Martin Monnickendam was fascinated by Amsterdam's theatres and concert halls.He painted the Stadsschouwburg (the theatre on Leidseplein), the circus theatre Carré, and the Paleis voor Volksvlijt (People’s Palace for Art and Industry). In 1925 he painted a concert in the Great Hall of Het Concertgebouw.The audience are listening attentively. This was more the exception than the rule in this early period. There weren't rows of seats then. People sat at small tables, chatting and drinking. Willem Kes (1856-1934) and Willem Mengelberg (1871-1951), the first resident conductors of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, put a stop to this undesirable situation. They educated a new generation of Amsterdam music lovers.