Applause

[DublinJimbo]

I thought this was going to be a pre-emptive strike on this years Proms

Ah yes ... I blame Tom Service for this disturbing trend (and then he had the effrontery during one of his awful Symphony cuddle-ins with Sue Perkins to respond to an email or a tweet or whatever by saying that it was 'absolutely' in order to applaud between movements — go for it! was what it amounted to).

Reading the original post here reminded me of a fun video called The Clap. It's 12 and a half minutes, but well worth the time. (About concert performances rather than opera, but relevant all the same.)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Ah yes ... I blame Tom Service for this disturbing trend...

He isn't the only one with a speaking organ larger than his crianial region. Roger Wright and Ian Hislop (who I normally respect) have made similar contributions to condoning bad manners.

[MrGongGong]

It's all (sorry folks , you know what i'm going to say )
about context !

It's fine to clap between movements at the Proms , not so at late night Feldman in St Pauls hall ! (or even between notes )

[cloughie]

This is a most ungracious, prejudiced, possibly discriminatory, uncaring, superiority complex inspired and self-satisfied comment that is probably true!

I agree Beef, as I said before Jazz concerts have different etiquette.

On Tom Service, whenever I hear the name I always think 'Isn't that what R4 used to be called?'

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It's fine to clap between movements at the Proms...

...as long as you do so in the privacy of your own home, listening to your radio.

[cloughie]

...as long as you do so in the privacy of your own home, listening to your radio.

[Lancashire Lass]

From what I can gather, encouraging applause after each movement has backfired. It doesn't seem to have caught on across the board, thank God, so what happens is that while most people keep quiet, a spattering of applause breaks out, presumably from the newbies for whom Tom Service or whoever is responsible wishes to make the Proms "accessible". These people then realise no-one else is joining in and, one imagines, feel complete prats for the rest of the concert. So much for making them feel "equal"!

[MrGongGong]

whoever is responsible wishes to make the Proms "accessible". !

eeer that's the WHOLE POINT of the Proms in the first place !
rather than a load of idiots dressed up pretending to conduct from the Arena thinking that somehow they "own" the music and doing the whole "piano lid routine" zzzzzzzzz

like I said (once or twice !!! ) context !
and as others have pointed out conductors are more than able at concerts (as opposed to Opera ) to "hold" a moment where it's appropriate

[Panjandrum]

From what I can gather, encouraging applause after each movement has backfired. It doesn't seem to have caught on across the board, thank God, so what happens is that while most people keep quiet, a spattering of applause breaks out, presumably from the newbies for whom Tom Service or whoever is responsible wishes to make the Proms "accessible". These people then realise no-one else is joining in and, one imagines, feel complete prats for the rest of the concert. So much for making them feel "equal"!

[Serial_Apologist]

eeer that's the WHOLE POINT of the Proms in the first place !
rather than a load of idiots dressed up pretending to conduct from the Arena thinking that somehow they "own" the music and doing the whole "piano lid routine" zzzzzzzzz

like I said (once or twice !!! ) context !
and as others have pointed out conductors are more than able at concerts (as opposed to Opera ) to "hold" a moment where it's appropriate

If the conductor holds both arms in the air, does that make the players check to see if the next page of the score has gone missing?

[french frank]

There seems to be a certain amount of illogicality in the Tom Service position: of course, feel perfectly free to applaud at the end of a movement (it is, after all, what Haydn and Mozart would have wanted and expected).

But don't applaud too soon at the end of a stupendous piece of music like Mahler 3 which would have devastated the composer as it devastates every thinking, feeling music lover.

Such permissiveness for one, such rage for the other. Blimey, if that doesn't confuse and put off the poor old concert neophyte I don't know what will! (For God's sake this is Mahler 3, not yer blimmin' Mozart. Eejit!)

[MrGongGong]

There seems to be a certain amount of illogicality in the Tom Service position: of course, feel perfectly free to applaud at the end of a movement (it is, after all, what Haydn and Mozart would have wanted and expected).

But don't applaud too soon at the end of a stupendous piece of music like Mahler 3 which would have devastated the composer as it devastates every thinking, feeling music lover.

Such permissiveness for one, such rage for the other. Blimey, if that doesn't confuse and put off the poor old concert neophyte I don't know what will! (For God's sake this is Mahler 3, not yer blimmin' Mozart. Eejit!)

Indeed
So if Norman (that's Cook not Del Mar ) does this

http://electrodance.org/uploads/posts/2009-04/1238852860_141088m.jpg

you know you've clapped too soon !

[teamsaint]

certain less well known, usually more recent works, could usefully employ something like a flag being raised to signify the end. Just because you have enjoyed a work, doesn't always mean its obvious when it has finished.

Just saying........

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

certain less well known, usually more recent works, could usefully employ something like a flag being raised to signify the end. Just because you have enjoyed a work, doesn't always mean its obvious when it has finished.

... or, with Haydn, a banner reading "NOT YET!!!"

[Petrushka]

... or, with Haydn, a banner reading "NOT YET!!!"

The last movement of the Haydn 90th is the one with several false endings and the premature applause and laughter almost seems to written into the score. Rattle and the BPO recorded both versions of the finale, with and without the audience participation. How many 200 year old jokes can still make us laugh?