ALAGNA: I SANG RADAMES WITHOUT PHLEGM

This morning, Corriere della Sera links AGR Radio, who released a short, candid interview (in Italian language only) with Alagna on the advent of his walking-off the stage at Teatro alla Scala, and what he plans to do now that the controversy of his actions have begun to sink-in and Lissner is not listening. heh.

Alagna rambles through the interview backing-up the claims that Opera Chic had discovered yesterday at the theater, that he does indeed intend to show-up to the theater on Thursday night, regardless of the fact that he has been told by Lissner (GM) that he’s been dismissed. He also shares his theory that it was a conspiracy placed to purposely malign him and his success at Teatro alla Scala, mostly because he saw replacement tenor Antonello Palombi warming up for two hours before the performance. He also blames journalists for misquoting him. He also goes on to say that there are too many haters that envy him, and therefore they are out to ruin his career.

Also, even if you don’t comprehend Italian, make sure you listen to at least around minute 6 and 30 seconds, where Alagna starts singing. wtf?!

His whole defense is now this: at the time of the booing incident, he didn’t know that it was a normal, accepted thing at Teatro alla Scala. He thought it was a really bad thing. Therefore, he pretends that he now understands that booing is like freedom of expression and goes on to say, “Now I’ve begun to understand that this booing thing is not an evil thing. Now I shall sing”. (“Adesso ho capito che questa cosa non è una cosa per male... allora canterò"). Really, that’s his defense! He says again, “Now I’ve learned that boos and whistles here are normal, OK then, I’ll sing even if people are booing. I didn’t know that before.” He didn't know guys! He had no idea...

He says quite a few other intriguing things. But all in all, he’s basically riding a huge back-peddling bicycle throughout the entire interview, slamming on the brakes of his indignant tirade and trying to repair a bit of damage. Blaming the press, blaming his feelings, etc…And is it just me, or does Alagna look like a bloated Gary Oldman? Anyway, here are some choice quotes translated into English:

On the media conspiracy that twisted his words, making it look like Alagna will never come back to Teatro alla Scala:

• Alagna, “What I said was, ‘If they don’t want me, I’ll never come back’ (‘Se non mi vogliono, non tornero mai più’). But the media has edited out the, ‘If they don’t want me’ part, which is why everyone is misquoting me as saying I’ll never return.”

Other quotes from Alagna on the booing:

• Alagna, “I could never boo somebody. I’m the son of Sicilian immigrants to France, and I learned to respect people’s feelings. My grandfather said, ‘Wish well to those who hate you.’ So I wish well to all those who booed me.”

• Alagna, “I’d really like to meet these people [ed: the people who booed], to understand them.”

• Alagna, “This is a human thing. If it's normal to be booed, then that’s fine. Let's all sing with the boos then.

• Alagna, “At the moment I heard the booing, I felt earth opening beneath me.”

Alagna on Lissner

• Alagna, “Lissner is a friend, he was kind to me in the dressing room. He has a work to do, I understand him. Zeffirelli wants to do La Traviata with me and Angela: ‘It will be a scandal’, he told me.”

Alagna on PHLEGM rofl

• Alagna, “My daughter called me, she told me she had listened to the opera on the radio from France and she said, ‘You’ve been bravissimo, not even a little phlegm.’”

(No, I didn’t make-up that last quote…I swear!!)

Comments

[Crew Mantle]

Well!

Since La Scala opera is all about big business these days, it does remain to be seen if they might indeed bring this tenor of modest voice back. In the old days he would have been toast, but with Decca involved, they might just wilt. Sadly.

Time will tell if august La Scala still exists. In my opinion the long term prestige of La Scala is at stake; if they bow to a nobody voice like Alagna to please Decca, then they might as well be the Romanian opera.

Finally his spouses finger prints are all over this. 10 years ago when Alagna was a rising star who had just lost his wife to cancer he was a very sympathetic figure. He was back then a humble man. She however some him as a tool to rise to pre eminence; so she divorced her then nobody husband, hooked this one, and rode him for all it was worth. Trouble is though, that his voice never did grow to that of say a Ben Heppner... so I think the woman has now second thoughts; lest Alagna get in her way upwards as did the previous husband.

P.S. Milady... my Italian is around 70% given the last 25 years of opera involvement, but in this matter it is the fine detail that you bring to the story that sets you far above the competition!

[sophie]

I am laughing so hard that there are tears in my eyes. Oh good gosh. Just like in the good old days.

[elaine]

wonderful wonderful wonderful Oh I do love all this stuff. I think Alagna has a great voice (well perhaps did) and has just over reached himself with Radames which, let's face it, is a pig of a role. Have just posted about this over on my blog so it is interesting to see yours and to get some more updates. I will visit again

[Scarpia Jr.]

Oh...my....god... This is Hilarious.

[Opera Chic]

poor alagna...did you notice how sweaty and nervous his body-language appeared in the interview? :(

[alex]

I haven't watched the interview yet, but those quotes are amAzingly hilarious! Is he trying to fool schoolkids with this stuff? I mean, I'll be the first to sympathize with the man for having reacted poorly and making decisions in haste...but I've eaten crow and tasted my own foot often enough to surmise that things are markedly better if you just apologize upfront. not great. but a looot better.

[phlegmfatale]

I've been aware of the frequent booing at la Scala and considered it a test of a singer's mettle. It seems Mr. Alagna failed that test. For him to claim naivete seems a bit unlikely. I wonder where he was a couple years ago when all the opera fans I know were abuzz that Ms. Fleming's Handel arias were soundly booed at la Scala?

[fignaz]

I've read that Alagna is taking corticosteroids to help treat his hypoglycemia & associated adrenal problems. Having been prescribed the same medication for a similar condition & having watched this interview & seen how puffy & pale he looks and how much he sweats, I'm inclined to believe he's not tolerating the steroids well. Since another side effect is major mood swings & other personality changes I wouldn't be surprised if steroids are also partially the cause of the endless cataract of stupidity issuing from his mouth. In a more recent interview he invoked John Lennon saying, in effect, that he feared for his life, that the negativity could have turned into physical violence a la Lennon.

One other point I'd like to make about the booing episode itself. I was in the theater both Thursday & Sunday. After "Celeste Aida" on opening night, a lone voice upstairs gave out a loud, "Bravo!" Thursday night, the same voice made the same shout of approval from pretty much the same place. Up to that point, there had only been polite applause. Once the bravo rang out, the booing began. And it came from the same area of the house. The consensus at intermission was that Alagna had paid the claque both nights for the "bravo" & that other denizens of the loggione were prepared this time to contest the claque & spank Alagna for the disparaging comments he had made about the La Scala audience. I also have to say that, having been at La Scala when all hell broke loose just because Pavarotti cracked on a high note in the auto-da-fe scene in DON CARLO, this was far from a typical La Scala boo-a-palooza. The boos were isolated. of short duration, & made by a few people. and furthermore did not stop the show. When Alagna came out he looked & acted like he would rather be anywhere else & then proceeded to sing like it. I think he pounced on the opportunity afforded him by this minor outburst to extricate himself from an impossible situation of his own making. Ahhh "dietrologia"-- it's not just for Italians anymore...... ;-)

[fignaz]

Ooops-- meant to include his quote:
"E se mi avessero lanciato sassi o un pazzo mi avesse aggredito? Loro avrebbero dovuto proteggermi, fermare lo spettacolo, invece sono andati avanti come se niente fosse.Voglio dire, John Lennon l'hanno anche ammazzato".

"And if they had thrown rocks at me or a madman had attacked me ? They should have protected me, stop the performance, but instead they went on as if nothing had happened. I mean they even murdered John Lennon."
---- as reported today (December 12) by Reuters