Earlier tonight in Rome, Opera Chic can report, the unions at Opera di Roma have decided to revoke the strikes that threatened to cancel the next four shows of Gluck's Iphigénie En Aulide conducted by Riccardo Muti. The strikes had been called as a reaction to the government's decision to start an audit that could -- in less than two weeks -- drive the Roman opera house into receivership.
The unions have learned today that the audit will be called off, leaving the opera company free of the fear of being driven into receivership (with mandatory cuts in budget and workforce), and, for now, still under control of the outgoing General Manager, Francesco Ernani. Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno indicated last month his desire to replace Mr. Ernani with a manager of his own choosing (Alemanno later indicated current Teatro Lirico di Cagliari GM Maurizio Pietrantonio as a candidate of his liking).
Last week Riccardo Muti has been asked by Mayor Alemanno to take over the company as Music Director; the Italian maestro, who left la Scala in 2005 after a 19-year reign as MD, has asked for time to consider the offer (Opera Chic anticipated that his favorite option would be a less demanding title such as "Principal Conductor" instead of "Music Director" (Muti will take the helm of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the fall of 2010).