If you learned concert manners in a Western hall, you may hold your applause until a work is over. At an Indian classical concert, appreciation often arrives in the middle of a piece: at the turn of a phrase, at the close of a rhythmic passage, sometimes in a single word. Some moments often draw a response.
In the moment
M. V. N. Murthy of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, has observed that Carnatic audiences appreciate a performance in parts as well as in whole. A soft phrase rich in gamaka may draw an audible intake of breath, and a brilliant fast passage may draw a burst of applause. The finished piece then receives a final round. Hindustani listeners have long responded aloud, with wah or kya baat hai. The tabla player and writer Aneesh Pradhan notes that such responses can encourage musicians to dwell on an idea or to take it somewhere new.
Moments that draw a response
Arrival on sam. Rhythm moves in cycles, and the first beat of the cycle, called sam, is a common point of arrival for phrases and rhythmic patterns. A tihai, a figure played three times so that it lands on sam, can draw an immediate reaction.
The close of an improvisation. Applause may follow the end of an alapana or a run of kalpanaswaras returning to the song. Practice varies with the artist and the audience.
The percussion solo. During the tani avartanam, listeners often applaud especially satisfying cadences as well as the end of the solo. SRUTI, the Philadelphia-area presenter, has noted that visiting artists welcome the habit.
When to hold back
Some music asks for silence until the end. Murthy cites a composition by Muthuswami Dikshitar as an example. Quiet, slow passages invite stillness more than clapping. If an artist asks for a particular response from the stage, that request outranks any custom.
The same attention applies if you need to step out. Wait for a pause between pieces or for the end of an improvised passage, and avoid leaving during the percussion solo.
Following the music
Most of the cues are in the music: a phrase that comes to rest, a rhythmic cycle that lands, a pause the musicians hold. If you are unsure, wait a moment and follow the people around you.
For more on attending a performance, see What to Expect and What a Concert Program Can Tell You.
Image: Ranjani and Gayatri in concert for AFA, September 2022. Photo: CarbonThree Studios.
