While Jonas Kaufmann is singing during the concert performance of Cavalleria Rusticana to open the season at Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Teatro alla Scala in Milan sends out a press release. For its season-opening on Monday, 7 December, Kaufmann was down to sing ‘Nessun dorma’ during a starry opera and ballet gala. Both events in Naples and Milan, are without an audience but streamed via Facebook (Naples) and on almost all the other platforms (Milan).

La Scala’s press release says that Kaufmann has said, “with great regret”, that he cannot participate in the gala because he is indisposed.

For a theatre to send out a communication at 9pm, when La Scala’s event will be streamed (in most of Europe) free of charge, and no one has booked tickets, planes and hotels to come to Milan to see him, suggests that the theatre is somewhat irritated to have lost one of the biggest names from the evening to open its season.

Piotr Beczała, who is already participating in the gala in Milan with ‘La fleur que tu m’avais jetée’ from Carmen, will substitute for Kaufmann and also sing the aria from Turandot.