Giselle is one of La Scala Ballet’s international calling cards. Together with Nureyev’s Don Quixote, this production has been seen all over the world, and rightly so. The company dances it beautifully, and its staging by Yvette Chauviré (based, of course, on the Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot choreography) would be difficult to better. It is clearly told, the story points … [Read more...] about Review: Giselle at La Scala with Zakharova/Hallberg, Manni/Andrijashenko, Valerio/Coviello
Antonella Albano
In with the old – La Scala returns to Nureyev’s Sleeping Beauty
If there is a ballet that belongs to La Scala, it’s Rudolf Nureyev’s production of The Sleeping Beauty, created for the ballet company in 1966 with Carla Fracci and Nureyev in the main roles. It was performed 152 times until 2007, when Tchaikovsky’s score fell silent for eight years until awoken by Alexei Ratmansky when he brought his reconstructed version to Milan in September … [Read more...] about In with the old – La Scala returns to Nureyev’s Sleeping Beauty
Winterreise at La Scala rejoices in Angelin Preljocaj’s sublimely melodic choreography
Winterreise is Angelin Preljocaj’s latest creation, danced to the complete Schubert cycle of Lieder. I stand by my arguments that a large theatre like La Scala is not the right theatre for a piece with just 13 dancers and two musicians, but let’s leave that aside — Winterreise is a beautifully crafted gem of dance theatre. It is intriguing, it draws you in, and it grips from … [Read more...] about Winterreise at La Scala rejoices in Angelin Preljocaj’s sublimely melodic choreography
Photo Album: first look at Preljocaj’s new piece Winterreise for La Scala
Winterreise by Angelin Preljocaj New commission from Teatro alla Scala in Milan - runs from 24 January to 9 March 2019 Winterreise Franz Schubert Running Time: 1 hour 20 minutes Teatro alla Scala Ballet Company World Premiere Choreography Angelin Preljocaj Sets Constance Guisset Lights Eric Soyer Costumes Angelin Preljocaj MUSICIANS Bass-baritone Thomas … [Read more...] about Photo Album: first look at Preljocaj’s new piece Winterreise for La Scala
Lescaut almost steals the show among excellent performances in Manon at La Scala
I wonder how many reviews of Manon start by appraising the portrayal of Lescaut. A very important character of course, but certainly he has less plot points or stage time than Des Grieux and the eponymous heroine. At La Scala, in the cast of 27 October, Lescaut was played, quite brilliantly, by Walter Madau. Madau is a member of the corps de ballet but is often favoured for … [Read more...] about Lescaut almost steals the show among excellent performances in Manon at La Scala
Don Quixote shows off first-rate dancing by La Scala’s clutch of 20-somethings
Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote is a romp. From start to finish it zips along at a frenetic pace, with frenetic steps. That is, except the prologue — Don Quixote’s house — and a prolonged mime scene in the Act Three tavern scene. Unfortunately, for the revival at La Scala, these scenes seem to have been left as an afterthought in the rehearsal process for the dancing is very fine … [Read more...] about Don Quixote shows off first-rate dancing by La Scala’s clutch of 20-somethings
Photo Album: Don Quixote at La Scala with with Nicoletta Manni and Timofej Andrijashenko
In 1959, Rudolf Nureyev, with Ninel Kourgapkina as Kitri, danced Basilio for the first time at the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad. He was 20. After he defected to the West in 1961, the role became his calling card around the world, the character suiting his comic talents and mischievous nature. He restaged the ballet, based on Marius Petipa and Alexandre Gorski, for the Vienna … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Don Quixote at La Scala with with Nicoletta Manni and Timofej Andrijashenko
Sneak peek of Don Quixote at La Scala – photos from today’s dress rehearsal
Rudolf Nureyev's Don Quixote returns again to La Scala with many of the company's newer Principals and Soloists making role debuts. Tomorrow night's cast - and that of this afternoon's dress rehearsal - will see Timofej Andrijashenko dance Basilio for the first time, and he will be dancing with Nicoletta Manni who is a house favourite in the role of Kitri. In the first … [Read more...] about Sneak peek of Don Quixote at La Scala – photos from today’s dress rehearsal
Serata Nureyev – An Evening for Nureyev at La Scala: full casting with Zakharova, Bolle, Nuñez, Louvet, Muntagirov
24*, 25, 26, 29 May 2018 Serata Nureyev – An Evening for Nureyev Remembering the 80th Anniversary of Rudolf Nureyev's birth, 25 years after his death with Corps de ballet of La Scala, Director Frédéric Olivieri Étoiles Svetlana Zakharova, Roberto Bolle Guest Artists Marianela Nuñez, Germain Louvet, Vadim Muntagirov Conductor David Coleman Orchestra of the La Scala … [Read more...] about Serata Nureyev – An Evening for Nureyev at La Scala: full casting with Zakharova, Bolle, Nuñez, Louvet, Muntagirov
Premiere of “Mahler 10”, Aszure Barton’s new dance piece for La Scala, reveals a small treasure
Aszure Barton has created a gem of a ballet for Milan’s Teatro alla Scala. Mahler 10 uses the first movement of Gustav Mahler’s unfinished Tenth Symphony and above it, Barton fashions a small world with a community of people who play, cry and love with directness and simplicity. Although the music is Mahler’s, the atmosphere is certainly not European, evoking the open spaces … [Read more...] about Premiere of “Mahler 10”, Aszure Barton’s new dance piece for La Scala, reveals a small treasure