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Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

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Why did IU Opera Ban Applause?

This past weekend’s performances of Handel’s “Alcina” were wonderfully sung and played. The scenery was spectacular: “Alcina’s” magic island was presented as a gilded, ornate baroque theater. The stage was invitingly illuminated and filled with a vibrant energy that contrasted greatly with the dark, solemn hall of the Musical Arts Center.

Unfortunately the charms of her theater were barred from us in a systematic way that must have been deliberate: IU’s production banned all applause except at the ends of acts.

This lack of applause was not due to a timid audience. Its cause rested in the execution of that musical seam lying between the end of a tuneful aria and the beginning of half-sung recitative.

Maestro Fagen’s musical leadership consistently compressed that space between aria and recitative, so much so that it ceased to be perceptible. In doing this, Fagen prevented those in the hall from experiencing that cathartic joy of clapping in response to well-sung music.

His crime was to have a simple major chord appear in the harpsichord the moment an aria was completed. No silences. Fagen conditioned us, like Pavlov’s dogs, to know that we weren’t invited to participate.

With the end of each aria, this major chord would appear again and again. Each instance felt like another brick was being placed in an invisible barrier between the talented singers and ?ourselves.

The most disappointing denial of applause, though, occurred after the final aria of Act 2. Alcina’s “Ombre ?pallide” is a truly moving number. And, as it ends an act, it came before one of only three spots where those barrier-forming recitative chords were unable to appear.

Here it was, our chance to show appreciation ... hands in position ... but ...

The sinfonia to Act 3 was inserted just as “Alcina’s” aria ended. The curtain fell, and with it our singer stood hidden from view as we clapped.

For those who attend this Valentine’s Day weekend, please reclaim your part in this musical performance. Have your hands ready. And when the time comes, force yourself into that space between aria and recitative.

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