The Invention of SilenceHow composers tamed the crowd into submission

From the show

Hidden Codes of Conduct

Modern classical concerts demand absolute silence, but 18th-century audiences were notoriously loud and interactive. This shift wasn't accidental; figures like Wagner and Mahler actively disciplined crowds to treat music as a serious, quasi-religious experience. The resulting etiquette often serves as a tool for class signaling, transforming active participants into passive consumers.