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Don't let this happen to you

I was just thinking of a performance of the BSO a couple years ago. Great performance all around. In the middle of Brahm's 4th symphony, the orchesstra paused between movements. An older gentleman 2 rows behind me thought they were finished, and started applauding wildly. When the rest of the hall was silent, he must have thought we didn't approve of the performance, but he was smart enough to know it was a good performance, so stood up and clapped more vigorously, shouting "Brava!! Brava!!" Again I was struck by his sophomoric intelligence, as he knew that Bravo wasn't always right, but apparently didn't realize that Brava applied only to a woman (the conductor was a man), and should have said Bravo (for the conductor)or Bravi (for the orchestra). The conductor was graceful, and just stood there with his head down, until someone finally reigned the guy in. Too funny!! I always wait until everyone else is clapping befrore I start.
honest1
champtree
47 posts
 
This one reason classical music is waning. Too many rules for the average Joe. It's to bad; what wonderful music.
gregm
3,405 posts
 
seems there are different etiquettes at different locations /Too many rules for the average Joe
Not really "rules" IMO, as much as musicians having to concentrate a bit after all. A movement is not an intermission, it's part of a piece of music, so clapping whenever, basically there's some silence, is disruptive. Of course it's also nice for musicians to experience audience appreciation....
OTOH, as noted above, in some cases it's tricky to recognise the end of an obscure piece. At one premiere public performance I went to, the Hall had stationed an elderly gentleman in one of the front rows who was obviously familiar with the piece and, amazingly, everyone in the audience followed his clapping cue (hesitantly at first, of course). Or, I think they had deliberately stationed him -- maybe he is composer's family.

A simple thing to do is read the programme. It tells you the movements -- and the number.
tfkaudio
591 posts
 
2 experiences I can share that happened at Orchestra Hall in Chicago. The first was a performance of Symphony #6 by Tchaikovsky. The audience erupted into applause after the 3rd movement, and I knew it wasn't the end, but I joined in anyway. Anyone who knows this work will understand. At the end of the 3rd movement, you're exhilarated. At the end of the 4th movement, you want to go kill yourself.
The other experience was Bruckner's 7th Symphony. When it ended, and nobody applauded, Daniel Barenboim turned around and calmly said "It's over.". Then everyone applauded. Always remember that you're there to have a good time. If you're too worried about etiquette and comitting some heinous audience faux-pax, are you really going to have a good time? ENJOY! (and leave your beeping watch at home...)

Cheers.
champtree
47 posts
 
and.....leave your cell phone home too!
wellen
19 posts
 
I've attended numerous Wagner operas on the west coast over the past several years. The "rules" for applause with Wagner are typically pretty simple: if the curtain is up, you just sit there in quasi-religious reverence. At one of the Ring operas in San Fransisco, somebody burst into applause in the middle of an act. I, and I imagine much of the rest of the audience, scorned this sacrilege in our hearts as we waited for the disruption to end. At a Q&A session later in the week, the conductor Donald Runnicles mentioned the "incident" and said he thought it was great that the person had been so moved they had to applaude. So I felt a bit sheepish. But don't clap during Wagner.
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