The one good thing Benito Mussolini did in his wretched criminal obscene life, he came up with a pretty good zinger to define, forever, the character of Italian politics: "It is not impossible to govern the Italians: it is useless".
It's difficult not to think of that quote when one considers the latest ridiculous piece of news to come out of la Scala: the unions are so split, at this point, between the members of the unions who have approved the bonus package for the new contract offered by GM Stephane Lissner, who are a majority, and the members of the rogue union -- made up mostly by orchestra players and a few chorus singers -- who has decided to go on with the strikes (the prima of this next December 7, Daniele Gatti's Don Carlo, is still in danger).
The latest piece of news to come out of la Scala is this: since most Scala workers -- technicians, grips, makeup, hairdressers, etc -- blame that little rogue union, FIALS, for stalling the progress of their contract, and since FIALS is made up of orchestra and chorus, this is what happened. Tomorrow night, Monday, it's the opening of the season of the Filarmonica della Scala. The Filarmonica, basically, is the Scala orchestra players acting as free agents, in a sort of cooperative, and playing at la Scala under different guest conductors for the symphonic season. In this cases, the players basically rent the theater, and get paid extra -- the Filarmonica concerts are not part of their regular Scala paycheck. To put it bluntly, if I'm a player and I belong to FIALS, I vote to sink three Scala opera shows with a strike, I sink them, then I make my extra check by playing as a free agent for Filarmonica in the same hall where I didn't play the night before because as a salaried player I voted a strike for the opera. This way, obviously, I make my extra money and the rest of the Scala workers get shafted.
Still with me? OK
What happened is that Scala workers -- not the orchestra -- have decided not to work tomorrow night at la Scala -- basically locking the orchestra out of the theater and sinking their Filarmonica season debut. To pay them back for the FIALS union refusal to sign the contract that the rest of Scala workers -- a majority -- has already signed.
No Barenboim, no Radu Lupu concert (Bartok and Berlioz in the program).
Cue cash-strapped Conservatorio, the wonderful school of music here in Milan: their President has offered Filarmonica (and Barenboim & Lupu) their concert hall for tomorrow night's concert, thus saving the night.
Only problem, the Conservatorio hall is much smaller than la Scala. Hence, most of the Galleria I ticket holders and all of the Galleria II (where the infamous Loggione is) ticket holders will get a refund and won't be able to catch the concert.
In a way, it makes us laugh (mainly, because we wouldn't have gone anyway). "Not impossible, useless", right?