Gerhard Griesel wrote:

> On 8 July we attended a performance of Aida at La Scala.  The Director
> was Franco Zeffirelli and the conductor Daniel Barenboim.  I also had
> the opportunity of hearing the audience boo a singer (Salvatore Licitra,
> Radames, admittedly, only three or four people did this), and Barenboim
> held up Licitra's hand like a boxer at the end to show support.

Does anyone know if this happens often at La Scala?  When Alagna,
an excellent singer, was booed some time ago and walked off the stage
it was international news.  I am wondering if the audience got what it
deserved and if La Scala has kept to its declaration that he would never
return.

> We then attended a performance of Carmen in the Roman Arena in Verona.

A magnificent place but enormous enough to have real bulls!  I heard
Verdi's Requiem there once and the singing was fine but hard to hear.

> The conductor was none other than Placido Domingo.  A few drops of rain
> started falling every now and then and then the orchestra members would
> promptly walk off while Placido was still waving at them.  This included
> five harpists!

You can't blame them for protecting their instruments.

> I must say this is the first Carmen I have seen where Carmen doesn't get
> her come-uppance...

Do you think she deserved to die?

> We then attended a performance of Mahler's symphony No. 2 at the
> Teatro la Fenice in Venice.  We had an excellent box seat just above
> the orchestra.  The conductor was Eliahu Inbal.  The performance was
> faultless.  There were twelve trumpets, twelve French horns, two harps
> and two sets of tympani.  The soloists were magnificent.

No problem making that audible!  A lot of brass even for Mahler.  Isn't
that quite a small house, too?  The only time I was in Venice the Fenice
was closed (I think after the fire there.)

Jim Tobin

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