When and why did this custom start?

According to part of your question, the ban seems to have spread like a disease from the original spore of Wagner.

Here is an article from a New York Times Music Critic (he also attributes it first to the Genius-Tyrant of Bayreuth)

http://www.therestisnoise.com/2005/02/applause_a_r...

I understand the newer tradition was taken to an extreme in Russian Opera audience convention: No applause after arias; No applause after Scene 1; no applause after Act 1. The applause only takes place at the end of the entire opera.

Whether it is immediately after a rousing allegro forte finale or a stunning deeply moving pianissimo adagio, immediately thereafter I would love more than anything a minute or two of silence.

best regards, p.b.

I've wondered the same thing myself. I understand that Wagner disapproved of the custom of applauding after arias.

Customs having to do with applauding can be nonsensical. I feel as if I'm being hypocritical by applauding when a performer comes out if I haven't heard the performer before. In such case, how do I know he or she is a good performer?

Here in Korea, the performer comes out, take a bow, and then the audience applauds. Someone tried to explain that to me, but I still don't understand it.

"NellyE" has posted one very good explanation I think; but there're probably others.

Ever since the end of WW I, public musical performance etiquette has undergone something of a revolution: this cataclysmic event brought about the ultimate demise of the ancient European social class structure; and with it, the way everyone interacted in a public setting.

Even though some had before attempted to curb the at times rather raucous/uncooth behavior of audiences during the prewar era, such as Wagner as noted by one of your responders, little success was had; Wagner himself had to appease the prevailing attitude of the dominant Parisian opera supporters by inserting a ballet in the 1st act of Tannhauser for its Paris premiere - they demanding one always for the 2nd act, but he was unwilling to go that far: one simply wouldn't "fit" into the plot at that point.

Nevertheless, Tannhauser was withdrawn from its performance schedule, and the composer and critiques considered it to be a failure primarily because of this incumberance.

Even so, an evolution of refinement regarding protocol has evolved in public artistic gatherings; which has effected those of classical music as well as exhibitions, etc.

A final note relating to Wagner. At the Bayreuth performances of his last opera "Parsifal", he intended this work to be an ultimate spiritual/religioso (if you will) experience for those attending; and originally forbade any applause whatsoever during a performance: but later if my memory serves me correctly, applause after the 2nd act only was reluctantly permitted.

An additional tidbit: he also meant for it, "Parsifal", never to be performed anywhere outside of Bayreuth; but due to un-accommodating legalities - questions of copyright being the principal one I think - his intentions as we all know and gratefully I might add, were circumvented.

Alberich

I have it on good authority, that this comes from misinterpretation by the actors/singers. AT the time, people would "clap" people of the stage if they hated the performance, and so clapping DURING a performance, wasn't interpreted as a form of praise. This changed Opera protocol, and affected they way people showed their affection towards the opera/show

I really hate that custom, as well.

It's like I have heard the 2nd Movement of Dvorak's 9th Symphony and I just feel like I want to get up, yell with joy and clap until my hands fall off, but I can't do that. I have to wait until the end of the Symphony.

I honestly couldn't tell you how it started.