Your correspondent is back in town just in time to report that Roberto Alagna walked out of tonight’s performance of Aida at La Scala when his rendition of “Celeste Aida” was greeted by “qualche fischio” among the polite applause. The Corriere della Sera reports that Antonello Palombi was rushed onto the stage in “black jeans and t-shirt” to complete the act, but not before the audience cried, “vergogna, vergogna!” and “questa è la Scala!”

According to Opera Chic, Alagna has retreated to his Milan hotel suite pursued by paparazzi. The tenor has been complaining of poor health for over a week; the first performance of this new production of Verdi’s opera was on December 7.