After Alagna’s free sidewalk performance in Piazza della Scala last night, he was still defending the claim that the whole affair was a conspiracy, because Zeffirelli and Lissner are his BFF&Es.
In today’s Il Giorno newspaper (see image on left), Alagna made the statement that Frengo has invited him today, “very loving words”, to visit him in his fabulous villa in Rome. He also said that Lissner privately told him, “You sang like a God. But I am powerless”.
It’s strange that Zeffirelli, who was one of the first colleagues to slam Alagna on Monday morning, has now invited the tenor to his villa.
rome is pretty fun, guys. i fly there on the weekends sometime. p.s. my best friend frengo lives there.
vvvv UPDATE UPDATE vvvv
Here I made the translation of the Il Giorno article, which is rather illuminating:
La Polemica alla Scala (The Schism at La Scala)
Alagna ritorna a teatro...Ma solo col videofonino (Alagna returns to the theater, but only with a mobile phone)
“After the singing show on the street, he starts speaking. But rapidly, as it is impossible to stop him.”
“He points his cellphone camera towards the theater and speaks: ‘Do you see what him doing? I am photographing La Scala. A last souvenir/memory. I don’t know when I’ll see her again.’”
“He continues, speaking about his hypoglycemia (calo glicemico): ‘My doctor was with me. He took a sample of my blood, and I was hypoglycemic; I had felt sick, and I had exited the stage for that reason. But nobody cared. Nobody from the theater came to my dressing room to ask me how I was feeling!’”
“Why this doctor is only mentioned now?”
“’The doctor was there. I also have a doctor’s note! I love the audience, and I never disrespect the audience. When I came to La Scala for La Bohème, my first wife had just died a mere two days before. I cried, but I still came here. And for my second La Traviata, I jumped through hoops.’”
“You say that your 'divorce/separation' from La Scala was premeditated, but didn’t you also say, right after la prima, 'If they boo me, I will leave?’”
“’What I said was, “If the audience does not want me, I will leave.” It’s different. I have a Sicilian temper, and I’m proud of that. I am a proud man.’”
“This will cost you...”
“’No. I am the one who is suing La Scala. Because I feel there is something strange going on here. Zeffirelli invited me tomorrow [ed: la piccola intervista was taken last night, so Alagna is referring to today] in Rome with very loving words. Lissner told me, “You sang like a god, but I am powerless”. Do you understand? Who is in charge here?”
“What about the Aida DVD?”
“’They only need what they filmed during general rehearsals and la prima. But Decca already told me, that without me, there is no DVD. They would not dare sell it.’”
“You accepted the offer to sing at Sanremo, but it will happen the same day of your la prima in Vienna Manon Lescaut [sic: here the Il Giorno journalist makes a mistake: she writes Manon Lescaut, but it’s really Massenet's Manon], and how will you manage to do that?’”
“’We shall see: Everything is possible, if one wants…or I can go to Sanremo as a special guest.’”