Since suddenly taking over at the helm of La Scala's Ballet Company, and now having been confirmed as its director for the next three years, Frédéric Olivieri has presented his first ballet season since the five seasons he created when he previously held this position at the theatre, from 2002 until 2007.
The season sees additions which are ideal for a repertory company like La Scala Ballet, an exciting commission from Aszure Barton, and many opportunities for the theatre's resident Étoiles Svetlana Zakharova and Roberto Bolle who will dance together in La Dame aux camélias and Manon. Zakharova will also dance in the three performances of the Tribute to Nureyev, and Bolle will make his debut in Béjart's Bolero.
NEW PRODUCTIONS
Le Corsaire makes its debut at La Scala in the version by Anna-Marie Holmes, seen at the American Ballet Theatre and the English National Ballet, with new sets and costumes by Luisa Spinatelli.
One of Heinz Spoerli's most popular works, Goldberg Variations, will be given a new production and will continue the Chamber Ballet series at La Scala, which started with his Cello Suites two years ago.
Canadian choreographer – and Baryshnikov protégée – Aszure Barton, will create a new work for La Scala called Mahler 10 set to the Adagio from Mahler's unfinished 10th Symphony, the last piece he wrote.
DEBUTS
Many of La Scala's dancers will be making important debuts during the 2017-2018 season seeing that Le Corsaire is new to the company and packed with soloist roles. One debut stands out: Roberto Bolle will be dancing on Maurice Béjart's legendary table for the first time when he dances in Bolero.
GALA
Three evenings will be dedicated to Rudolf Nureyev who worked extensively at La Scala. They mark the 80th Anniversary of his birth the 25th Anniversary of his death. Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov from The Royal Ballet will join Zakharova and the company dancers.
BOLSHOI TOUR
In September 2018 the Bolshoi Company will visit Milan with La Bayadère and The Taming of the Shrew.
BALLET SEASON 2017 – 2018
15 December 2017: Young People's Preview Performance; 17, 20 (2 perfs.), 23, 29 (2 perfs.), 30 (2 perfs.), 31 December 2017; 3, 4, 10, 13 January 2018
Frédéric Chopin
La Dame aux camélias
Choreography
John Neumeier
Sets and costumes
Jürgen Rose
Lighting
John Neumeier
with
Svetlana Zakharova (17, 20 eve December; 10, 13 January)
Roberto Bolle (17, 20 eve December; 10, 13 January)
Conductor
Theodor Guschlbauer
Piano
Roberto Cominati
25, 26, 27, 30 January; 1, 7 (2 perfs.), 9 February; 2, 21, 22 March 2018
Johann Sebastian Bach
Goldberg Variations
Choreography
Heinz Spoerli
Sets and costumes
Keso Dekker
Lighting
Martin Gebhardt
Piano
Alexey Botvinov
NEW PRODUCTION
10, 13 (2 perfs.), 16, 20, 23, 25, 27, 29, 30 March; 5, 7 April 2018
Mahler 10 / Petite Mort / Bolero
Gustav Mahler
Mahler 10
Adagio from Symphony No 10
Choreography
Aszure Barton
Sets and lighting
Burke Brown
NEW PRODUCTION
World Premiere
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Petite Mort
Piano Concerto No 23 in A major, K.488 (adagio)
Piano Concerto No 21 in A major, K.467 (amdante)
Choreography
Jiří Kylián
Sets
Jiří Kylián
Costumes
Joke Visser
Lighting
Jiří Kylián
Maurice Ravel
Bolero
Choreography
Maurice Béjart
with
Roberto Bolle (10, 13 eve, 16, 20, 23 March)
Conductor
David Coleman
20, 22, 27 April; 9, 11 (2 perfs.), 16 (2 perfs.), 17 May 2018
Adolphe Adam, Cesare Pugni, Léo Delibes, Riccardo Drigo, Prince Oldenbourg
Le Corsaire
Choreography
Anna-Marie Holmes after Marius Petipa and Konstantin Sergeyev
Music re-orchestrated by Kevin Galiè
Sets and costumes
Luisa Spinatelli
Lighting
Marco Filibeck
Conductor
Patrick Fournillier
NEW PRODUCTION
24, 25, 26 May 2018
Serata Nureyev
To mark the 80th Anniversary of the birth of Rudolf Nureyev and the 25th Anniversary of his death
with
Svetlana Zakharova
Marianela Nuñez
Vadim Muntagirov
Conductor
David Coleman
10, 11, 13, 16, 18, 19 July 2018
Ludwig Minkus
Don Chisciotte
Choreography
Rudolf Nureyev
Sets
Raffaele Del Savio
Costumes
Anna Anni
Lighting
Marco Filibeck
Conductor
David Coleman
17, 19 (2 perfs.), 20, 24, 27 October; 2 November 2018
Jules Massenet
L'histoire de Manon
Choreography
Kenneth MacMillan
Orchestral arrangements by Martin Yates
Sets and costumes
Nicholas Georgiadis
with
Svetlana Zakharova (17, 19 eve, 24 October)
Roberto Bolle (17, 19 eve, 24 October)
Conductor
Patrick Fournillier
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.
