Music in live performance is inherently theatrical full of passion humour melancholy intimacy grandeur vulnerable to the possibility that something will go unexpectedly wrong reaching into the imagination of the listener not just as an individual but as part of a collective The conventions which still largely dominate music presentation including strict dress codes and an exaggerated deference to the status of conductors and soloists emphasise the difference between players and listeners in a way which often feels uncomfortably hierarchical On the other hand the tendency of contemporary music audiences to interrupt the momentum of performance by applauding between movements or after a canicular piece of virtuosity while it is often a spontaneous expression of appreciation can also be insensitive to the dramatic integrity of the whole work