- Il Trovatore - (Giuseppe Verdi)
Napoli, Teatro San Carlo, regìa di Vittorio Vviani; scene di Cesare Mario Cristini
- Act II -
Il conte di Luna - Gian Giacomo Guelfi
Leonora - Mirella Parutto
Azucena - Fedora Barbieri
Manrico - FRANCO CORELLI
Ferrando - Giuseppe Modesti
Conductor - Gabriele Santini
February 13.1960
René Seghers " FRANCO CORELLI -- Prince of Tenors
February 13, 1960: Fighting the Audience
Among those eternally recycled stories that lend spice to a singer's reputation, this particular Trovatore stands out in Corelli's career. To begin with, opening night was on the 13th. The artists were nervous because the difficult Neapolitan audience had vivid memories of Trovatore with the tenors Beniamino Gigli, Giacomo Lauri-volpi, and Gino Penno, and such sopranos as Gina Cigna and Maria Callas. To make matters worse, the audience wasn't focused and the smatterings of applause didn't come at the right times, which prompted irritated spectators to make repeated calls for silence. The result was a certain tension in the air, in the midst of which Corelli prepared for his usual Neapolitan battle with the strong fan base of the local favourite, Mario Del Monaco. His fans were likely to categorically boo Corelli during each and every performance regardless of how he sang.
During the second act, a youthful fan of the Azucena of the evening, seated in the dress circle, took an offensive attitude toward Manrico. From his gestures it was clear that as far as he was concerned Verdi might as well have cut the tenor's part from this scene altogether, including the "Mal regendo" and his line in the concluding duet., "Perigliarti ancor", even though it was a thrilling performance that won over the rest of the audience. Barbieri and Corelli were taking their curtain calls together, when a loud baritone voice suddenly shouted:" Barbieri alone! Alone!" Corelli, disturbed, looked up but decided to let it go, until the same voice rang out with a disgusted "Va via! Get out!" It was a phrase usually reserved for dogs. The enraged Corelli leapt off the stage and started running toward the corridor that gave passage to the auditorium, trying to get to the wretched spectator. Pasquale Di Costanzo, a Naples police officer, was in the audience and jumped from his seat to prevent Manrico from doing something that would require an official response. The insulted tenor meanwhile forced his way through the crowed backstage corridors, shield in hand, his sword swinging violently from his hip. Mario Falconi, a reporter for Tempo, which ran the only firsthand account of the incident, remembers that Corelli's eyes shot fire, and he looked like the wrath of God. Bystanders were stunned; where was he going? Word of a duel spread, though no one could tell where or with whom. So naturally, they had to find out.
By the time Corelli reached the box at dress-circle level, he was followed by a crowd of gypsies, monks, firemen, men in tails, and women in evening gowns, all led by the police officer. Corelli didn't wait for the curious procession that ran after him. With his shoulder he forced open the door of the box and charged in. Seconds later a medical student, Mario Improta, was involuntarily thrust into the role of Count di Luna. Feeling an angry hand on his shoulder, he didn't even have time to react before Franco's hand shot to his sword, at which point Di Costanzo seized him, assisted by some of the theatre personnel. "Corelli, please don't do this... you will go to the jail!" they shouted in panic. Overpowered, Corelli had to let go, but his anger was far from quenched. Infuriated, he shouted at Improta: " I'll wait for you outside!".
In northern European settings, such and incident might end a performance then and there, but Italian opera in Italy, especially in Naples, is intended to generate heightened emotions. And so, after a fifty-minute break, the performance continued, with the police officer's seat empty; Di Costanzo had posted himself in the wings to prevent any repeated mingling of opera and reality.
The brawlers were still at daggers drawn when the curtain came down. Improta was ready to take up the gauntlet and meet Manrico outside.[...]
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