Peter Harzem write:

>First, a few quite evident points: The 'normal' (customary) behavior of
>the audience does, of course, depend on the kind of concert in question.
>At jazz concerts it is common practice to applaud during the piece, almost
>at every instrumentalist as the music proceeds.  Indeed, at such concerts
>the audience is in effect a part of the performance, by creating the
>appropriate atmosphere.

and

>Through the past century up to the present, in classical music concerts
>(chamber, orchestral, etc.) the custom has been established for members
>of the audience to be as little intrusive to others in the audience as
>possible.  Incidental noise during the performance is liable to take one
>out of the mood one may be enjoying, and such will certainly intrude into
>the private world of one.  The performance, as I wrote previously, includes
>the intervals between movements.  Those intervals provide for moments of
>reflection, and perhaps, preparation for what is to follow.  I for one--and
>it seems I am not alone--am deeply grateful to those sitting around me in
>a concert hall who are courteous enough to be as quiet as they can be
>during performances.

There are two points here:  silence because it's necessary to hear the
music, and silence in order to reflect on the music.

I agree with the former.  Unfortunately, in contrast to a chamber concert
where ideally the audience is small, say 40 people, and one can sit fairly
close to the performers, it's not difficult to hear every note, and one
needs only to be a quiet as is reasonable, at a large "commercial" concert,
things are such that it is impossible to hear even an mp unless everyone
is perfectly quiet.  At an informal after-dinner concert at a private
home, for instance, cleaning-up noises off, children playing, etc are all
excusable (as long as they aren't too loud- -and I know some fairly quiet
kids) and do not detract from the enjoyment of the music in the slightest.

To have *absolute* quiet between movements is, to my mind, excessive.
I, for one, don't sympathize with this desire.  I can see that others may,
and I guess that if I was aware that being quiet between movements was a
serious necessity at concerts, or at a given concert, I, for one would not
go.  I would feel the need to quietly murmur to my neighbor, "Wow, wasn't
that nice," or "Jeeze, that certainly sucked," without being the object of
censure.  Or applaud after a wonderful cadenza.

Luckily for those who have religious experiences at concerts, I don't go
often.  I once applauded after the first movement of the Brahms Piano
Concerto No.  2, and was stared silent.  I didn't go to a concert for
years.

I don't support symphonies, I don't support symphonic subscription series.
I support radio and the recording industry.  I figure let the meditation
types pay their own bills!:-) I'm not bitter; I just hate doing things I
don't like, or paying for them.

Arch