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The Italian Scrittura Teatrale: A Peculiar Case of Unwritten Terms Integrating Contracts

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Abstract

This essay analyses the constituent elements of the so-called scrittura teatrale. The scrittura teatrale (also called scrittura artistica) is a contract between an Opera singer and an Opera House with a particularly interesting distinctive feature: its terms are quite often determined by rules deriving from a centuries-old tradition which integrates the contract.

After a general analysis of the contract, the study focuses on these rules, in particular on the so-called protesta clause and the resulting right of the Opera House to terminate the contract following an unsatisfactory performance of the artist. The essay ends with some modification proposals that could be useful to modernize the contract of scrittura teatrale, re-balancing the position of contractual asymmetry between the parties.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The Opera was written on the libretto L’Euridice by Rinuccini, and it was composed in two versions: the first one written by Jacopo Peri, and the second by Giulio Caccini. See Ehinger (1962), c. 5.

  2. 2.

    According to operabase.com (operabase is one of the most important website to analyse the operatic show business) the ten most performed composers in the season 2015/2016 were: Verdi (3728 performances), Puccini (2597), Mozart (2480), Wagner (1219), Rossini (1197), Donizetti (1103), Bizet (807), Tchaikovsky (616), Händel (563), Strauss, J (526).

  3. 3.

    Lebrecht (1997), p. XI and f.

  4. 4.

    Falck et al. (2010).

  5. 5.

    The study can be downloaded here: http://www.glyndebourne.com/about-us/glyndebourne-economic-impact-report-2014/.

  6. 6.

    The study can be downloaded here: https://www.knowledge.unibocconi.eu/notizia.php?idArt=12389.

  7. 7.

    See Haak C (2005).

  8. 8.

    The trade union is called Assolirica, www.assolirica.it.

  9. 9.

    European Parliament resolution of 7 June 2007 on the social status of artists.

  10. 10.

    UK Opera Houses warn of ‘diva’ crisis if Brexit hits wrong note, the article can be read online: https://www.ft.com/content/ff115bd6-ea2b-11e6-893c-082c54a7f539.

  11. 11.

    The declaration is reported in UK Opera Houses warn of ‘diva’ crisis if Brexit hits wrong note, https://www.ft.com/content/ff115bd6-ea2b-11e6-893c-082c54a7f539.

  12. 12.

    Magri (2016b), p. 55 ff.

  13. 13.

    At the moment the draft law is being discussed by the Culture Commission of the Italian Senate see: http://www.senato.it/leg/17/BGT/Schede/Ddliter/47313.htm.

  14. 14.

    See Goldoni (1975), p. 440; and Magri (2010), p. 898.

  15. 15.

    See Cass. 12/09/1991, n. 9535 in Foro It., 1991, I, 763.

  16. 16.

    Magri (2016b), p. 78 and f.

  17. 17.

    See for instance the Guardian Debate: ‘Have modern Opera singers got the wrong attitude?’ (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/16/debate-opera-singers-wrong-attitude), or the article in the Daily Mail Todays Opera singers get ill too easily because they are weak (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2293176/Todays-opera-singers-ill-easily-theyre-weak-says-Covent-Garden-boss.html), or the article in the German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung ‘Doping ist in der Musik längst Alltag’ (http://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/debatten/oper-doping-ist-in-der-musik-laengst-alltag-1463522.html).

  18. 18.

    A. Roma, 13 January 1968, in Rass. DC, 1968, p. 90.

  19. 19.

    Cass., 18 November 1971, n. 3316, in DL, 1972, p. 403 ff.

  20. 20.

    According to the article ‘l’impresa o l’ente ha sempre il diritto di far accertare la malattia dell’artista da un medico di sua fiducia’ (The theatre has always the right to verify health conditions of the artist with the intervention of a trusted physician).

  21. 21.

    See App. Milano, 14 maggio 1968, in Rass. dir. civ., 1968, p. 115 and Magri (2016b), p. 85.

  22. 22.

    Some remarks in Cabella Pisu (2009), p. 204 ss.

  23. 23.

    See Cass. 9 December 1971, n. 3559, in Foro Pad., 1972, I, c. 463.

  24. 24.

    Normally the contract foresees the duty of the singer to take part in promotional activities organised by the theatre like conferences, interviews or events.

  25. 25.

    In OJ 1978, L157/39.

  26. 26.

    For more information on opera houses in Italy, see Iudica (1998).

  27. 27.

    See Corvi (2009), p. 81; Magri (2010), p. 896; and (2016b), p. 89.

  28. 28.

    Tabanelli (1901), p. 123; and Magri (2011).

  29. 29.

    Tabanelli (1901), p. 122.

  30. 30.

    See Cassazione, 9 December 1971, n. 3559, in Foro Pad., 1972, I, c. 463.

  31. 31.

    On the contrary rehearsals are paid in other European countries like Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia and the United Kingdom.

  32. 32.

    According to the contract of La Scala, in this case art. 2228 c.c. is not applicable and without performances the artist has no right to compensation for his/her work.

  33. 33.

    Magri (2011).

  34. 34.

    See Magri (2016b), p. 81 ff.

  35. 35.

    The only exception is the case of the so-called licenziamento ingiurioso (offensive layoff), for instance because the theatre exaggerates or accentuates the lacks of the artist, see Alibrandi (1979), p. 1219.

  36. 36.

    See Alibrandi (1971), p. 1217 ff.; Corvi (2009), p. 96 ff.; and Giannini (1960), p. 460 ff.

  37. 37.

    Musatti (1909), p. 338.

  38. 38.

    See A. Firenze, 27 Mai 1879, in Annali di Giurisprudenza, 1879,III, p. 236; A. Venezia, 14 October 1879, in Annali di Giurisprudenza, 1880, p. 164; A. Milano, 9 June 1897, in Giur. It., 1897, I, 2, p. 683; T. Milano, 10 March 1901, in Mon. Trib., 1901, p. 55, Magri (2016b), p. 633. According to some Author the protesta can be contested by the artist before the Court, only for formal aspects, but not in the matter see. Alibrandi (1979), p. 1219; Ciaccio (1955), p. 533; and Comito (1955), p. 101.

  39. 39.

    De Pirrto (1940), p. 14.

  40. 40.

    Magri (2016a), p. 632.

  41. 41.

    Magri (2016a), p. 631.

  42. 42.

    The most important association were Artisti lirici italiani (ALI) and Cantori Professionisti d’Italia. From 2015 the most representative singers’ association is Assolirica.

  43. 43.

    See the hearing 28 March 2017 of the Italian singers’ association Assolirica before the Commissione Cultura of the Italian Senate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7Yiaoe0CMw&feature=youtu.be.

  44. 44.

    See Magri (2016b), p. 29 ff.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Osnabrück, European Legal Studies Institute, Osnabrück, Germany

    Geo Magri

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  1. Angelo Sraffa Department of Legal Studies, Bocconi Universtiy, Milan, Italy

    Filippo Annunziata

  2. Graduate School of Law, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan

    Giorgio Fabio Colombo

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Magri, G. (2018). The Italian Scrittura Teatrale: A Peculiar Case of Unwritten Terms Integrating Contracts. In: Annunziata, F., Colombo, G. (eds) Law and Opera. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68649-3_21

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