[CAUT] The politics of clapping (o/t)

[Willem Blees]

Here in the rural south, we do have a pretty knowledgeable audience. 
Not only the adults from town and the music students, but also the 
music appreciation students, who are taught early, and often, to 
remain quite during movements. 

But several weeks ago Jan and I went down to Mobile to hear the wife 
of one of our professors play a violin solo with the Mobile Symphony.  
We were surprised that most of the audience clapped during movements, 
not only during the concerto, but also the other pieces on the 
concert. When I asked the violin soloists, (who is the concertmaster 
of that symphony) about it, she said, yes, they do that all the time. 

Willem Blees, RPT
Piano Tuner/Technician
School of Music
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL USA
205-348-1469


Quoting Mark Cramer <Cramer at brandonu.ca>:

> Last Sunday, Cheryl and I decided to take in the Winnipeg Symphony
> Orchestra's performance with guest pianist Stewart Goodyear.
> 
> The Grieg Concerto is a sentimental favourite, and I just plain
> enjoy
> listening to the piano from different seats around the auditorium.
> Anyhow,
> the first movement finished up quite nicely, but all the same, it
> was
> surprising to hear some of the audience burst into applause.
> "Newbies," or
> just sincere appreciation for Mr. Goodyear's nice work,.. I don't
> know. He
> briefly acknowledged the applause, and off to the second movement.
> 
> Later in the week I was at a brown-bag, noon-hour recital in a
> stately
> Cathedral for a solo piano recital. A faculty member, international
> concert
> pianist and friend sat with me, and his student was in fact the
> soloist.
> 
> Halfway through the recital, and my friend was starting to figet.
> "Mark" he
> said anxiously, "I have to teach a lesson in ten minutes" as he
> scrutinized
> the program looking for a strategic point of exit.
> 
> But there was none to be had, as we were in the middle of a setting
> of short
> thematic peices. Finally in desperation, as the hint of a musical
> pause
> approached, he begged "Mark, I will clap, please support me...!"
> 
> And I did.
> 
> The young fingers barely took a moment's leave of the keyboard, when
> from
> some twenty rows back, the hands of his teacher cracked the
> silence... and I
> followed suit, along with half the audience.
> 
> This brief, unanticipated display of appreciation invited a beaming
> smile
> from the pianist's face, turning to bewilderment, as he caught the
> fleeting
> form of an adult male with winter coat pulled over his head, making a
> mad
> dash for the exit! :>)
> 
> What a tricky art this "applause" business can be, knowing when to
> start,
> when to stop, when to stand, when to fling one's personal items upon
> the
> stage... no thanks, I'll just gladly follow.
> 
> Have a great day,
> Mark Cramer,
> Brandon University
> 
> 
> 
> 
>