Marin Alsop and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra receive an ovation at Ravinia Festival
What separates traditions from idiosyncrasies? Often, it comes down to perspective. One person’s time-honored custom might seem downright bizarre to someone encountering it for the first time. And whether on the stage or in the audience, classical music can be steeped with unwritten expectations and peculiar practices.
I was reminded of this fact last summer, after I invited a few friends to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra perform at Ravinia. Most of the program was filled with music unfamiliar to them, but upon hearing the opening notes of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, their eyes lit up. The first movement came to a close, and they started to clap along with a handful of other audience members. Instinctually, I went to silence them: years of orchestral training manifesting itself to shut down the faux-pas. But then, I saw the conductor. Maestro Marin Alsop turned around and waved a hand, encouraging the clapping to grow louder, which prompted a wave of light laughter to ripple through the orchestra before the musicians turned their attention to the next movement.
Though unintuitive for many, refraining from clapping between movements of a symphony is a practice most seasoned concertgoers take for granted. What else might we be taking for granted in orchestral settings, and how did these traditions come about?
Clapping in context
Let’s start with clapping. This is arguably one of classical music’s most divisive customs. Clap in the wrong place, and you may earn a mean stink eye from your neighbors. But fail to clap in the right place, and you’ve spurned the musicians!
Though this practice is now well established in classical music circles, it hasn’t always been the case. Clapping conventions — particularly in between pieces — have changed repeatedly!
The early concerts of the baroque and classical eras had generally rowdy crowds. Clapping was allowed at all times, people would talk between movements, and some would even eat in the concert hall! The scene was not unlike a rock concert today, where expectations for audience behavior and dress are very loose.
This all started to change around the 20th century. People began encouraging stillness in symphony halls – especially as pieces grew longer and more complex to perform. Musicians would sometimes make an announcement on stage asking for silence so that their works can be experienced without interruptions: notable examples included Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, and conductor Arturo Toscanini. Gustav Mahler even specified in the score of Kindertotenlieder that the conductor should not allow the audience to clap between movements!
While it may seem strange, silence between movements can actually have practical and positive effects. Silence can help performers mentally prepare themselves for the next movement: whether that’s steeling themselves for a difficult passage, or preparing to shift gears for a new tone. Audiences can also benefit from silence, using the break to reflect on what they have just heard.
Beyond clapping, it’s also common in a concert hall to limit any kinds of noise making… including coughing or sneezing (to the best of one’s ability). Some orchestras even go so far as to ban strong perfumes and colognes, just to decrease the risk of people sneezing in the middle of a show!
However, it’s important to note here that clapping conventions vary between different sorts of entertainment, even among those typically grouped together under the classical music umbrella. For example, in contrast with orchestral concerts, operas encourage all sorts of clapping: between acts, yes, but especially after impressive arias. Ballet culture takes this even further, with audiences often encouraged to clap during variations as dancers pull off impressive tricks!
Appropriate Attire
It’s safe to say this expectation of dress code no longer applies across the board to audience members. While audiences might feel a certain pressure to dress up, that expectation has diminished as casual dress has become more a part of daily life. Few concert halls today would question a patron wearing a t-shirt and jeans… or any other casual looks you may sport in other public places.
That being said, many orchestras worldwide still follow a pretty strict dress code while performing: usually some variation of an all-black outfit, with some orchestras even mandating uniforms. One of the reasons behind the black outfit is to create visual uniformity, drawing attention away from performers to heighten focus on the music itself.
The Music of the Baroque Chorus
All Tuned Up
Another strict orchestral tradition is the tuning order onstage. You’ll know the process has begun when the clear sound of an oboe rises above the pre-concert shuffle. An oboe’s timbre and frequency range allows it to be heard very well throughout the concert hall. That combined with its tendency to stay in tune makes it the perfect candidate for matching tuning with the rest of the orchestra.
The oboe plays an “A” for the orchestra as soon as the concertmaster stands up. A concertmaster is the top violinist in an orchestra, occupying the seat closest to the conductor. And conventionally, the concertmaster is also the most prestigious position, second only to conductor (and soloist, if present), with its own leadership responsibilities within the orchestra. Once they stand, the oboe begins to blow, and the strings start tuning. After a few seconds of the strings tuning, the rest of the orchestra joins in order of least to most loud instruments: woodwinds, then brass, timpani, and any other special instruments that might be on stage.
It’s always important to tune an orchestra immediately prior to a performance. For one thing, an instrument’s pitch can slightly change between moving from backstage to the concert hall. But also, tuning on stage is another one of those wonderful ways to get the audience excited about the music ahead. Once the orchestra has started tuning, you know it’s almost time for the big show!
Bravo? Brava? Bravissimo?
So how else does one show appreciation at a concert? By cheering, of course! While applause between movements may be taboo, classical music audiences more than make up for their stoicism at the conclusion of a piece or concert. Appreciation is shown with all the usual fanfare: loud claps, whistles, cheers, even people leaping to their feet. But the word you are most likely to hear shouted in a classical music audience is an Italian phrase – bravo!
“Bravo” literally translates to something being skillful, and is used to indicate a job well done. It has been a part of Western music lexicon for centuries now.; other variations you might hear include “brava” (a female distinction) or bravissimo (a superlative that refers to a job spectacularly well done). The word has also spread to many other genres of music. Though more rare in pop or rock settings, you might hear the word “bravo” being shouted there as well.
Rounds (and Rounds) of Applause
Now let’s imagine the concert has ended; the audience is on their feet, people are yelling bravo, and the orchestra takes a bow. The conductor has left the stage. That means it’s time to stop clapping, right? Well, not exactly. There’s actually a custom in classical music culture for conductors to leave and re-enter a few times during audience applause.
Klaus Mäkelä and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra receive an ovation at Symphony Center (Photo: Todd Rosenberg)
The practice was initially a way to gauge audience reaction. The more applause, the better the performance. If applause grows louder after the conductor’s exit, they come back to take another round of bows. If applause is lukewarm, they stay in the wings. It’s the equivalent of turning the lights back on after a theater concert: a signal that the show is now officially over.
More often than not, however, a conductor’s reappearance prompts multiple cycles of applause and bows. The awkwardness of not knowing when to stop clapping means a conductor can appear on stage multiple times before the audience disperses!
If the audience really shows no signs of slowing down, the conductor could also choose to pull out an encore piece for their listeners. The chances of getting an encore increase if there’s a soloist involved: after all, visiting artists are usually the stars of the show!
With all this talk of customs and expectations, it’s important to recognize the most valuable tradition of all… having fun! Remember that while these customs provide insight into how Western classical music culture has developed over the years, the most valuable part of any concert experience is to enjoy the show. Winter is the perfect time of year for a trip to the symphony, ballet or opera house. Escape the cold and find a new piece of music to enjoy!
