Riccardo Muti speaks out about the labor strife that has thrown La Scala into chaos. “Today, I am accused of not wishing to be just musical director, but artistic director as well, and perhaps also superintendent, or even of influencing the candidature for the next mayor. I would have to smile, if the spectacle were not so depressing. However, I was prompted by the serious concern of many people who with me perceived the slow but inexorable decline of La Scala’s artistic programme, in stark contrast to the improvement in the quality of artistic production. At a certain point, I decided to protest to the board, and to the mayor, about a situation that was threatening La Scala’s image, and before which I felt impotent.”