A classical concert is a wonderful event for lovers. Think of all the love lines that refer to orchestral music: "I hear violins." "I hear a symphony." "It's music to my ears!" Orchestral music has been synonymous with romance for decades. Just think: Violins! Harps! Tubas!

Well, okay — violins and harps.

If you're out on a date and you want to impress your beloved with your taste, culture, and romantic instinct, you simply can't do better than an evening of classical music. This well-planned evening of romance won't lead to further romance, however, unless you take certain things into account:

• What kind of group are you going to hear? If it's a full orchestra, you almost can't go wrong. If it's a string group, the music is most likely to be suave and melodic. If it's a brass group, it's more likely to be powerful, loud, and triumphant. If it's a group of harps, check to see whether everybody around you is wearing white. If so, you're probably dead.
• What style or period of music are you going to hear? For example, Baroque music is expressive, but in a highly stylized way. Classical period music is lovely and gracious, yet emotionally reserved. (Great for the first date with the daughter of an oil magnate.) Romantic music is lush, gorgeous, and very expressive.
• What is the music about? Occasionally, classical works have a story associated with them. This story is always described in the program. Because some of these stories can be somewhat embarrassing in romantic situations, you may want to avoid some pieces on a date, especially if you don't know each other very well. For example, Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique is about a man who can't get his beloved out of his head, takes enough opium to paralyze a moose, and dreams of murdering his girlfriend. Save this one for marriage.