La Scala, Milan: The audience boos the tenor off the stage
Dec 11th, 2006, 10:00 AM
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La Scala, Milan: The audience boos the tenor off the stage
during Franco Zeffirelli's "Aida. He walked off after being booed and his understudy walked on still wearing jeans.
I doubt this would happen in another country where they don't take opera so seriously. I would have loved to have seen this added drama.
I love Aida and Zeffirelli's must be wonderful (sans the tenor, lol).
I doubt this would happen in another country where they don't take opera so seriously. I would have loved to have seen this added drama.
I love Aida and Zeffirelli's must be wonderful (sans the tenor, lol).
Dec 11th, 2006, 10:01 AM
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Dec 11th, 2006, 10:51 AM
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Hi Jeanne, in the eleventh paragraph of the Yahoo article SeaUrchin posted it states that Alagna did sing in the opening night Opera.
I have been told decades ago the audiences use to throw vegtables at the singers if they didn't approve of their singing. Tough crowds, lol.
I have been told decades ago the audiences use to throw vegtables at the singers if they didn't approve of their singing. Tough crowds, lol.
Dec 11th, 2006, 02:33 PM
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Well of course I followed the opening of the season, and that didn't happen on the opening night, but on the first night for the season ticket-holders. "Scala choc" "Debutto in jeans" (jeans debut) says Corriere della Sera. But actually, to boo even a famous opera star is not an infrequent occurance-but not at La Scala.
Even poor Pavarotti (I say poor, because Pavarotti is battling pancreatic cancer now, which is almost always fatal) got booed some years back, and he later apologized to the audience for his uneven performance.
Alagna has been defending himself mightily in the press, stating that he was "banned for 10 years at La Scala" whatever that means-he didn't clarify. He advises he will return to his role as Radames on the 14th-this week-however the mgmt. of La Scala has not spoken to him-he told reporters-"write this down, I will return on the 14th". Obviously, that remains to be seen-they do have a replacement tenor lined up, and not the understudy either.
The production got excellent reviews in the national newspapers -Zeffirelli's Egyptian set design looked fantastic. However I must say that the papers did a spread of the "vips" who showed up, which I was interested in-of course, all of the Milanese fashion world, (Donatella looked great, for once, in a lovely and conservative, gray gown) the PM of Italy was there, as was the PM of Germany, Angela Merkel, French actress Fanny Ardant, why there was even a picture of Silvio Berlusconi's mamma, dressed beautifully and looking quite elegant and lively for her 90 plus years, among many others-the gowns were fairly conservative, for the most part, but some of the actress ingenues were strutting their stuff before the cameras outside La Scala.
Do you know the tradition of La Scala on the opening night of the season? The carabineri, in full dress uniform, with capes and hats, on white horses, all in a line in front of the opera house. Quite the impressive sight.
As for me, I'm going to try to make it to the opening of La Fenice's "La Traviata" in the spring, if possible.
Even poor Pavarotti (I say poor, because Pavarotti is battling pancreatic cancer now, which is almost always fatal) got booed some years back, and he later apologized to the audience for his uneven performance.
Alagna has been defending himself mightily in the press, stating that he was "banned for 10 years at La Scala" whatever that means-he didn't clarify. He advises he will return to his role as Radames on the 14th-this week-however the mgmt. of La Scala has not spoken to him-he told reporters-"write this down, I will return on the 14th". Obviously, that remains to be seen-they do have a replacement tenor lined up, and not the understudy either.
The production got excellent reviews in the national newspapers -Zeffirelli's Egyptian set design looked fantastic. However I must say that the papers did a spread of the "vips" who showed up, which I was interested in-of course, all of the Milanese fashion world, (Donatella looked great, for once, in a lovely and conservative, gray gown) the PM of Italy was there, as was the PM of Germany, Angela Merkel, French actress Fanny Ardant, why there was even a picture of Silvio Berlusconi's mamma, dressed beautifully and looking quite elegant and lively for her 90 plus years, among many others-the gowns were fairly conservative, for the most part, but some of the actress ingenues were strutting their stuff before the cameras outside La Scala.
Do you know the tradition of La Scala on the opening night of the season? The carabineri, in full dress uniform, with capes and hats, on white horses, all in a line in front of the opera house. Quite the impressive sight.
As for me, I'm going to try to make it to the opening of La Fenice's "La Traviata" in the spring, if possible.
Dec 11th, 2006, 05:50 PM
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I was at a performance of Il Trovatore as performed by the Metropolitan Opera.
Franco Farina had been scheduled to sing the role of Manrico, but he was not able to perform and we heard some joker named Francisco Casananova.
His rendition of Di Quella Pira and a couple of other solos were booed from the upper balcony.
He did look kind of funny in those tights, thigh high boots, knock knees, and a pot belly. The quintessential warrior figure he was not.
Fortunately everbody else in the cast was a strong singer, particularly Auzucena.
This is the warrior who is going to take on Cound di Luna?
Franco Farina had been scheduled to sing the role of Manrico, but he was not able to perform and we heard some joker named Francisco Casananova.
His rendition of Di Quella Pira and a couple of other solos were booed from the upper balcony.
He did look kind of funny in those tights, thigh high boots, knock knees, and a pot belly. The quintessential warrior figure he was not.
Fortunately everbody else in the cast was a strong singer, particularly Auzucena.
This is the warrior who is going to take on Cound di Luna?
Dec 11th, 2006, 09:45 PM
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Yes, Girlspytravel, photos of the Opening Night of the Opera at LaScala was on the IHT website. Donetella inspite of her gown still looked pathetic IMO, lol. Her hair, good grief, she needs a new hairdresser. Anyway, this morning the website for the International Herald Tribune had several photos of the Opening Night. But IHT doesn't seem to have them now.
Dec 11th, 2006, 11:15 PM
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Girlspytravel, thank you for the guest list. I suppose it was the loggionisti who were booing. I think it is part of the Italian charm.
LoveItaly, I think we saw different photos of Donatella, her hair was curled and shiny and she looked demure.
One of these days I have to get back to La Scala. Nothing better than the European opera houses. Oh to hear La Traviata at La Fenice, I haven't been to the resurrected building....yet!
LoveItaly, I think we saw different photos of Donatella, her hair was curled and shiny and she looked demure.
One of these days I have to get back to La Scala. Nothing better than the European opera houses. Oh to hear La Traviata at La Fenice, I haven't been to the resurrected building....yet!
Dec 11th, 2006, 11:27 PM
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Years ago I was at a performance at the Royal Opera House in London, and the audience booed the cast; not for singing badly, but because there was a bird on stage, that got frightened. It was connected to its perch with a chain, and when it tried to fly away, it couldn't. It then fell off and was just hanging there. People were booing, and calling out to help the bird.
The bird was ok in the end, but was not used again on stage.
The bird was ok in the end, but was not used again on stage.
Dec 11th, 2006, 11:49 PM
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Those "opera claques" in Milan are apparently legendary. The Tebaldi fans once threw radishes at Callas who eventually left the place saying, ""I leave La Scala with deep pain [because]it is no longer compatible with my dignity as a woman and an artist." More than once, someone has hired a claque to disrupt the scenes of a rival's performance
I agree it would be wonderful to have seen this whole episode unfold since it must have added somehow to the entire experience.
I agree it would be wonderful to have seen this whole episode unfold since it must have added somehow to the entire experience.
Dec 13th, 2006, 05:19 AM
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SeaU-I would have loved to be there for the drama of the moment too!
One of the very great dramatic opera moments I can remember was back in 2002 at the Met in New York.
It was supposed to be Pavarotti 's Last Performance (Tosca) and the house was packed with NY glitteratti and they had even rigged screens outside of the Met for the crowds who couldn't get standing room inside. It was a huge moment for NY Opera.
Pavarotti was forced to cancel just hours before curtain because of a cold/sore throat, but up until the last minute, everyone was hanging on to the edge of their seats to see if he might appear anyway. The musical director stepped onto the stage and there was a moment of tense silence in the house and outside. Then he announced that Pavoarottl would not appear, and you could hear a pin drop,
The young tenor Salvatore Licitra (who was completely unknown and untried in the US) was announced as the replacement. When he appeared on stage before beginning to sing, you could see the look of of emotion and terror on his face, and it was very moving. (I also read he had only rehearsed with the soprano quickly the same day).
Then he completed his first aria, and the whole audience rose and gave him a thunderous ovation lasting almost a FULLl minute. And a second, even more thunderous ovation at his second aria.
Boy, the tears were streaming on both sides that night!!!
One of the very great dramatic opera moments I can remember was back in 2002 at the Met in New York.
It was supposed to be Pavarotti 's Last Performance (Tosca) and the house was packed with NY glitteratti and they had even rigged screens outside of the Met for the crowds who couldn't get standing room inside. It was a huge moment for NY Opera.
Pavarotti was forced to cancel just hours before curtain because of a cold/sore throat, but up until the last minute, everyone was hanging on to the edge of their seats to see if he might appear anyway. The musical director stepped onto the stage and there was a moment of tense silence in the house and outside. Then he announced that Pavoarottl would not appear, and you could hear a pin drop,
The young tenor Salvatore Licitra (who was completely unknown and untried in the US) was announced as the replacement. When he appeared on stage before beginning to sing, you could see the look of of emotion and terror on his face, and it was very moving. (I also read he had only rehearsed with the soprano quickly the same day).
Then he completed his first aria, and the whole audience rose and gave him a thunderous ovation lasting almost a FULLl minute. And a second, even more thunderous ovation at his second aria.
Boy, the tears were streaming on both sides that night!!!
Dec 13th, 2006, 05:31 AM
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missypie,
How sad that the standing ovation has been made meaningless in your town - it really should be a spontaneous one (or twice) in a lifetime event.
I have been to operas and concerts at the Met and in Europe where the audience wildly applauded (still seated, of course) for 20, 30, even 40 minutes.
If the audience actually gave a standing ovation, it probably would have made the front page the next day.
How sad that the standing ovation has been made meaningless in your town - it really should be a spontaneous one (or twice) in a lifetime event.
I have been to operas and concerts at the Met and in Europe where the audience wildly applauded (still seated, of course) for 20, 30, even 40 minutes.
If the audience actually gave a standing ovation, it probably would have made the front page the next day.
Dec 13th, 2006, 06:28 AM
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Well, the most exciting concert I ever attended (as distinct from operas, where the performances were exciting, but no one ever walked off stage) was in 1974.
Living in London, we went to our first Proms concert, and actually sat on the stage, behind the orchestra. Maybe not the best acoustics in the hall, but a great view of Andre Previn, and of the action that night.
During the televised performance of Karl Orff’s cantata “Carmina Burana”, with the London Symphony Orchestra, the baritone soloist Thomas Allen fainted during his big solo, "Estuans interius."
What happened next was like something out of a movie. Thomas Allen was carried out, and the other soloists continued the performance. It was clear that there was an empty chair, and still a fair amount of the piece to sing. Someone walked out on stage, in formal dress, stood up when the next baritone solo was due, sang, and continued the performance.
Everyone watching, of course, (especially us, with our direct view of the whole thing)thought it was the understudy, but in a spectacular case of bad planning, the understudy was also the doctor, and so he was otherwise occupied.
The replacement was actually a music student from the audience - he went backstage, and said - if you need someone, I know this work. They quickly got him dressed and out on the stage - except that neither Previn nor the other soloists had any idea who he was! Previn said afterwards that he thought someone was coming to tell him that Allen had died, and that they were cancelling the rest of the performance.
Needless to say, the young performer got a lot of good publicity. We went to a number of other concerts while we lived there, and were always rather disappointed that nothing exciting ever occurred again.
In case you're interested, the replacement soloist was Patrick McCarthy
http://www.colchesterbachchoir.co.uk/Conductor.htm
Living in London, we went to our first Proms concert, and actually sat on the stage, behind the orchestra. Maybe not the best acoustics in the hall, but a great view of Andre Previn, and of the action that night.
During the televised performance of Karl Orff’s cantata “Carmina Burana”, with the London Symphony Orchestra, the baritone soloist Thomas Allen fainted during his big solo, "Estuans interius."
What happened next was like something out of a movie. Thomas Allen was carried out, and the other soloists continued the performance. It was clear that there was an empty chair, and still a fair amount of the piece to sing. Someone walked out on stage, in formal dress, stood up when the next baritone solo was due, sang, and continued the performance.
Everyone watching, of course, (especially us, with our direct view of the whole thing)thought it was the understudy, but in a spectacular case of bad planning, the understudy was also the doctor, and so he was otherwise occupied.
The replacement was actually a music student from the audience - he went backstage, and said - if you need someone, I know this work. They quickly got him dressed and out on the stage - except that neither Previn nor the other soloists had any idea who he was! Previn said afterwards that he thought someone was coming to tell him that Allen had died, and that they were cancelling the rest of the performance.
Needless to say, the young performer got a lot of good publicity. We went to a number of other concerts while we lived there, and were always rather disappointed that nothing exciting ever occurred again.
In case you're interested, the replacement soloist was Patrick McCarthy
http://www.colchesterbachchoir.co.uk/Conductor.htm
Dec 13th, 2006, 08:45 AM
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Boy, I hate the fact that everybody thinks they deserve a standing ovation. I remember back in the 80's when I saw Carla Fracci and Erik Bruhn dance Giselle at the Met and at the end the audience rushed the stage throwing flowers and shouting Bravo! Brava! That was a thrilling moment.
Dec 13th, 2006, 08:57 AM
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In the 60s, I attended a ballet performance at the Opera di Roma; the dancers were Carla Fracci, Erik Bruhn and Rudolf Nureyev. I found the contrast between Bruhn's and Nureyev's styles fascinating. They were all a lot younger then and danced beautifully, but the blase Roman audience did not let itself get carried away.
Dec 14th, 2006, 06:05 PM
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This guy is great, he staged his own show outside La Scala.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061214/...italy_tenor_dc
Why doesn't anything interesting like this happen in the US?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061214/...italy_tenor_dc
Why doesn't anything interesting like this happen in the US?
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