Miss Manners: Half the symphony audience doesn’t know when to clap
A reader says many concertgoers still clap between movements, leading to awkward, half-hearted applause; Miss Manners also complains about having to scan a QR code for the playbill instead of a printed program.
Dear Miss Manners: I went to the symphony, which I’ve done for many years now. I know that proper symphony etiquette is to refrain from clapping between movements. However, it seems to me that many symphony attendees are not aware of this rule. This has given rise to a rather awkward situation: About half the audience knows the rule and does not clap, and the other half does clap — so inevitably there is rather weak and half-hearted applause between movements.