Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Booooooooo!
While most of the world grapples with the war in Iraq, civil rights, gay marriage, genocide and Africa, and international trading rules, another debate rages in the operatic world: booing.
In the span of one week, Placido Domingo was booed for his conducting of La Boheme at the Metropolitan Opera and – more dramatically – Alagna at La Scala in Milan for his performance as Radames in “Aida”. In the latter, Alagno was promptly booed by the upper balconies after singing his first aria, Celeste Aida. Perhaps in a bad mood, having a bad day, he defiantly waved to the audience before walking off-stage mid-performance.
Take a moment to let that sink in. On one occasion, an operatic icon was booed at the Met, and at La Scala, one of the world’s top tenors walks off stage after only about 20 minutes since curtain. Certainly, Domingo fucked up the conducting – I was there – during a high-profile performance (Netrebko and Villazon during a one-performance-only, dream-team cast, broadcast internationally). And in Milan, La Scala’s new production of Aida was certainly the stuff of Italian pomp and circumstance, yet the tenor sang a weak first aria (one of the most difficult in all opera).
In opera booing is a tradition. Even the great Maria Callas was booed during her early years at La Scala. She recalls vegetables being thrown on the stage during a curtain call: Gracefully, she simply picked up the radishes by their greens, dangled them in front of the audience, then took an elegant bow before an otherwise adoring public. The audience went crazy.
Many in the opera world regard booing as an embodiment of their high standards: It’s a tough crowd at the Met and La Scala. . . you’d better have your shit together. But this indignant display of displeasure was the practice of groundlings centuries ago, and something I’d hoped we’ve since evolved from: Better to save this stuff for the judges of American Idol then in temples of high art. Few people in the world can sing even fathom singing Celeste Aida in the shower, let alone in front of thousands of people at the birthplace of Western theatre. But yet, even Callas knew how to gracefully boo back.
In the span of one week, Placido Domingo was booed for his conducting of La Boheme at the Metropolitan Opera and – more dramatically – Alagna at La Scala in Milan for his performance as Radames in “Aida”. In the latter, Alagno was promptly booed by the upper balconies after singing his first aria, Celeste Aida. Perhaps in a bad mood, having a bad day, he defiantly waved to the audience before walking off-stage mid-performance.
Take a moment to let that sink in. On one occasion, an operatic icon was booed at the Met, and at La Scala, one of the world’s top tenors walks off stage after only about 20 minutes since curtain. Certainly, Domingo fucked up the conducting – I was there – during a high-profile performance (Netrebko and Villazon during a one-performance-only, dream-team cast, broadcast internationally). And in Milan, La Scala’s new production of Aida was certainly the stuff of Italian pomp and circumstance, yet the tenor sang a weak first aria (one of the most difficult in all opera).
In opera booing is a tradition. Even the great Maria Callas was booed during her early years at La Scala. She recalls vegetables being thrown on the stage during a curtain call: Gracefully, she simply picked up the radishes by their greens, dangled them in front of the audience, then took an elegant bow before an otherwise adoring public. The audience went crazy.
Many in the opera world regard booing as an embodiment of their high standards: It’s a tough crowd at the Met and La Scala. . . you’d better have your shit together. But this indignant display of displeasure was the practice of groundlings centuries ago, and something I’d hoped we’ve since evolved from: Better to save this stuff for the judges of American Idol then in temples of high art. Few people in the world can sing even fathom singing Celeste Aida in the shower, let alone in front of thousands of people at the birthplace of Western theatre. But yet, even Callas knew how to gracefully boo back.
# posted by otas : 8:15 PM
