Did anyone else catch the story about Robert Alagna walking off stage at La Scala after his first aria in "Aida"? Ten minutes, that's all it took before the traditional booing got to him. What does this say about a) La Scala audiences and b) Robert Alagna? And do you think he will reappear tomorrow (Tuesday) night for his next scheduled performance or not?

This is the first I've heard of it. Tried googling but no info forthcoming, so I don't know if he was in poor form or the La Scala crowd just boorish. I always heard the Torino audiences were the worst for that sort of thing.

I see the BBC has picked up the story now. Amazing.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6169177.stm

Very interesting. Thanks for the link. I myself have lost patience with overly enthused audiences who award the most mediocre--or worse--performances with waves of standing ovations and bravos.

The peasants are revolting! Placido Domingo was booed last Tuesday at the Met. He was the conductor though:
Domingo? No go !

La Scala must be like the Glasgow Empire (a notoriously rowdy music hall theatre) some nights (In Glasgow there was a safety net over the orchestra pit to protect the players from badly aimed missiles )

They even booed Pavarotti when he cracked on a note once.

I too find long ovations tiresome when they are simply the audience getting their money's worth. It's as though they feel obliged to respond that way because they've paid so much and if they've paid all that then it must be a great performance, mustn't it ? For genuine approval the Proms are the place. Enthusiasm is tempered by knowing reserve when the performance does not meet the prommers' approval.

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I too find long ovations tiresome when they are simply the audience getting their money's worth.

Or someone's reputation far exceeds the performance. I went to hear Callas sing in Los Angeles during her farewell tour decades ago. She was...putrid. Her vibrato sounded like an ambulance siren. Yet all the blue-haired old ladies went nuts.

Some further examples of quick exits

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/touchy_touchy.html

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Originally posted by FredPuli:
For genuine approval the Proms are the place. Enthusiasm is tempered by knowing reserve when the performance does not meet the prommers' approval.

Booing at the opera what are we coming to!
The Mexican wave, perhaps, as a show of approval!

But I have to agree with you Fred, for unbridled enthusiasm , the last night of the proms is the place to be.

I also enjoyed the mid-summer concert held outside at Leeds Castle in Kent.. Do they still have this?

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Originally posted by dance girl:

I also enjoyed the mid-summer concert held outside at Leeds Castle in Kent.. Do they still have this?

I am sure they do. Concerts outdoors have become far more numerous in recent years. At one time there was Kenwood and Leeds Castle and that was it. Now many grand houses e.g Audley End, have such events.

Why, the BBC has an alternative Last Night of the Proms called Proms in the Park ! It's in Hyde Park and is a concert mostly of popular classical music, played by one of the BBC orchestras, and an opera singer or two etc.It has Sir Terry Wogan, he of the Irish wit and banter, as compere. People bring picnics and balloons, silly placards etc to it. At the end there is a live TV link with the Albert Hall so the very end of the Last Night is celebrated in both places .

And this is what happened next ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6182501.stm

And if that was not enough: his wife, a diva employed in London, announced that she would not sing in the next production planned there. However, in her case there was some story that she was jumping before she was pushed.

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Originally posted by FredPuli:
his wife, a diva employed in London

"a diva employed in London " !
Surely you don't mean the wonderful Angela Gheorghiu ? A little deference please