How to silence the gods? An operatic masterpiece by Verdi

The general manager of La Scala has said he is confident that a rarely seen operatic masterpiece by Verdi can silence the hecklers he has sought to banish, as the world’s most famous opera house readies for its celebrated gala, the first night of the season.

Before taking the reins at the Milan theatre last year, Alexander Pereira did not hold back in his disdain for the so-called loggionisti, whose traditionalist scruples and booing have seen a string of performers vow to never return.

“I have at my [disposal] the best [singers] but many do not want to perform on the stage at La Scala because they are intimidated, if not frightened to death,” he lamented. “We can no longer allow this.”

Having completed his first – successful – season at La Scala, Pereira has said he will not be put off by the merciless traditionalists who often make their voices heard from the gods on the first night of big productions, such as Monday night’s upcoming performance of Verdi’s Joan of Arc (Giovanna d’Arco).

“You are always concerned that it might happen, but the concern doesn’t hold you back from doing what you think is right,” he told the Guardian. “I think this is an interesting production and I think it is an important contribution by La Scala to a major work by Verdi which is practically never done.”

Joan of Arc premiered at La Scala in 1845 and has not been seen on its stage for 150 years; the new production is part of a broader effort to bring important works back to the theatre.

Hecklers aside, Pereira has other things to worry about, including a baritone who may not be able to perform because of illness. There is also the matter of La Scala’s technicians, who went on strike last month and caused a ballet opening night to be cancelled. The walkout was put down to staff shortages but technicians have since signed a deal to guarantee the opera will go ahead.

Despite the industrial action, Pereira denied that La Scala was suffering from the financial downturn, which has seen significant cuts to Italian state funding of the arts.

“The financing model of La Scala – of public money, sponsorship and box office – in principle is not a bad model,” Pereira said. “In the future the theatre that can get enough sponsorship will easily survive, more than the ones that are totally depending on the state, because public money has become more difficult [to secure].”

The air of austerity continues to linger outside the theatre, however, where protesters gather each 7 December to berate the wealthy and put their own cause in the spotlight.

This year the focus has shifted from the square to the safety of those within the theatre, after the US government named La Scala as a potential target for a terrorist attack last month. The warning has prompted La Scala to bring in police with metal detectors for the first time, while increasing to more than 1,000 the number of officers on the beat for the gala night.

Paolo Besana, the theatre’s spokesman, said that in spite of the threat a positive atmosphere prevailed before the opera. “I’d say we’re calm enough, so are the public … we think that in reality La Scala is very safe. There isn’t an atmosphere of fear.”

While the theatre has overcome its staffing problems and increased security, it still has one more legal dispute to watch. The authorities in Milan have opened an investigation into asbestos deaths allegedly linked to the theatre, believed to have occurred before La Scala underwent a major renovation in 2002-04. Besana said the theatre continued to carry out checks but insisted it had been completely cleaned up.