"Applause that comes thundering with such force you might think the audience merely suffers the music as an excuse for its ovations"

Alfred Jarry’s observation highlights the complex relationship between performance, audience, and the rituals surrounding appreciation. The thunderous applause, described as almost overwhelming, raises an implicit question about the authenticity of the response. It suggests that, at times, the audience’s reaction may be disproportionate to the actual quality or impact of the music performed. Instead of responding honestly to the merits of the performance, the audience is engaging in a collective act, applauding so fervently that it overshadows the music itself, making the ovations appear to be the main event. The music becomes little more than a pretext, a necessary ritualistic passage to reach the cathartic display of approval.

There’s an irony present: the audience appears almost burdened by having to sit through the performance in order to reach the climax of their own outpouring. The applause, rather than being an organic result of artistic appreciation, becomes a spectacle unto itself, perhaps dictated by social expectations or the desire to participate in a collective experience. This ritualized response exposes a subtle critique of public performances and their attendant ceremonies. Art, in this context, is not only consumed but also transformed into an occasion for communal display. The performance, the ostensible centerpiece, is relegated to second place behind the audience’s unified demonstration of enthusiasm.

Jarry’s quote astutely reveals how social conventions can distort genuine engagement with art. The episode he describes is not merely about music or ovation, but about human behavior, how collective action can subsume individual reaction, and how the formalities of celebration risk overwhelming the very art they purport to honor. By drawing attention to the disparity between performance and reception, the quote invites a deeper inquiry into authenticity, motivation, and the performative aspects of cultural participation.