The Alagna walkout

One of the hottest classical music stories in recent memory has been Roberto Alagna's exit from Aida at La Scala. There have been so many stories on the affair in the last few days, it's been difficult to keep track of all the stories appearing both in the mainstream press and blogosphere. Nevertheless, here's what all the fuss is about, from footage of a Decca DVD-in-progress being filmed that night:

Link to the video on la Reppublica

A recent addition to the classical music blogosphere, Opera Chic seems to be in the thick of it and has been one of the most interesting reads on the developing story. Here's her take on Palombi's quick entrance following the hasty exit of Mr. Alagna:

It’s now an open secret that Palombi wasn’t even supposed to be Alagna’s replacement for Sunday night! He was actually number three for the night, and hence, was not costumed!

When Palombi heard the booing on Sunday night, and figured that it was going to make Alagna go mental, he raced to the backstage area. It was from behind the wings that he out-ran the official replacement for the night, who was *already* in full costume, tenor Walter Fraccaro.

Indeed, one of the most fascinating things about the video is the speed and ease with which Piombi enters and continues the scene, and the fact that Raffaella Brustia Ildiko Komlosi kept on singing in brave and unflappable fashion. The show must go on...and it did.