The standing ovation dilemma

In an experiment featured in “Brain Games,” a fake lecturer delivered a nonsensical talk. When two planted audience members initiated a standing ovation, the rest of the audience followed.

Ryu Tae Hyung

The author is a senior specialist at Daewon Cultural Foundation.

Not long ago, I attended Jonas Kaufmann’s concert at Lotte Concert Hall. The star tenor, making his first visit to Korea in a decade, performed two nights of art songs and opera. The opera concert, in which he sang famous arias, received an especially enthusiastic response. The atmosphere reached its peak when he performed “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s Turandot, the final piece on the program. Several audience members in front of me, along with those in the row ahead, rose to their feet in applause. With my view obstructed, I could neither see Kaufmann’s entrances and exits nor take photos during the curtain call, when photography was permitted. It was an inescapable predicament — unable to witness the moment yet reluctant to ask those moved to a standing ovation to sit back down. Time passed as if I were blindfolded.

A standing ovation is typically reserved for moments of exceptional or deeply moving performances. It is considered a more reverent and wholehearted gesture than applause while seated.

The word “ovation” originates from the Latin ovatio, derived from ovare, meaning “to rejoice.” In ancient Rome, an ovatio was a celebratory event one rank below a full military triumph. Marcus Licinius Crassus, despite suppressing the Spartacus uprising, was granted only an ovatio due to opposition in the Senate. By the 19th century, the term “ovation” had come to signify sustained applause.

Performers receive a standing ovation following their concert at Lotte Concert Hall. [LOTTE CONCERT HALL]

One of the most famous instances of an audience rising in tribute involves Handel’s Messiah. At a 1753 performance, when the “Hallelujah” chorus was played, King George II of Britain reportedly leaped to his feet in admiration, prompting the entire audience to follow suit. However, some speculate he arrived late, and the audience rose in deference to his entrance. Regardless, standing is generally perceived as a greater show of sincerity than remaining seated.

Standing ovations have also been studied in the context of crowd psychology. In an experiment featured in “Brain Games” on the National Geographic Channel, a fake lecturer delivered a nonsensical talk. When two planted audience members initiated a standing ovation, the rest of the audience followed suit, demonstrating how easily people conform.

Despite attending numerous concerts, I can count on one hand the times I felt so profoundly moved as to rise in applause. On the other hand, I’ve often found it curious when audiences give standing ovations for merely average performances. These days, even when I encounter a performance that stirs my soul, I tend to express my appreciation with hearty applause rather than standing.

The most fundamental rule of concert etiquette is to avoid disrupting the experience of fellow audience members. For everyone, a live performance is a one-time, irreplaceable moment. Viewed through that lens, a standing ovation in a concert hall can be a somewhat self-centered act — not only disregarding the experience of those seated behind but sometimes outright obstructing their view.

Yet, isn’t it a shared hope among all concertgoers to be swept away by a truly unforgettable performance? I still dream of witnessing such a transcendent concert — one so extraordinary that the entire audience rises in unanimous ovation, creating a memory that lingers long after the music fades.

Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.