Culture: The audience at La Scala

There's an argument to suggest that all audiences at all cultural events should behave in a similar fashion to this:

The booing in Milan came first from the loggionisti, those in high, cheap seats who know their opera better than the beautiful people who either pay much more or nothing in the stalls and boxes.

They are the people who make La Scala the operatic equivalent to the Coliseum in times of their ancient neighbours to the south. A good gladiator will be lauded to the lavish ceiling, a bad one will be condemned without mercy. These aficionados are often alone, sitting pensively; they tend to stay in their seats during intervals, maybe flicking through the pages of La Gazzetta dello Sport, one of Italy's three football dailies. And their seasoned, expert disapproval of Alagna's rendering of opera's equivalent of an Abba hit was too much for the tenor's ego. As he left the stage, he shook his fist towards the audience.

Taken from Ed Vulliamy's profile of Angela Gheorgiu and Roberto Alagna in The Observer, 17 December 2006.

Merry Christmas, everyone.