Concert etiquette

Robert Bedont notes that “Mozart...would have expected food, drink, gossip, and a rowdy 18th-century crowd.”[7] The nineteenth century brought a shift in venue from aristocratic gatherings to public concerts along with works featuring an unprecedentedly wide dynamic range.

[8] With the arrival of recording technology in the twentieth century, applause between the movements of a symphony or suite came to be regarded as a distraction from the momentum and unity of a work.

Bedont states that “...with Wagner and Mahler insisting on attentive listening and the background silence of 20th-century recording studios, audience noise has come to be viewed as intrusive to the performers and patrons alike.”[7] In the 2020s, applause between movements is usually considered something of a faux pas, though a minor and well-meaning one.

[10] The premiere of Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring in 1913 prompted catcalls and whistles from the crowd that degenerated into fistfights in the aisles and police intervention.

Steve Reich's Four Organs at Carnegie Hall in 1973 featured audience members sarcastically applauding and shouting to hasten the end of the performance.

[11] Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas recalls a woman walking down the aisle and beating her head against the front of the stage, and making negative comments implying that she was being tortured by the music.

This type of engagement is common throughout jazz performances regardless of the setting and shares the same basic ideas as other clapping procedures: show appreciation for the musicians’ efforts.

Several artists, such as Björk, Prince, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Jack White have requested that audience members refrain from using their cell phones during their concerts.