Proms audience behaviour

[MrGongGong]

Not always easy for us younger ones either.

You can't tell me that these bouts of premature ejaculation are the response of someone who has either appreciated the music or considered the need for others to have a moment of reflection before showing their appreciation. It's called good manners.

I went to the opera on Saturday
I sat in a rather expensive seat
The rather well heeled folks around me clapped and cheered
The very posh woman sitting next to me exclaimed
"f**king marvellous" when the final curtain came down with the audience clapping over the end of the music........

Seemed OK for that context (even though it was a rather tragic end )

Context is all

[Mary Chambers]

The wearing of deodorant and general advances in personal hygiene.

The smoking ban.

True! Though the smoking ban was imposed rather than chosen by the audience, I suppose.

[PJPJ]

If you have the odd 12 minutes to watch. A bit long, but it does make me laugh each time :-|

Wonderful - just superb!

And here's one I prepared earlier:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz3JHrDAlOFOaUZYUDM5elJIUE0/edit?usp=sharing

[BBMmk2]

Smoking banning in public places, means that I and other likeminded people can go there, without fear of an asthma attack

[Sir Velo]

The wearing of deodorant and general advances in personal hygiene.

Sure that isn't just since you stopped coming?

[Pianorak]

If you have the odd 12 minutes to watch. A bit long, but it does make me laugh each time :-|

Not long enough! Brilliant. Loved "the hat" - and what's become of John Christopher Adams (pianist)?

[ardcarp]

If you have the odd 12 minutes to watch. A bit long, but it does make me laugh each time :-|

"The Annual Prom Clap Trap!"


Brilliant!

[Lento]

The rather well heeled folks around me clapped and cheered
The very posh woman sitting next to me exclaimed
"f**king marvellous" ...Context is all

Presumably the notorious bottle-clinkers at the Proms are seated in the corporate boxes?

[maestro267]

As soon as a movement ends, my hand is straight to the volume dial, so at least I can preserve my own silence between movements. One of the big advantages of Promming from home.

[MrGongGong]

As soon as a movement ends, my hand is straight to the volume dial, so at least I can preserve my own silence between movements. One of the big advantages of Promming from home.

I guess you don't like live music then

[vinteuil]

... so good that people clap between movements - a glorious and well-established tradition ; a sure sign of genuine delight.


But I agree that there shd be a good long pause before any applause. At lunch yesterday we were remembering last year's Götterdämmerung with Barenboim - and the marvellous, richly felt, twenty second pause before the applause at the end. Barenboim himself was moved...

[Lento]

"Mahler clamped down on claques paid to applaud a particular performer, and specified in the score of his Kindertotenlieder that its movements should not be punctuated by applause" (Wiki):

Poor Mahler, ever the control-freak. He must be spinning!

[gurnemanz]

As soon as a movement ends, my hand is straight to the volume dial, so at least I can preserve my own silence between movements. One of the big advantages of Promming from home.

I do a similar thing when Thought for the Day invades the Today programme. Can be difficult to judge when (whether?) to turn the volume up again.

Movement clapping is particularly pointless because it is usually a half-cock effort from a smallish minority. I can't understand why movement applause is condemned by traditionalists but shouting out and clapping after an aria in the opera house seems to be OK, even when there is no natural break.

[visualnickmos]

True! Though the smoking ban was imposed rather than chosen by the audience, I suppose.

I think there should be a compulsory electronically-triggered body odour monitor that concert and opera goers must walk through (like at an airport) as it can totally ruin one's concert experience if a 'stinker' is sitting within range, or worst of all, in the next seat. There is no excuse for being unclean. If they are deemed to be too unclean they have the choice of going to a specially designated isolated area to watch and listen, or simply to go home.

[mangerton]

I agree wholeheartedly with the condemnation of those clowns in the audience who applaud as soon as a piece ends, or between movements, and who shout comments.

It does occur to me, though, that some of these faults are exhibited daily on Radio 3 itself, from the very people who should know better. "Dead air" no longer exists; announcers now seem compelled immediately to voice their inanities.