Must you encourage them? A Copenhagen audience delivers a standing ovation. Photograph: AFP
I've just been in Rome, attending a couple of classical concerts in the fabulous new Santa Cecilia concert hall. But I had to readjust my response levels: the performances were fantastic, brilliant, but not so life-changing that I had the urge to keep clapping for more than 10 minutes at the end of each evening.
When I mentioned this to the German chap sitting beside me, he led me to understand that it's the British who are peculiarly stingy with applause, and even the Germans are at one with the effusive Italians when clapping is called for.
In the second concert, the work in the first half was Beethoven's Triple Concerto. This was so enthusiastically received that the soloists gave an encore - an entire movement of a piano trio - midway through the evening. That's a new one to me, and I'm not sure I approve.
The work in the second half was Mahler's Fifth Symphony. It was such an electrifying performance it was inevitable that an encore would be asked for. So I left as soon as the applause began. If there's one thing I can't take, it's an encore after Mahler.
I later learned that they treated the audience to a fine performance of the William Tell Overture. But the trouble with turning out something like that is it can entirely alter whatever sensations you were savouring as a kind of aftertaste to the main work. Put bluntly, it can kill the mood. And I can't think of anything better designed to do that to Mahler 5 than the dear old galloping William Tell Overture.
In general, I loathe encores. In particular, energetic, perky or humorous encores. To me, it just looks like you're milking the audience. Unless the punters are really baying for more - just don't do it.
