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The Bach-Abel concerts were a series of public concerts that eventually gave way to the development of modern day concert series. In collaboration with his friend and German virtuoso viola da gamba player, Johann Christian Bach and Carl Friedrich Abel created these subscription concerts, which were the first of its kind in Europe. These concerts first started at Abel's residence but an increase in popularity led to these concerts being held at larger venues.

These concerts were not only the first of its kind to be a subscription concert but also would feature a program as well. In terms of programming, these concerts would feature new works by Bach and Abel and new contemporary music at the time - these concerts also gave a platform for newer musical artists, such as Haydn, to feature their works on a public stage. Because these concerts required a subscription, they cultivated a regular audience as the audience members prepaid for that season's concert series. Furthermore, the Bach-Abel concerts allowed the middle class greater access to live classical music. Previously, live music performances were limited to private, aristocratic settings; however, these subscription concerts were made available to the wider public, allowing middle class people to engage in the arts and society.