The most important season opening in the international opera calendar will be streamed live from the wings.
La Scala's Fidelio, with Daniel Barenboim on the podium for the last time as the theatre's music director, will be accompanied by a live stream showing what happens backstage at the world's most famous theatre.
For the first time, La Scala will have cameras dotted around the stage which will show the chorus assembling and the soloists concentrating before their entrances, the two German Shepherds being petted by their handlers, props being handed out, the lighting rigs illuminating the set, and the hugs and tears after the curtain has fallen. Maybe one of the most interesting parts of this video stream will the massive scene change between acts when a 9 tonne section of Chloé Obolensky's set is moved to the side stage and the base of the second act set comes into view from 12 metres below the stage.
Before the tabs open on Deborah Warner's new production, and during the interval, Silvia Farina – head of La Scala's Digital Department – together with Gramilano, will interview, in Italian and English, the people who make it happen: the Production Manager and the CEO; the head of props and the creative team; the singers and the stage management.
Come and join us tomorrow, 7 December, live backstage in Milan, starting at 17.20.
The Twitter hashtag for the La Scala opening is #PrimaScala. You can also follow the tweets from La Scala @teatroallascala, Silvia Farina @Silvyx75 and Gramilano @gramilano.
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.
Fantastic job! Loved being able to spy what goes on that we can’t see (usually). Would be nice if the cameras could roam around more. Will there be more of these?
Thank you Nicola. Certainly we hope there will be more. The cameras couldn’t move around much because of safety regulations restricting the length of the electric cable. But I’m sure a solution will be found for the next time round.