Following the high-profile cancelation of “Tosca” at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Roberto Alagna is finally opening up.

The tenor, who was set to take the role of Cavaradossi alongside his wife and frequent collaborator Aleksandra Kurzak at the Barcelona theater in January 2023, spoke to Conessi all’Opera and said, that the two of them had signed contracts for the Liceu’s old production and learned about the change during the season’s announcement.

The couple then saw a video of the production and decided to cancel. According to the interview, Alagna said that the Liceu suggested that director Rafael Villalobos could change some of the staging and even offered them the old production.

However, according to the tenor, the production would have to be completely changed and noted that the director had a contract with the company and had the right to work. Alagna said they did not want to create any type of animosity.

The new production set to be produced at the Liceu is inspired by Pasolini’s controversial masterpiece “Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma,” which Alagna said he was unable to watch through to the end; he even admitted to throwing in the film in the garbage. The production premiered in 2021 at La Monnaie and featured obscenity and references to the film on many occasions.

“Tosca” opens on Jan. 4, 2023.