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How do you feel about applause? Do you like it?

I've worked with a lot of singers professionally, and everyone of them thinks that singing is what you do in between applause. Of course, they are also the first people to tell you how happy you are that they came to your party. (sigh...)

At the other extreme, I've know some very sensitive souls who play exceptionally well, and are very good performers, but don't like being applauded and prefer to run off stage the instant it starts. They like to receive their accolades from behind a screen.

Where do you fit in this spectrum? Any good stories to tell? And of course, more jokes about singers (or other performers) are always welcome!

Applause is fine, as long as it doesn't happen between movements. (Argh! )

I'm almost disappointed when they don't applaud between movements of certain pieces.

Answering the OP: I think applause are a good indicator of what we've done -- I mean how well we played, how well we communicated -- provided we take other things into account and adjust our judgment according to that. Like, you expect more for a "fast and loud" ending, less for others, and so you judge in a way that takes such things into account.

P.S. You also have to take into account how much of the audience is your friends.

Mark,

Are you really saying that we have to bribe our friends to both

1- come to our concerts, and

2- applaud when they're supposed to?

I don't think I can raise that kind of money...

Looks like you misunderstood most of what I said.

Please! I was making a joke!

Yes, I know -- but it doesn't work except by a misreading of what I said.

When I first started performing personal compositions in school concerts the audience would *so* often start applauding in pauses...but, um, that'd teach me for putting them there I don't mind applause between movements, I think we *should* express ourselves mid performance (maybe not with a ringing "bravo!" in the middle of a crescendo, but, um, sighs and sobs shouldn't be contained...), whether the audience or performer, all that, theoretically, is just dandy...um...when it came to the end of my performance, however, I was minorly known for only half-bowing as I turned quickly away, almost running from the sound of applause, getting up before the fist clap fell, if possible...just...we're all wired differently. Some of us...I don't know Remembering praise does not make me squirm, but receiving it...in that moment...makes me want to sabotage *everything* someone might praise me for Harsh, unforgiving criticism is definitely preferred! Yes, it's silly, um, yes, it's ridiculous, but it's like...so long as they're focusing on the music you're safe....as soon as they're directing something at *you*? And all my pianist friends would take a big bow...and talk before performing! Pffft......
Xxxxx

I'll take applause whenever I can get it. If I hit a wrong note, and you want to clap, I am perfectly okay with that.

I love being applaud... Why on earth not?

I remember one time in Syria (back in 2000 or so, when things were fine there), I went with a violinist to play a piece, and I literally butchered the piece! Yet the Syrians and French (it was the ECUME meeting) were clapping like nuts. I wanted to die, but the violinist was loving it and thus we just went in and out about 5 times...

Then I got scolded by our teacher that we should enjoy it... and that's what I've been doing ever since!

I like applause, particularly from informed audience members (who are not just "being polite"), because it indicates to me that I have communicated something which is, isn't it, the main goal of our public performances?

I've accompanied singers who have requested no applause between a set of numbers. That I understand, fully; the numbers are often conscientiously programmed to set a mood or to convey an atmosphere which can be broken by applause.

Regards,

Oh...and....yes; A pianist and singer are rehearsing Autumn Leaves for a concert and the pianist says:
"OK. We will start in G minor and then, on the third bar, modulate to B major and go into 5/4. Retaining the vibrato, when you get to the bridge modulate back down to F# minor and alternate a 4/4 bar with a 7/4 bar, emphasising the off-beats. On the last A section go into double time and slowly modulate back to G minor." To which the singer says, looking down at the sheet music, a little bite on the lip:
"Wow, I don't think I can remember all of that." The pianist looks across the body of the piano, his fingers trace the keys:
"Well, that's what you did last time."

I bet you didn't.

Why?
Because you're a terrific musician.

I'm guessing you mean mainly that there were wrong notes (including some awful ones), maybe also that sometimes you weren't exactly together with the violinist. But I'm guessing also that you played with excellent RHYTHM (because you DO!), which I think is really the very most important thing (underrated!), that you captured the essence of the pieces, that you were mostly together with him/her, and (maybe the very most important thing for chamber music) that your balance with the violinist was good.

I think we usually put way too much emphasis on "mistakes" in our feelings about how we played. I'm sure that to many people this will seem ridiculous, but.....provided that there's a general accuracy to the playing, how we play the notes (dynamics, balance) and when we play them (rhythm, pulse) are more important than what notes we play, and go further toward making the music. Or at least more important than we give those things credit for.

I would have applauded you too.

We once had opera subscription tickets with big opera fans from Italy, and he said that in Italy it was far more common to be loud and effusive than it was here. I have no way of knowing if he was right or wrong.

As for me, I like applause but the only applause I receive is from the kids. My four year old applauds instinctively every time he hears a cadence of any sort followed by a pause, haha.

I could make a million mistakes, but as long as I hit the last big tonic chord, somewhere in the house I can hear applause.

I like applause because one can discern from its qualities if the majority of an audience is really enjoying themselves and also how many encores to dish out - I did seven of these after a home recital in December 2001, Leschetizky's Intermezzo in Octaves Op. 44 No. 4 became the only work involved with the encores as they kept asking me to repeat it over and over, but eventually I became a bit weary to keep going with it at full intensity ad infinitum!


M.

LOL

..can I quote you on that? It's happened on more occasions than I care to remember.

I like applause, but I like even better when people come to express appreciation afterward. I play in a church, so they often do. You can tell when it's really sincere. It's very hard to judge from your own feeling about the playing (and the mistakes etc.) what you've conveyed to the listeners. As Mark said, I think players (including me) tend to be excessively self-critical.

And this is all a joke about the singers, right? (As a sometime singer myself, I could take umbrage but won't.)

Actually I stopped twice... Left the violinist playing on his own... No other wrong notes or anything. but stopping for me is the apotheosis of errors! You lose the rhythm, the flow, the continuity, the essence of music is you stopped. And I did it twice!

(thanks btw... I honestly appreciate your post).

And while watching my post I remember another thing I did wrong, while I KNOW IT!

But here's Oatmeal to explain it better:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/literally

I didn't literally butcher anything! I've never butchered anything in my life! literally!

But for everything else you say, by all means YES! In fact it's one of my pet peeves (after that incident). So much that I've had this weird idea to compose a piece of piano music, sounding bad on purpose. This would include the irony of the audience thinking the pianist is doing a bad job, while the pianist would be excellent in his job! And the title would be "Vstra Cupla" (YOUR fault)... Never came to fruition and now that I think about it, I think that no pianist would ridicule his self for such a reason!

Nikolas,

Thanks for that. That is the most fun!

"...weird idea to compose a piece of piano music, sounding bad on purpose. "

Sorry, but several other people have beat you to it.

I noticed your choice of words ....Luckily for you, I think everybody knows that the word "literally" is rarely meant literally.

Like, how's this: "He literally tore my head off...."