Pereira takes a pay cut

To add to the indignity of having his La Scala contract trimmed from five years to one, Alexander Pereira must now take a pay cut.

The Italian government have approved a salary cap for employees of operatic and orchestral institutions, effective immediately. Nobody will be allowed to earn more than the President of the Supreme Court, currently €240,000. The cap, already in place in Italian theatres, applies to "members of the administration, management and control" and "employees, consultants and collaborators".

Pereira's agreed La Scala salary has been estimated as €460,000, meaning he will now take home roughly half of what he was originally promised. The cut will also hit Maria di Freda, General Manager of La Scala, though less severely - she's currently on €270,000. The Italian press don't mention any other affected individuals, and my own earlier research suggests that few other establishments pay as generously as La Scala. Despite the decree's generalised wording, it's not hard to interpret it as a political device targetting one institution and punishing one individual.

Whether Pereira could legally circumvent the restriction, tax-dodger style, by taking some of the lost pay as, say, 'expenses' remains to be seen. Whether La Scala would want to take part in that sort of arrangement is questionable though.  They may welcome the opportunity to save a bit of money too.

When his contract chop was announced, Pereira came out fighting, determined to prove it should be extended. With only half the original pay in prospect, will he be so willing to stay?

Comments

[Emil Archambault]

What about Barenboim? Is he targeted by this law?

[John]

What the heck is that creepy picture?

[inter mezzo]

The previous post linked to above suggests he earns €112,000, putting him well below the limit. And it's debatable whether a music director is included in "members of the administration, management and control" anyway. The Italian press (who, presumably, have read the law in more detail than I have) didn't suggest that he would be targeted.

[inter mezzo]

The hands of a stuffed baboon. I leave you to consider its pertinence.

[Susan Whitman]

But does the cap affect singers, conductors and directors?? Aren't some singers getting the equivalent of £50k a performance or more??

A pay cap - you do wonder if such a thing were to be introduced in the UK across the public and private sector if we'd have an end to deficit and money available to genuinely fund world-class public services, including the arts ...

[inter mezzo]

Read my previous comment.