This phenomenon of the audience applause covering the final notes occurred for every act of the Met Ring I attended last week, despite attempts to hush it. The Opera Tattler has made the same observation, & it occurs because people start clapping as soon as the curtain starts to descend, which happens well before the final notes. I think the Met has this idea that the curtain should finish closing at the same moment as the orchestra stops playing.
The part about this that caught me by surprise is really twofold.
One: even though I know better having attended half a dozen operas there, I think those of us who live outside of NYC still have this general idea in our heads that the opera-goers at the Met are somehow going to be more sophisticated than at other houses. This is of course, a stupid perception, but it does help the Met maintain its reputation.
Two: People who attend a Ring cycle are unlikely to be newbies and will also have a reverence for the music that would imply they be on their best behavior, meaning they shut up when the lights dim and wait until the music is finished before they applaud. Obviously this too, is a fallacy.
This is not the case as you and the OT have observed, and I've witnessed recently in LA.
I was really shocked when I heard that on the radio, but I guess I shouldn't be. Audiences suck no matter where one is. When I saw Turandot in Rome I was appalled, APPALLED! at the audience behavior ; ) Perhaps the worst opera audience ever. Whodathunkit?
This phenomenon of the audience applause covering the final notes occurred for every act of the Met Ring I attended last week, despite attempts to hush it. The Opera Tattler has made the same observation, & it occurs because people start clapping as soon as the curtain starts to descend, which happens well before the final notes. I think the Met has this idea that the curtain should finish closing at the same moment as the orchestra stops playing.
ReplyDeleteThe part about this that caught me by surprise is really twofold.
ReplyDeleteOne: even though I know better having attended half a dozen operas there, I think those of us who live outside of NYC still have this general idea in our heads that the opera-goers at the Met are somehow going to be more sophisticated than at other houses. This is of course, a stupid perception, but it does help the Met maintain its reputation.
Two: People who attend a Ring cycle are unlikely to be newbies and will also have a reverence for the music that would imply they be on their best behavior, meaning they shut up when the lights dim and wait until the music is finished before they applaud. Obviously this too, is a fallacy.
This is not the case as you and the OT have observed, and I've witnessed recently in LA.
I was really shocked when I heard that on the radio, but I guess I shouldn't be. Audiences suck no matter where one is. When I saw Turandot in Rome I was appalled, APPALLED! at the audience behavior ; ) Perhaps the worst opera audience ever. Whodathunkit?