Ovation is what any person who is engaged in creativity dreams of. Writers, musicians, actors - they all want to be applauded, admired the results of their work. Let us examine what ovation is and how it differs from applause.
Meaning and Origin
According to the explanatory dictionary, a standing ovation is "enthusiastic signs of approval and greetings, stormy applause." Regarding the source language, the dictionaries disagree: some say that the definition came to us from Latin, in which there is the verb ovare, that is, "triumph", and the noun ovation formed from it. Others argue that the word came to us either through German or through French in the 19th century. Of course, the last hypothesis seems plausible, but nothing definite can be said.
Theaters and cinemas
Regardless of when the word appeared with us, we know perfectly well what it means. To understand its essence on their own experience, it is best to go to the theater for some kind of star performance, where famous actors will be involved. If everything goes without surprises, in this case the applause of the hall is ensured. Now people clap even in the cinema, if they really liked the film, it is probably strange, but a similar trend is observed. And yet, the audience in an ordinary theater still reacts more vividly.
How does ovation differ from applause?
It is clear that ovation is a synonym for applause, but applause is not always a synonym for applause. What is the matter? Applause can express a wide range of feelings. They can be enthusiastic and restrained, quiet and loud, forced and sincere. A standing ovation is always a delight! That is, it is impossible to restrain vigorously applause - this is an oxymoron. And one curious detail follows from the same situation: applause can be faked, but a standing ovation cannot.
If the actor is given a stormy reception, then he is sure that people are really happy to see him. Probably, you can put an equal sign between “ovation” and “stormy applause”, but the phrase from the Soviet past “stormy applause turning into an ovation” makes you think. Maybe the object of research is a sign of an audience that is almost in ecstasy? It's hard to talk here. In this case, the speaker himself, understanding the meaning of the words “ovation” and “applause”, sets the emphasis. Still, this is a pretty subtle distinction.
One thing is clear: if there is a lot of noise, moreover, created not only by the palms, sometimes the audience whistle, stomp, then the performance succeeded. Of course, such a picture resembles the Roman Colosseum rather than a decent public place, but sometimes it happens. True, such a reception is not worth the wait at the theater, but a rock concert is quite disposed to a violent reaction from the audience. And the artists, of course, are always pleased. Silence in the hall is what is really scary, for it means complete failure.