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This is the number-one scary question! No one wants to clap in the
"wrong" place.
Knowing when to clap is simpler than you may think, and quite logical
on the whole.
At the beginning of the concert, the concertmaster will
come onstage. The audience claps as a welcome, and as a sign of
appreciation to all the musicians.
After the orchestra tunes, the conductor, and possibly a soloist, will
come onstage. Everyone claps to welcome them, too.
This is also a good
moment to make sure your program is open, so you can see the names of
the pieces that will be played and their order.
Then everything settles down and the music begins. Just listen and
enjoy!
The audience doesn't usually applaud again until the end of the
piece.
In most classical concerts—unlike jazz or pop—the audience never
applauds during the music. They wait until the end of each piece, then
let loose with their applause.
This is why knowing when to applaud for a classical concert is a little bit tricky. Many pieces have several
parts, or "movements," and seem to have more than a single ending.
To find out the number of movements and
corresponding number of pauses in a piece, turn to the program page in
your program book. You will find that each work is subdivided by
movment, and is usually indicated by tempo markings in Italian.
If you lose track, and aren't sure whether the piece is truly
over, then watch the conductor for a clue. Usually, he won't relax
between movements, but keep hands raised; the attention of the
musicians will remain on the conductor. If in any doubt, it's always
safe to wait and follow what the rest of the audience does!
At the end of the piece, it's time to let yourself go and let the
musicians know how you felt about their playing. Many pieces end
"big"—and you won't have any doubt of what to do when! Some end very
quietly, and then you'll see the conductor keep hands raised for a few
seconds at the end, to "hold the mood." Then the hands will drop,
someone will clap or yell "Bravo!"—and that's your cue.
There's no need
to restrain yourself. If you enjoyed what you heard, you can yell
"Bravo!" too.
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