The kids burst in on their scooters, were asked to leave, then scolded, and then came the arrival of first a mother and then a group of angry relatives to defend the teenagers. And then the police intervened to restore calm.
There were long moments of tension on Thursday evening at the Lazzaretto di Sant'Elia in Cagliari, where the Teatro Lirico orchestra and choir were rehearsing ahead of the three-day concert season that concludes on Sunday.
Culture extends beyond the walls of Via Sant'Alenixedda and into the heart of the working-class neighborhood. The program includes three "special evenings dedicated to Handel's celebrated symphonic-choral works, moving on to the equally renowned Norwegian and Russian atmospheres of Grieg and Borodin, and finally to the magic and emotion of the fantastical world of Harry Potter set to music by Williams." Music that needs to be carefully rehearsed, just as the sound systems need to be tested.
And that's what the musicians were doing when, Thursday evening, some teenagers—it's unclear whether they were local residents—barged into the courtyard of the historic building overlooking the sea. Their noise, however, was disrupting the smooth running of the rehearsal. Someone asked them to leave. But the teenagers continued as if nothing had happened. Then came the vehement reprimand, which apparently wasn't appreciated. One of the teenagers told his mother what had happened, and she decided to assert her family's rights, bringing along a large group of aggressive relatives. Tensions rose to a fever pitch, but fortunately, no one decided to resort to physical violence.
Shouts and a few insults, nothing more. But a risky sequence of events that nevertheless convinced someone to call the police before the situation escalated. The officers calmed the situation.
"We regret the unfortunate incident that can occur when the theater leaves its usual location for different spaces within the city," commented the new superintendent of the Lirico, Andrea Cigni. "Our artists, focused on their work to ensure the usual quality of performances," he continued, "have been affected by unexpected disruptions. We will strive to ensure the smooth running of rehearsals and concerts in the future, in the best interests of both workers and residents. I also thank the police for their cooperation. Our relationship with the people of Cagliari and with the city is very strong," reassures Cigni. "We are more than confident that incidents like this will never happen again."
Enrico Fresu