Ovation is a noun meaning an enthusiastic public reception of a person, marked by loud and prolonged applause. A common type is a standing ovation in which the crowd rises to celebrate the subject of the ovation. Applause is a form of ovation, often accompanied by cheers and sometimes stomping from a crowd. Ovation did not always refer to a prolonged applause or verbal celebration of a guest. It was first used in 1831 in the English language to describe a burst of enthusiastic applause.
In Roman history, an ovation represented a celebration of a lesser kind of triumph allowed to a commander for an easy, bloodless victory or a victory over slaves. This type of ovation was given during a ceremonial entrance into Rome to a commander whose victory was not ranked as highly as a triumph. In ancient Rome, a triumph was a ritual procession to the Capitoline Hill held in honor of a victorious general. The word ovation is Latin,
The band Grabowsky (Germany) was applauded for 1 hour and 30 minutes after a performance at Altes-Brauhaus-Musicclub in Frankenthal, Germany, on Dec. 7, 2002. The band returned to play an encore of two songs after the applause finished.
The loudest applause was 111 decibels and was organized by Realizar Impact Marketing and Modelo. It was achieved by fans of Portuguese singer Tony Carreira at the Bela Vista Park in Lisbon, Portugal, on June 20, 2009.
Standing ovations are common in the theater, particularly after a moving performance or when the audience is recognizing an exceptional talent. The most famous ovation in theater history belongs to opera singer Placido Domingo, who once gave a performance of "Otello" in Vienna, Austria. The performance on June 30,1991, led to an 80-minute standing ovation and 101 curtain calls.