Massimo Murru has always had a very faithful following due to his thoughtful and rigorous approach to every role he has tackled in his career, and his artistic honesty, almost to the point of intransigence. It is a quality appreciated by Sylvie Guillem, among many other colleagues, who have wanted to work alongside him. He is now approaching retirement and several of his faithful fans have sought to ensure that he has a last performance as Onegin before he finally puts his flatties aside.
They have written an open letter to the management at Teatro alla Scala, included in their petition at change.org.
Alla Direzione del Ballo e al Sovrintendente del Teatro alla Scala
Gentili Signori,
siamo un nutrito gruppo di amanti del balletto, tutti legati da un comune denominatore: l'ammirazione per l'arte della vostra étoile Massimo Murru.
Seguiamo questo grande danzatore da moltissimi anni e sarebbe stato particolarmente gratificante vedere sottolineato il suo passaggio dal palcoscenico al nuovo ruolo di Maitre-Professeur con un evento inserito nel cartellone della prossima stagione.
La Scala, uno tra i più importanti e famosi teatri lirici del mondo, deve la sua posizione agli artisti che la hanno resa grande con la loro maestria.
Per questo motivo, vedere Massimo Murru ballare ancora una volta alla Scala a settembre/ottobre 2017 per una replica di Onegin, titolo certamente degno della sua meravigliosa carriera, sarebbe un suggello fantastico per lui, per l'Ente ed anche per noi suoi ammiratori.
Siamo certi che vorrete considerare questa nostra come una proposta che viene dal cuore di chi è consapevole della grandezza di un artista sempre elegante e discreto.
Altrettanto consapevoli siamo della lungimiranza di chi lavora perché il Teatro alla Scala continui ad essere eccellenza mondiale.
Grati per la vostra attenzione, speriamo in un vostro positivo riscontro.
Rispettosamente,
The letter underlines the fact that La Scala Principal, Massimo Murru, has given much to the theatre with his art, that he has now assumed a teaching and coaching role at the theatre; but seeing that a role he is noted for appears later in the season – Onegin in September and October of this year – it would be a fitting tribute to his career to give him a final performance in the role.
Murru is a timid soul, though not about his own artistic worth or that of others, and is certainly not the type to hammer down a door and make demands. How thoughtful, then, of these appreciative lovers of ballet, and ballet as it is expressed through the talents of Massimo Murru, to make a request on his behalf.
If you would like to sign the petition (it will only take a couple of minutes) the link is here:
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.
Wonderful dancer
I saw Massimo partner Sylvie Guillem at the Royal Ballet a few times .
From my distant memory i believe they appeared in Marguerite and Armand , and A month in the country .
They were wonderful together
Sylvie Guillem is and always will be my favourite ballerina .
I know it
if you agree please sign! 🙂
He has been a great great dancer. Passionate, committed. He deserves to dance Onegin in his last performance.
Have signed it if course!!!
Great dancer . He has earned and deserves the role he has made his own . I admire his quiet demeanor too!
Could you please sign? 🙂 thanks
Monica Bragagnoli done!
Peter Alexander thanks!!!
Monica Bragagnoli he deserves it- had trouble getting link to work but I was stubborn and didn’t give up !
It would be wonderful if this could happen. Because Massimo Murru a truly magnificent and rare artist fully deserves this final, last ovation from his audience after an exceptional, atypical and diverse career always out of the current with collaborations with choreographers like Béjart, Petit or Mats Ek and some of the most beautiful partnerships ever seen on stage with ballerinas like Fracci, Khalfouni, Ferri, Lacarra and of course with the great Sylvie Guillem.
The first time I saw Murru on stage was at the Royal Ballet when Mats Ek’s “Carmen” was first presented there. He was an ideal Don José opposite a fiery, fierce, utterly free Guillem. Together they set the stage on fire and it was fascinating watching them bring their characters to life with passion, finesse, a sense of humor and such charm.
I remember an interview with Guillem at the time when she first collaborated with Massimo praising his dramatic quality to really know how to look and communicate with his partner, an essential quality on the stage. And these two they surely knew how to relate on stage, with their bodies, their faces, their breaths and knew how to communicate all those feelings and sensations to the audience.
For Massimo is a most accomplished dancer-actor. Who could forget his passionate and lyrical farewell embrace to the dying Marguerite (in “Marguerite et Armand”) once more with Sylvie in their final Marguerite in Athens in 2013? And who could ever forget his utter desperation as his grabbed Manon’s (Sylvie of course) inert body at the finale of that memorable “Manon” at La Scala in 2011, which has marked so many of us indelibly and most profoundly.
So for this and all these reasons so well stated by other admirers of Massimo here let us hope that Onegin will happen at La Scala. Because it would be most befitting to turn that golden, glorious page of this dancer’s career in a beautiful way as he truly deserves it.
And because audiences hould be given a chance to applaud the dancer one more final time, shed some tears and say “Grazie” from their very heart to the artist. To someone who followed his instinct and passion for dancing and the stage instead of easy marketing and fame. And he did everything with integrity, artistry and honesty. And that is most rare.