La Scala's production of Richard Wagner's “Die Walküre” drew a 15-minute ovation on the opening night of the opera house season yesterday. “Die Walküre” – a powerful drama about the struggle for power, family love and incest – thrilled a packed house.
With tickets costing as much as 2,400 euros, the opening night at the 18th century opera house is one of the most popular cultural events on the calendar of the rich and influential.
German mezzo soprano Waltraud Meier, who played the passionate Sieglinde, and Nina Stemme as Brünnhilde won particularly loud applause. Daniel Barenboim was greeted with the usual ovation he is accustomed to receiving in this house. There was a small protest for stage director Guy Cassiers but his striking visual moments had won over most of the audience.
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Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.
