Giselle: free streamed performance from La Scala with two casts
Giselle will be streamed from La Scala this evening, Saturday 30 January, at 20.00 CET. The ballet was filmed over two days, without an audience, and will be offered to viewers worldwide via the state television network’s RaiPlay online service
The recording will be available for two days until 1 February.
The first act will see Martina Arduino as Giselle (a role debut) with Claudio Coviello as Albrecht; the second act will be performed by Nicoletta Manni and Timofej Andrijashenko, with Virna Toppi as Myrtha. Marta Romagna and Mick Zeni lead the royal court, and Antonella Albano and Nicola Del Freo dance the peasants’ pas de deux. Marco Agostino is Hilarion and Koen Kessels conducts the La Scala Orchestra.
Two short sessions with Carla Fracci working with the dancers are available on the theatre’s YouTube channel:
Act One with Martina Arduino and Claudio Coviello
Act Two with Nicoletta Manni Timofej Andrijashenko
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Italian ballerina Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
Unfortunately, all my attempts to watch this Giselle fail due to “impossible”(!) Rai connection/registration issues… Too bad. I love La Scalla….
So sorry. This link works from the UK: https://www.raiplay.it/programmi/giselleteatroallascala