This is the number-one scary question! No one wants to clap in the "wrong" place. But it's simpler than you may think, and quite logical. In most classical
concerts the audience never applauds during the music. They wait until the end of each piece, then let loose with their applause. But this can be a little
tricky, because many pieces seem to end several times in other words, they have several parts, or "movements." These are listed in your program. In general,
musicians and your fellow listeners prefer not to hear applause during the pauses between these movements, so they can concentrate on the progress from one
movement to the next. Symphonies and concertos have a momentum that builds from the beginning to the end and applause can "break the mood," especially when
a movement ends quietly.
What if you lose track, and aren' t sure whether the piece is truly over? One clue is to watch the conductor. Usually, s/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. If you enjoyed what you heard, you can yell
"Bravo!" too
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