A mutiny in the temple of opera.
None other than against the 'king' of opera:
Placido Domingo
.
It happens at the Verona Arena where the orchestral players and the choir, entrusting the embarrassing task to the Slc-Cgil, challenged the last performances of the great singer in the Scaligero amphitheater, defining him "
no longer up
to his fame and the task entrusted to him. ".
This, in particular, due to the difficult direction from the Turandot podium, on August 26, when at the end of the opera the orchestra did not even stand up to collect the applause.
Domingo's return to the Arena was not easy right from the start, with the protests of feminist associations, led by "Non una di less", who contested his engagement by the Arena Foundation, despite the
allegations of sexual harassment
that they had already led the Madrid artist to leave the direction of the Los Angeles Opera, "after apologizing to the victims, only to retract everything".
But here the #meetoo has nothing to do with it
.
The hugely popular tenor (and baritone) ended up on the prosecution due to the quality of his performances as a singer and conductor.
The orchestral syndicate first took it out on the Arena Foundation, "for the disappointing premieres - he writes - of Carmen, Aida and Traviata".
"But on 25 and 26 August - he adds - we witnessed the total debacle of the two evenings dedicated to Placido Domingo, the 'Verdi Opera Night' and the Turandot conducted by the same artist".
"Given the embarrassing rehearsals - continues the union - this had been foreseen and denounced by the artists of the choir, orchestra professors and stage technicians, who had understood that Domingo was not at the
On the evening of the Gala Verdi had aroused discontent among the public by Domingo's sudden forfeit, just before the scene of Macbeth's banquet, replaced by Roman Burdenko due to a sudden drop in his voice.
The CGIL insists: "
the result of the two evenings was very bad
and only the professionalism of the Arena workers allowed the event not to turn into a gigantic failure".
"In the Turandot (an impervious work for any director, especially if the necessary tests are not carried out) - the CGIL rebuilds - all the workers felt abandoned to themselves, risking several times to go all upside down. at the end of the opera there was a protest from the orchestra who, aware of the mediocrity of the show just finished, refused to stand up at the usual sign of the conductor who invited them to take the applause ".
A bitter glass to the bottom: "many orchestra professors and choir artists have no doubts: that of the 26th was one of the most humiliating evenings for the whole artistic sector".
Attacks which, for the moment, have not received a response from the Arena Foundation.
