To Applaud, or not to Applaud

[Megan]

In this video at the end of the first movement, you can see at about 6:31 the performer, Yundi Li gesturing to the audience not to applaud.
I think applauding can be pretty annoying and breaks the consentration and magic of the whole performance.


[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2mLtLDZ9ak[/YOUTUBE]

[AeolianHarp]

I will watch that video during my lunch. Yes, I have seen Yundi play Beethoven sonatas and Chopin nocturnes this summer and I would say that his approach is reverential to the music and the composers. He came on stage, dressed beautifully in tailcoat. He walked up closer to the audience and bowed. Then he sat down at the piano and sat for a few seconds almost as though he was communing with what he was about to play. Then he began. When we did applause at the appropriate stage he bowed again.
I rate him very highly as a serious pianist. Nobody plays the Fantaisie Impromptu like him-nobody!!!

[hal9000]

There will always be that one person who claps moments before the piece is finished so as to announce to everyone that they know the piece, at times almost single-handedly ruining the mood.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqqk0cfaA8Y[/YOUTUBE]

Now, that's an audience!

Applauding between movements is a definite NO.