Research background information on the composer. Find out what his inspiration was for writing the piece and what was happening in his life at the time he composed it. Look for information about whether the piece was innovative for its time and if it was well received by the premiere audience? Sometimes this information is included in the program or liner notes.
Describe the form of the piece, the orchestration or instrumentation, and the voice parts if singers were used. Name any soloists and the instruments they played or voice parts they sang.
Evaluate the artistry including whether the performers showed mastery of technicality required for the piece, their interpretation (especially if there is a conductor) and the performers' engagement with the audience (especially any soloists). Determine if the style used was appropriate for the period of the piece. (For example, was a Bach fugue performed with Romantic-era expressiveness?)
Consider the appropriateness of any visual or multimedia components in the performance. Describe if they were conceived with the music by the composer or by someone else? Evaluate what they added to the performance.
Describe the hall, auditorium or other performance space and how the performers adapted to it when reviewing a live performance. Evaluate whether their placement was effective and if the sound reached the audience effectively. Evaluate the production of recorded performances by assessing the sound quality, levels of instruments and if there are extraneous noises.