Dear Dr. Dave and Dr. Dee, My mother-in-law has invited me to an afternoon symphony concert. I have never been to a symphony and wondered if there was anything special that I need to know about symphony etiquette. I've heard that you don't clap until the entire piece is played, but how is one to know when that is? Doesn't that seem "snobby"? Signed, Not a Symphony Snob Dear Not a Symphony Snob, It is not considered appropriate to applaud until the symphony has been performed because it detracts from the mood and flow of the entire piece. Although there are often long pauses between movements, audiences normally applaud at the end of each symphony, after all the movements have been played (usually 3-4). If you are not sure when to clap, look at the program and see how many movements are in the symphony. Another way to tell when it's time to clap is to wait until the conductor puts down the baton, or go with the flow of the audience. An exceptions to the waiting-to-clap rule is if a soloist is performing with the orchestra. If the audience is particularly enthralled by the performance, then they often clap after a movement. People could be more relaxed about the no clapping rule. There is a story about Parisian audiences liking Mozart's new symphony in 1778 (Paris Symphony) so much, that they clapped between movements. Mozart appreciated this and wrote about it in a letter to his father. |
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| Theater and Recreational Etiquette |