Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, badly hit by cuts in government funding to the arts, has cancelled Verdi's Macbeth (the original 1847 version, conductor Nicola Luisotti, director Roberto Andò) that was due to open on June 4, and also canceled Britten's Billy Budd (conductor Bruno Bartoletti, director Peter Mussbach) that was supposed to open on June 23.