Menotti Flayed

In Milan last week, Composer Gian-Carlo Menotti was feeling "hopeful--and worried." And not without reason.

He was back in his native Italy with hopes of a hero's welcome after the big success of his operas on Broadway (TIME, May 1). For the first Italian production of The Consul, La Scala was giving him everything he wanted: a hand-picked cast (including Contralto Marie Powers and Tenor Andrew McKinley from Broad way's Consul), new sets, plenty of rehearsals and free rein with the staging. But instead of garlands, he sniffed garlic. For one thing, some Italians resented the fact that he won his fame in the U.S.

Another possible portent was the fate of the white doves that Tenor McKinley, as the magician, was supposed to release in the second act. When the doves were delivered to McKinley's apartment, the cook baked them for dinner. And there were a lot of other things cooking that Menotti did not learn about till the curtain went up. u

Giulio Confalonieri, critic of Il Tempo, came armed with a shrill whistle. He also brought along seven friends, similarly equipped. The curtain was barely up when they cut loose. From there on, through three acts, it was bedlam.

While Composer Menotti sweated it out in the wings, and his singers sang themselves hoarse onstage, the battle raged, bravos against boos.

Screamed one woman: "Down with Americans! Long live Italy! This is a dirty mess!"

A La Scala conductor in the audience stood up and took Menotti's side. "Cretini! Stupidi! Ignoranti!" he exploded. "You haven't even read the libretto!" Possibly some of the Commies in the audience knew all about the libretto--The Consul is bitterly antitotalitarian. Even after it was over, and cast and composer took their curtain calls, the battle raged on, with fists flying, outside.

Next morning the critics took their whacks in print. The Communist Unit`a naturally found the opera "false in conception." Carriere della Sera took a more objective look: "Menotti's music is too old-fashioned...and cannot represent the ethical problems which Menotti attempts..."

Wailed Menotti : "I expected it. All the press is against me. My own country is always against me."

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