We are about to wrap up the discussion about whether to applaud, and when. First, if you’d like to see the comments of classical fans who responded on Drew McManus’s Adaptistration , go here, then come right back.
Unless something extraordinary pops up, we conclude with a comment from Bill Kirchner, who more or less initiated the conversation.
Fascinating views from the classical part of the spectrum. Maybe the overall lesson is that regimented, obligatory, unspontaneous responses from an audience are a drag for all concerned. Let people
respond as and when they wish, but *because* they wish to, not because they believe it’s their duty.
A composer friend of ours tells of going to hear a performance of a work by a famous contemporary composer. After twenty minutes, our friend was so overwhelmed in a negative sense that he started booing and was escorted out of the hall. “But you know,” our friend remarked, “I give ________ credit; he got an honest and deep reaction out of me.”
As a rule, I don’t advocate booing, but perhaps both jazz and classical audiences need to be encouraged to trust their guts more and be less encumbered by tired conventions of conduct.
I would like to tell you the names of both composers, but a promise is a promise.