Following performances at the Arena di Verona headlined by Plácido Domingo, the members of orchestra refused to stand during the final ovations in protest of the quality of the showcases.

Per several reports, the performances, which celebrated the music of Verdi across several scenes from his operas, received a very negative response from audience members. During the opening performance, the tenor-turned-baritone reportedly did not sing the final scene from the “Macbeth” portion of the program and was replaced Roman Burdenko. The Corriere della Sera called the performance a “flop.”

Moreover, the Sindacato Lavoratori della Comunicazione, SLC, issued a letter stating that “the truth is that the outcome of the performances, given the embarrassing rehearsals, were predictably and were called out by the members of the chorus, members of the orchestra, and stage workers who immediately understood that Domingo was not up to his professional standard.”

The note continues, adding that the two performances were “terrible” and that “only the professionalism of the artists and technical works of the Fondazione Arena saved this performance from becoming a giant fiasco.” The notice adds that in protest, the musicians refused to stand for Domingo who invited them to stand after conducting them in an excerpt from “Turandot.”

“The performance on August 26 was one of the most humiliating that this artistic sector has experienced,” the letter continues.

The letter concludes with a call to action asking the artistic directors of the Arena di Verona to rethink the Gala Domingo 2023.