It looked like the first night of La Scala’s production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Joan of Arc had gone off without a hitch, despite fears that the famous Milanese opera house could be the target of a terror attack.
But days after the curtains fell on the opera season opener, a behind-the-scenes audio recording has revealed an ugly spat between the Belgian director, Moshe Leiser, and the Italian opera conductor, Riccardo Chailly.
“I’m here, congratulations maestro, really congratulations,” Leiser can be heard saying in English. After a pause, he then screams “asshole”. To add an Italian insult to injury, he is then heard muttering the words “stronzo di merda” (piece of shit).
The recording was captured by Rai Radio 3 and published on La Repubblica’s website.
“You know, it happens a lot of times that conductors and directors have different points of view and this time unfortunately there was a microphone,” said Paolo Besana, a spokesman for La Scala. “It’s a pity because it was a huge success for both the musical part and staging.”
Although the origin of the spat is not clear, La Repubblica put forward a a couple of theories. First, that Leiser’s outburst came after Chailly apparently ignored his initial compliment. Second, that it was the result of mounting tensions between the two. According to unnamed sources, La Repubblica said the pair had disagreed about the vision of the work, and Chailly had wanted some last-minute changes.
Leiser directed the production with his long-time creative partner Patrice Caurier. The pair have been directing together for 30 years and, according to a 2010 interview, have never worked or lived apart. Leiser has been described as “fiery and voluble” while Caurier is “careful and reserved”.
It was not the first time La Scala’s opening night – one of the most glamorous annual occasions in Italy – has created real-life drama.
Traditionalist opera lovers attending the 2013 gala season opener in Milan, which featured Verdi’s La Traviata, were so brutal in their booing of the Polish tenor who played the lovestruck Alfredo that the singer swore he would not perform again in Italy once the production was over.
Piotr Beczala then took a swipe at the Russian director, Dmitri Tcherniakov, suggesting he had conformed to Tcherniakov’s vision of his character even though he did not agree with it.
The last performance of Joan of Arc at La Scala will be held on 2 January 2016.