John Hooper in Rome


Police and protesters tonight clashed violently outside La Scala, as the conductor Daniel Barenboim also took advantage of the Milan opera house's gala first night to protest against cuts in Italy's culture budget.
At least 10 police officers and an unknown number of demonstrators were taken to hospital after the skirmishes in which two home-made bombs were detonated. Smoke bombs and teargas were used during the clash.
Police in riot gear charged about 100 protesters – some wearing helmets, others Santa Claus hats – after they tried to break through crowd barriers penning them into different parts of the square outside Milan's most celebrated theatre.
The first night of La Scala's season of operas and ballets is often accompanied by demonstrations that have nothing to do with the arts. But on this occasion many protesters were demonstrating against cuts in culture spending in the 2011 budget drawn up by Silvio Berlusconi's government, which was being voted on in Rome as the premiere got under way.
Drama students joined opera-house workers from all around Italy to protest against a planned 37% reduction in performing arts subsidies.
Other demonstrators were protesting at a university reform bill that reduces student grants and cuts spending on research, but which the government has defended as promoting meritocratic values in higher eduction.
Barenboim was made principal guest conductor of La Scala four years ago, with the title of maestro scaligero. Before raising his baton at the start of Richard Wagner's Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), the Israeli conductor turned to Italy's president, Giorgio Napolitano, who was in the audience, and said: "For that title, and also in the names of the colleagues who play, sing, dance and work, not only here but in all theatres, I am here to tell you we are deeply worried for the future of culture in the country and in Europe."
He then read out the ninth article of the Italian constitution, which says that the republic promotes "the development of culture and scientific and technical research". The same article also promises that governments will safeguard the country's "historical and artistic heritage". The audience broke into applause, with Napolitano joining in.
The production, staged by the Belgian director Guy Cassiers, uses video – an innovation that has reportedly upset some of the singers. Cassiers said his aim was to bring all disciplines and technologies together "to create a universe". Die Walküre stars soprano Nina Stemme, mezzo-soprano Waltraud Meier and tenor Simon O'Neill.