the unknown faces make me dumb’ [3]. For many pianists, and their audiences, a world without Chopin’s nocturnes feels like a sad place.
Indeed, the benefits provided by more intimate performance contexts for musical experiences is clear. As the US-based Salonièrres collective - who take a modern approach to the salon concert - states:
’Listening to live music in a home is completely different than in a big concert hall. Up close and personal you can see, hear, and feel more than you do with things like a stage, sound systems, or distance between you and the performers…Having the audience so close means the listeners become a bigger part of the musical experience’ [4].
There are numerous elements of the traditional salon concert which we would, rightly, now view as deeply problematic and exclusionary, and many groups, programmers and collectives have actively tried to modernise the concept and move away from what was ‘a closed meeting of a circle of people away from the masses…a small gathering of specific people, of elite people’ [5], not least because ‘the modern salon concert breaks down the barriers normally associated with classical music in a formal concert hall and brings music-lovers together in a convivial, relaxed setting’ [6].
One of the pitfalls of limited reinvention is the potential for the inadvertent embedding of aspects that are not seen as being “broke” and needing to be fixed., In particular, this may want to conclude that it is not the culture which surrounds the music which is the problem; it is simply just the context and setting in which we experience it. Whilst we may wish to believe “the music speaks for itself”, and whilst it often can and does, the inescapable aspect of assumed knowledge, desired - nay expected - behaviour, and ingrained cultural practice around any form of music, is always likely to affect both our feelings towards it and our engagement with it, making those barriers harder to break down, and increase the imperative to continue doing so.
If we were to instead reimagine the salon concert concept, celebrating the helpful aspects they provide, whilst being truly bold in updating and reinterpreting them for a modern context, perhaps this mindset shift would help those barriers to be broken down far more quickly and thoroughly. I fear if we attempt a more modest reinvention, we may leave untouched the aspects that made salon concerts feel exclusionary (when looking with a historical eye, and all the socio-cultural context which comes with that). Only a truly transformative approach will enable this format to become the important, highly accessible and valued element of the live music experience that they could be. A renaming would, perhaps, be a good place to start – after all who has a salon?!
Unfortunately, this reimagining will come at a cost. Who actually likes change? It is often hard. However, if you follow the axiomatic “don’t fix it” approach to its logical conclusion, you would be reading this in a magazine or print-based medium, rather than on your phone (even on the presupposition that a musician upstart such as myself would be granted column inches to share this diatribe - thank you, Rhonda, for granting me this space in your corner of the digital sphere!).
In classical music, we rightly eulogise Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy et al., despite there being more than a century between the first and latter’s death and birth. Societal change and significant musical change - even across the small sample spectrum listed above - demonstrates that change, development and a reimagining of ideas, concepts and approaches is good, because the development of new things, ideas and approaches are fundamentally a good thing and, crucially, not to be feared.
Experiencing live music in different places and spaces
Putting on musical events in new, unexpected, and different places (outside of the traditional concert hall, jazz club, music venue) is not a new phenomenon - far from it, in fact. The Minack Theatre in Cornwall has staged all kinds of cross-disciplinary productions for decades in its captivating, outdoor, seaside location. Established events such as such as London’s nonclassical, Through The Noise and Counter Chamber series’ continue to gain popularity in aiming to aid accessibility within a musical ecosystem where it has often proved difficult to attract newer, younger and more diverse audiences.
More recent innovations include Unclassified Live - live performances of works featured on BBC Radio 3’s popular Unclassified show, which ‘features music by an exciting new generation of unclassified composers and performers, breaking free of the constraints of practice rooms and concert halls’ [7]; and Hidden Notes Festival, held in a small English town focusing on ‘presenting the works of contemporary classical and avant-garde composers rarely seen together on the same stage, whilst also providing the artists with a platform to perform new music and collaborations in intimate spaces’ [8]. A personal favourite of mine are Manchester Collective, who, year-after-year, continue to push the boundaries of the music they programme and commission, and the context and settings in which they perform.
The much-decried recent decision to reduce the English National Opera’s central funding, alongside a conditional move away from London, was contextualised by Arts Council England chief executive Darren Henley as such:
‘A new generation of audiences is embracing opera and music theatre presented in new ways: opera in car parks, opera in pubs, opera on your tablet. New ideas may seem heretic to traditionalists, but fresh thinking helps the art form reimagine itself and remain exciting and meaningful to future generations of audiences and artists’ [9].
I do not envy Henley’s role yet, despite my own reservations about asking ENO to move, potentially to a region elsewhere in the UK which may already be well-served by a similar organisation (read Opera North), I do applaud his conviction in the need to embrace change, new methodologies and approaches, and not allow a stultifying cultural inertia to win the day, simply because “that’s how it has always been”. I know it is more complicated than that - it always is - and both his and ACE’s role in general will always polarise and cause uproar, because of the decisions they must make.
Away from classical music, global live music series’ and formats such as Sofar Sounds have become hugely popular, with the SOFAR name being an acronym for “Songs From A Room”, beginning as it did as unamplified, acoustic shows in hosts’ living rooms, where guests could simply signup to attend - the catch being they were not aware in advance of who was performing, and only received the location of the event on the day via email. It has since grown to become a larger, more professional (and monetised) organisation, with outposts in over 400 cities around the world [10].
Additionally, US-based Groupmuse have tried to expand the general principle behind the idea to classical music, aiming to break down the barrier of accessibility:
'One of the common challenges with the underground nature of house shows is that you have to already be in the scene in order to know about them. Groupmuse makes it so you no longer have to “know someone” to get the invite. Founded in Boston in 2013, the online platform connects classical musicians with living room hosts and local audiences in 11 cities throughout the U.S’ [11].
These events are primarily taking place in peoples’ homes and living rooms (or perhaps slightly more specialised and curated spaces), with the aim of enabling a greater sense of informality about proceedings, and seeking to reduce the sometimes intimidatory nature of live classical music experiences, especially for those who, understandably, feel excluded by the traditions and frustratingly ingrained expectations of audience behaviour:
‘By bringing in younger audiences and newcomers to classical music, living room shows expand and intensify that sense of community. Lower ticket prices and a more casual, BYOB social atmosphere make house shows a welcoming entry point for those intimidated by the formality of classical concert etiquette—and the organic nature of house concerts can lend itself to spontaneity and innovation.’ [12]
I believe it is about the shared-experience of live music, and the creation and ongoing development of a like-minded community - free from prejudice or any type of exclusionary processes - in which everyone feels welcome to be a part. Fundamentally, it is an attempt to answer the - admittedly large and complex - question of what is music for? Harpsichordist and pianist Byron Schenkman describes it thus:
‘Music opens people’s hearts, it allows people to connect with deeper parts of themselves and it also provides a shared experience…I think of music as a healing art, and the job of the musician is to bring people together and to help people connect with themselves and their community”.’ [13]
Pianos can often be found - and used to be more commonly found - in pubs and social clubs, providing an easy means of gathering around the piano. Folk music clubs and the rise of Jazz Jams around the country often feature a more collaborative and less ‘them-and-us’ approach with the inclusion of time and opportunity to play and improvise music together, before or often after a featured performer or collective. We should not be fearful of these things, rather engaging with them, learning from them as like-minded community activities in action, and thinking through how we might make the live music experience more accessible, open and genuine, rather than keeping it a closed shop for those in the know and “in the club”.
I have tried to put this into practice with an event series I curate here in Leeds (UK) called Brudenell Piano Sessions. We recently celebrated our fifth anniversary of running events, and it has been a brilliant, at times daunting, but mostly inspiring and rewarding thing to do. Brudenell Piano Sessions is an eclectic and accessible series of captivating live music events highlighting the diverse and varied music being composed and performed on the piano. Held at one of the UK’s most iconic music venues, Brudenell Social Club, these events seek to give a platform for new and emerging artists to present their work in an informal, supportive and encouraging environment; attempting to challenge audiences’ perceptions about the context and environment where certain work can be heard; and providing opportunities for new musical discoveries for the large number of supportive and curious music lovers in Leeds and the wider area.
These shows do not focus on any one genre in particular, but draw on the wide variety, richness and heritage of music as demonstrated across numerous musical styles, cultures and traditions. Crucially, these events operate on a Pay What You Can basis - we are committed to ensuring experiencing live music is open to all, and not on the ability to pay. Our performers are, of course, rightly and well paid for their work and performance, and we fund this through a combination of small, local funding streams and the overwhelming generosity of our regular audience members who have truly understood and bought into the model.
Originally operating under the banner of Pay What You Feel, this subtle shift in psychology has been and remains important - no one feels like spending money, but when asked to Pay What You Can, multiple thoughts and questions are raised. Firstly, it is never listed as a free event, per se. It is an important occasion, not a free-for-all. Secondly, the change to can might seem in some ways small, but it is also vital. For some of our audience, some absolutely can, they are aware of that, and are perfectly able, happy and generously willing to pay significantly above what might be charged for a ticket. Conversely, some - especially in the cost of living crisis we currently face here in the UK - absolutely cannot. It is not our job to make judgements on anyone or their situation, nor is it our job to make political policy and enact wider societal change. What we can do is offer people wonderful, engaging, life-giving and transformational live music experiences, and we will not exclude anyone based on their ability to pay to experience it.
Of course, this all sounds frightfully egalitarian, and yes, it is. I can think of worse things to be accused of, and it is something which I am very passionate about, not least in the way it has encouraged me to think about how I can learn from these experiences, and implement the best elements into my own performance practice, which I turn to now.
My music and performance practice
Music broadly similar in style to my own has become increasingly popular in recent years, with greater access to it via the increased use of streaming platforms and social media proving indicators of why this might be. I have written extensively and openly here about my approach to composition and what makes me the musician, composer and performer I am today, but I would like to dwell on what specifically makes performing music so important to musicians, and why some of the more informal aspects of salon/house/living room concerts appeal to me in my desire to create and build an audience for my work.
In the last decade, I have performed my music in a wide range of contexts and settings. I have especially enjoyed playing numerous Wohzimmerkonzerts in German living rooms, with audiences so close, you can hear their breathing. I have played in arts centres and music venues; churches, chapels and cathedrals, living rooms and many more. I particularly love playing my quiet, spacious music in environments which people find to be unusual, unexpected, perhaps even a little incongruous, because ultimately, it does not matter:
‘Classical music today is unbound, looking for new and more diverse audiences, realigning its focus on what it is and who they play to, and expanding from its gilded, old world ambience, into pubs, clubs, festivals, open space and more’ [14].
I enjoy the sense of audiences feeling a need to “lean in” to the music in these contexts; to not switch off; and to be fully present, in the moment, as if listening to me practicing in my own living room. Some of the dangers of “immersive” music experiences are that it becomes escapism; exuding an altered state of mind, in which music is simply a vehicle to something or somewhere else. I am seeking the opposite - to encourage audiences to be close and to be present, in the belief it is this connectivity between audiences and performers which creates the conditions for genuine and meaningful interactions between like-minded people, which is ultimately what I seek and crave most from performing.
Many of the elements I have stuck to in an effort to achieve this are not as a result of having a tantrum or being rejected; wanting to be “different”, or at least be seen to be different; or just being needlessly provocative. Rather, it is simply how I have learnt to become most comfortable - hard as it is - and I passionately believe that if audiences believe I have something to say that is worth listening to and engaging with, then they should at least be afforded the courtesy of my honesty, genuineness and authenticity. This will always be challenging, because it requires vulnerability; but it is often when we are most vulnerable when we encounter the most valuable things…because it is costly.
There are some important aspects to how I perform and the atmosphere I try to create at my events, which I believe help to make the experience authentic and, I very much hope, more accessible, welcoming and inviting.
I do not “dress up”, and nor should anyone else feel they must adhere to this anachronism.
I tell stories about the music and its derivation, attempting to speak to audiences with the aim of creating genuine connection through sharing context and meaning, which is the key to becoming closer.
I always try to be available, rather than far off on a stage or hidden away in a dressing room.
Of primary importance: it is always affordable, because no one should priced-out of or unable to access live music.
If you are a musical aficionado, I welcome the forthcoming geeky conversations, but first and foremost, all people are equally welcome, regardless of their knowledge of music and the classical music canon.
I do share a programme of sorts to avoid the occasionally awkward, yet inevitable question: “but who composed the music featured in the concert?”
Yes, I use QR codes to share my information - including the aforementioned programmes in digital form - because they are a brilliant innovation, genuinely very good at aiding accessibility in a variety of ways, and yes, they are printed on beautiful matte coasters/beermats, because the best conversations often tend to happen over coffee or a beer.
The key message: you are welcome. If you came to my house, I would welcome you in. And so you should feel welcome and part of something when you come to one of my performances. Not just because you bought a ticket (thank you!), but because your presence is valued for more than just its monetary contribution.
In late September, I began my Autumn Tour schedule, featuring 28 performances right across the length and breadth of the UK, in as wide a range of settings, localities and environments as I have ever been able to do. In honesty, I am attempting something really quite ambitious - but also something that I am wholeheartedly committed to, because I believe in it. Yes, they are live music events, but they offer the potential for true and heartfelt connection, flowing from a like-minded appreciation of similar things.
I am coming to you, with what I have and what I am - not as a virtuoso; not as Lang Lang; not as someone with multiple awards or a major label deal, or with an immersive live show with an interactive light-show and VR-capabilities. I come as me, with my desire for musical spaciousness and openness, with the firm belief that the spaces between the notes matter, and I can say more by doing less, because ‘simplicity demands its own kind of virtuosity: the fewer the notes the more each one matters’ [15]. It is not for everyone, I know, and that is ok. But, if it sounds intriguing, the invitation is always there for you to be part of it.
We hear so much about taking music out of the concert hall in a bid to make it more accessible and more authentic to twenty-first century audiences, and I absolutely concur. However, could it work the other way around? Could we try to further embrace the ethos and the spirit of the salon/house/living room concert by trying to recreate it in a larger setting: music venue, the purpose-built arts centre, dare I say, even the concert hall. Would that really be too radical?
Prolific UK-based pianist & composer Simeon Walker has quickly emerged as a leading light in the burgeoning Modern Classical scene, regularly performing and touring across the UK and Europe. He has supported a variety of artists including Neil Cowley, LYR, Submotion Orchestra, S. Carey, Loscil, Erland Cooper & Niklas Paschburg, and performed notable live sets at Latitude & Timber Festivals.
His music is regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 3, BBC 6Music, Classic FM, Scala Radio, KEXP & Soho Radio, with his music receiving listening figures in excess of 30 million streams across platforms, and a recent release, ‘Reverie’, featuring on the first official Piano Day compilation by the LEITER label, alongside Nils Frahm, Olafur Arnalds and Chilly Gonzales. He also founded and continues to curate Brudenell Piano Sessions: an intimate and varied live music series highlighting the diverse music being composed and performed on the piano, hosted at Leeds’ iconic Brudenell Social Club.
Simeon’s recent work represents a return to the introspective piano-based instrumentals that first thrust him into the limelight. His new EP series ‘Imprints’ features a set of piano miniatures representing everyday fleeting moments; brief snapshots in time, centred on conveying the emotions and feelings experienced during the lockdowns of recent years, whilst highlighting the desire to be outside and out in the open.
His music and live performances reflect the extremes of human experience - gentle, calm and still at times; powerful, boisterous and flowing at others, with the aim of breaking down the barrier between performer and audience, creating the opportunity for real, genuine connection through music, not just through idle, passive listening, but in meaningful, engaged participation. Listeners are invited to find stillness, beauty and meaning as much in the spaces between the notes as the notes themselves, as musical stories are woven with each passionate, intimate performance.
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Hill, P. (2019) Chapter five: Performing in Cavett, E & Head M. (ed.) (2019) Howard Skempton: Conversations and reflections on music. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press