MORE BREAKING ALAGNA NEWS: When the s**t goes down, you'd better be ready.

OMG OPERACHIC EXCLUSIVE OMG PLEASE CREDIT OPERA CHIC

ALAGNA THREATENS TO COUNTERSUE TEATRO ALLA SCALA, CITING IT AS A, “HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT”; ALSO ALLEGES THERE WAS A CONSPIRACY PLACED AGAINST HIM.

I’m back from a beautiful and thrilling night at Teatro alla Scala’s Temirkanov Benefit (a.k.a. Red Dawn at Dusk), which I’ll review tomorrow for all you Tchaikovsky/Temirkanov fans, including tales of Swan Lake, batonless-conducting, and free Salvatore Ferragamo swag.

So, let's get to the good stuff now, shall we? Okay. Game. Set. Match: Although I’ve only been in Milan for a bit, I’ve already met some very trusted and high-placed sources. Tonight, before the show, in a dark corner of the theater’s secret sub-terrain concourse (doesn’t everyone know that there’s a secret tunnel running between Teatro alla Scala and Il Duomo? Yes, yes…it was built by Toscanini to escape jealous sopranos’ husbands), I’ve been informed that Alagna has "jumped the shark", and here is why:

Alagna’s temper tantrum the other night has been followed by Teatro alla Scala’s General Manager Stéphane Lissner’s decision to simply fire Alagna from the remaining run of Aida. Word of the dismissal got back to Alagna, who is now scared absolutely s**tless that no one is playing along with his diva-tantrum.

Teatro alla Scala have “washed their hands” of Alagna, and told him now legally, he will have to deal with an extremely pissed-off Decca alone (who had already bought the entire Aida/LaScala/Zeffirelli/Alagna/Urmana/Chailly package). Decca threatens to sue Alagna, and so does Teatro alla Scala.

Alagna has fired-back, furiously back-pedaling, and is telling everyone that he intended always to return to the stage for this upcoming Thursday, December 14, 2006 performance in Aida as Radames, regardless of his storming-off-the-stage drama. The fact that Teatro alla Scala has already substituted every single upcoming performance (there are four more) with alternate tenors has apparently not resonated with Alagna.

So there is currently a huge show-down between Alagna and the Teatro alla Scala board. Alagna has stated clearly that he will show up this Thursday afternoon at the theater to take his part as Radames in the Aida that is scheduled for December 14, 2006. If management won’t allow him to sing (although Lissner has already made public his decision to fire Alagna) he will then counter-sue the theatre.

There are a few more delicious points to be gleaned:

• Alagna is arguing he shouldn’t be held accountable for leaving the stage after singing the aria, “Celeste Aida”. The reasoning? Alagna told the theater’s management that he is willing to go forward, and sue Teatro alla Scala for reasons of them promoting “a hostile work environment”. To make his case credible, he is attacking Chailly for not stopping his conducting after “Celeste Aida” to check on the singer’s health after he stormed-off the stage. He is upset at Chailly for not coming to check on him, and is blaming the conductor of negligence.

• Alagna spoke to the Teatro alla Scala management, and alleged that he is convinced that he is the victim of a huge conspiracy against him…a conspiracy to drive him off the stage during this particular run of Verdi’s Aida. Alagna claims to have received an anonymous phone call, and the anonymous person warned Alagna that he would be getting booed at Sunday night's performance. He wasn’t ready to believe it, and it was only after he saw his replacement, tenor Antonello Palombi, warming-up his voice on Sunday night that he got suspicious. Therefore, Alanga is convinced that Palombi is in on the plot, and has something to do with the hecklers who booed him on Sunday night. He goes on to attack ballet-dancer Roberto Bolle, saying that Bolle had such an insignificant role in the opera, but received the most applause.

• Curious also is that Alagna has blamed everyone for his disastrous run, except for Zeffirelli, most likely because Zeffirelli doesn’t put up with anyone’s s**t. In fact, Zeffirelli has already gone on record in a few newspapers, and has picked-apart the smattering of music-critics who dared pan his new Aida…and Zeffirelli clearly has no problem with naming names.

So there it is! Is there something in the water in Milan? Has Alagna completely lost his mind? There are also a few other yummy issues brewing...but Opera Chic has to wait to report until further confirmation the next few hours. I for one cannot wait until Thursday night's performance. I WANT FISTICUFFS!

Comments

[NYSailorScout]

Delicious. Absolutely delicious. Flat out, this is the biggest scandal to hit the opera world in a decade. Thank Heavens! We needed some press. Most people in America don't even know what opera is, so this will give them a tabloid introduction.

I savor every drop of it! Alagna (and his wife) have very average voices, so I am glad that somebody said SOMETHING. Needing a microphone to sing.....It was a big pink elephant in the middle of the living room and everybody wanted to pretend that they didn't see it.

[Crew Mantle]

Good Lord....

Thank GOD your here!!! You were the FIRST Google listing regarding these contretemps in English. I just can't thank you enough for the breaking news direct from inside Milan.

Ahh such goings on from little Mr. Nobody Tenor... not surprising to those who know. To insult the Milanese public and to even think he can walk those boards again.... His no account ladder climbing spouse will be cancelling her run of Traviata momentarily.

Waiting breathlessly for your next report, oh great and glorious goddess of the inside skinny!

[Opera Chic]

>Flat out, this is the biggest scandal to hit the opera world in a decade.

NYSailorScout, that is just sooooo kewl!

And you know, the whole \\\"average voices\\\" I find pretty true with \\\"WIFE of ALAGNA\\\". I saw her perform recital at La Scala this past Spring, and although the recital was loads of fun, she was quite sparkling, and worked absolutely great with the audience...well, at some points of the recital, her dress was more stunning than her voice! Its a whole package deal you get with those two...and not much more. But I\\\'ve found that thankfully, the two of them have greatly improved their voices throughout the years...now if only Alagna will stop making stupid decisions!!

[shule]

Ummm, average voices??? Covent Garden does not clear their schedule to broadcast nationally a Traviata starring a soprano with an AVERAGE voice! Not to mention her Traviata at the Met last year. Ms. Gheorghiu is known for her rare and celestial voice. I'll agree that Roberto's voice has lost some of the shimmer it once had (listen or watch the Lyon L'Elisir d'Amore), and I feel bad for him. He's one of my favorites and I wish him the best.
But average voices? I think not.

[Opera Chic]

Crew Mantle,

I am the one that should be thanking YOU! I am so thrilled that I am able to bring news to those who don\\\'t know enough Italian, and this website was set-up exactly for people just like you...people who want access to these sorts of events and news that are just too closed to non-italian speakers. It is the true advantage of living in a country as an english-speaker, where there are not many english-speakers doing what I do.

As for WIFE of ALAGNA, there is lots of gossip about her big decision to cancel or not...and what she feels is correct behavior for her husband, or correct actions for her career. I feel bad for the Alagna Family right now...this must be really stressing their marriage...

The word here is that Alagna has basically lost his mind. There isn\\\'t any anger, but we\\\'re just as incredulous as you guys! I mean, what the h*ll is going-on here?!

>>Waiting breathlessly for your next report, oh great and glorious goddess of the inside skinny!

Heh. That\\\'s awesome. You\\\'re awesome. I promise to make available everything I know ASAP! Stay close; This upcoming Thursday will be the big day, and we\\\'ll see whether or not Alagna shows-up at La Scala, although Lissner already told him to stay away...

[Opera Chic]

Hey shule,

You are totally entitled to your opinions, and that is truly what makes us opera-followers such a great bunch...we can debate and yell and have such diverse voices, and it’s always good to defend what you think.

But Covent Garden and WIFE of ALAGNA do not just choose to book an opera based on voice alone. I mean, you KNOW that Alagna was chosen for this role of Radames based on the fact that La Scala wanted a BIG NAME, a BRAND NAME for the marquee, right? It’s been known in the newspapers for ages that Alagna was picked to draw people into buying tickets. And you know that LOTS of Opera Houses around the world do the exact same thing. They are all here to make money off of us, the fans. That is their livelihood. WE are their livelihood.

I still stand by my assertion that the Alagnas have pretty average voices. In fact, I’m surprised that anyone disagrees. I thought it was just a well-known fact. Their appeal (which I totally admit, is HUGE) is their stage presence, their charm, their acting, and their charisma. Which is why I like them both. But their voices just do not hold-up to the divas and tenors that have created the paradigms throughout the epochs of opera.

Anyway, I appreciate your comment and I appreciate you defending the Alagnas. They’re going to need all the help they can get in the next few rough weeks!

[a.]

AH, am I late to the party?! Blame it on Paris time!

I LOVE that you're there to bring us all the juice. Thank you so much! While I love opera, I don't actually know the players involved so it's been really great getting to know the names. Usually I just go to a performance and afterwards I'm like "whoever sang that was good/bad/freaking brilliant" and that is the extent of it. :)

OMG. "free Salvatore Ferragamo swag" <-- AHH! *collapses in a fit of jealousy*

Oh btw, thanks for your comment on my blog but I think part of it was cut off? :(

[alex]

OMG, operachic, you are teh besteresto!

I mean, not only was it awesome to begin with, la donna in milano, but this coverage of the Alagna scandale is amAzing!

mille bacci per vuoi! (or should that be mille Bolle per vuoi? omg, that thong! my virgin eyes!)

[martin foley]

Ah well, it had to be at La Scala !!
Re the merits of Mr and Mrs :

I have never been a fan of Roberto, it's not remotely a wonderful voice in my view. It's OK (by the highest standards - I confess it is somewhat better than mine!!), but that's it.

However AG does have a wonderful voice by any standards. It is not a chandelier shaker, nor is she capable of great colouring or inflections. But it is a very, very beautiful voice, which carries perfectly adequately.

[grandissimo tenore]

Such bashing and disrespect to one of the GREATEST tenors around is just pathetic.

Besides, all this gossip spreading ("that Alagna was picked to draw people into buying tickets", etc), it is just a disgrace to the opera world.. it is ok for discussing Paris Hilton, but we usually expect higher standards when discussing opera. But then again, I usually expect people to know a bit about singing before talking about a singer, but it's not the case either.

Grow up, please.

[NYSailorScout]

But even Paris Hilton hasn't lost her mind! :o)

One of the GREATEST tenors around? That is 100% not true. I've heard operatic tenors in community choruses that are better than him, flat out.

And we don't need higher standards with gossip. Thank God for gossip or opera would disappear entirely! Where we DO need higher standards is with the singing. In THAT case, I will definitely welcome your higher standards (starting with Mr. Alagna.)

[Opera Chic]

adelynlee, what were you doing-up so late?! ON A SKOOL NITE, nonetheless?!

And don\\\'t worry about not knowing opera names...you have like 10 years advantage on even the youngest of us, and it\\\'s your spirit that counts...i mean, you go to the opera/ballet like 2x a week, so it\\\'s just a short matter of time before you have it going-on.

And the Salvatore Ferragamo gift-bag was a nice touch, seeing that the benefit charged like an additional 60% of the La Scala ticket price, which went towards the mental-illness foundation. So I guess it was a gesture of thanks...

Yah, I saw your blawg last night, and you had written an awesome review...and I had started commenting, but my ADD set-in, and I stopped writ
OH GOD LOOK A BRIGHT LITE!

[Opera Chic]

alex, omg ur t3h b3st4st too! I am currently trying to gather some hi-res pictures of Bolle with xtra-super-thongy goodness. The awesome thing about Bolle is his super-hawtness, and his super-openess about his gayness. Everyone m+f loves him.

tanti baci a te! :-* :-*

[Opera Chic]

>>Grow up, please.
>>Posted by: grandissimo tenore

grandissimo tenore: Thanks for you comments. But listen, as much as I respect your opinion, I just don't think you understand.

The "gossip spreading" that Alagna was picked for Aida to draw people into buying tickets for his fame/name alone *IS NOT GOSSIP*! It has been openly stated by Teatro alla Scala, and has been quoted in the papers.

Because at first, NO ONE here in Milan could fathom why Alagna was chosen in the first place to sing Radames, so the statements were made by the management, and we all understood well the motivations to sign Alagna.

We're all adults here (right? RIGHT?) and with that comes the responsibility to realize that Opera Houses are businesses, just like other companies. They make decisions based on $$$ and ticket-sales.

That was the problem from the beginning that Alagna himself acknowledged, upon realization that the plan was back-firing. He only began to realize like two weeks before la prima that he indeed, after all his practicing and preparations, was just not equipped as a singer for the role of Radames. Which is why he was cranky the week before la prima. GOD! DO I HAVE TO SPELL EVERYTHING OUT??!! ;p

Besides, you don't know who I am, or who I know...so you should probably just be thankful that someone like me exists on teh internets to take you from the mire to the fire. >.<

[NYSailorScout]

I was just listening to Opera Radio and I heard Maria Cebotari for the first time.......Wow! She was wonderful! What beauty. What power. What mystery. I'm gonna be great one day, with idols like her to guide me. :)

I wish to revise my previous statement: Angela Gheorghiu has now been downgraded to slightly below average opera singer. Roberto Alagna has now been downgraded to bar singer in the final stages of emphysema.

[grandissimo tenore]

"It has been openly stated by Teatro alla Scala, and has been quoted in the papers".
And of course, everything stated on the papers or through the media is absolutely true...

Besides, all your opinions based on Alagna "not being equiped to sing Radames", etc., are purely subjective. There is not even one real (well made) technical point in all your posts. You can state your opinions, your feelings and anything, but you must have in mind that they are nothing more than that: your (very) personal opinion, and thus, you could be a bit more respectful when writing about singers.

You should respect artists, specially if you clearly have no idea what you are talking about.

[Opera Chic]

NYSailorScout, you are my hero! roffle.

[Cherubino45]

C'mon everybody. What the heck was Alagna thinking even TRYING to sing a role as heavy as Radames, and in a major house! He's a perfectly OK lyric tenor, and there is certainly enough repertoire in his fach for a long and commendable career (Gedda and Kraus didn't have problems with the "limitations" of their voice size and heft. This venture was pure ego, and IMHO he got what he deserved.

And thanks, Operachic, for the dirt!

[Pasaelmocho]

Thanks for your comments.

I want more, more, more

[June]

che vergogna indeed!

I saw/heard the video clip, and I personally enjoyed Alagna's singing of the aria.
I think he should have stuck it out, since it was obviously just a few arseholios (your esteemed "loggionisti", feh!) who were determined to mess up Alagna's performance, while the rest of the audience seemed to be okay with it (from what I heard on the clip). But being booed right after singing must be rattling to even the most seasoned professional, and I sympathize with Alagna's reaction, although I think maybe he should have just flipped those cretins the bird, and carried on. He may not be the greatest tenor in the world, but he certainly didn't deserve such disrespect, in my opinion.

These "loggionisti" and claque characters are beneath contempt, as far as I'm concerned, and shame on La Scala for tolerating such rude behavior, in the name of "grand tradition".

I used to think La Scala was the highest one could aspire to, vocally speaking, but with the firing of Maestro Muti, the kitsch-stravaganza being staged by the old queen Zefferelli, and the continued tacit approval of self-appointed arbiters of taste like the loggionisti - well, che vergogna, indeed.

I realize it is a complicated situation, but I think it would behoove both Monsieur Alagna and La Scala to swallow their pride, deflate their respective/collective egos, and move on.

other than all that, thank you for reporting so diligently on l'affaire Alagna; you are so lucky to be in the thick of it!

ciao, a la prossima volta ...