On 13 May, a very important actor took his final bow. Goldoni’s Harlequin, servant to two masters, known in Italy as simply Arlecchino, has seen Ferruccio Soleri in the leading role since 1959. Now, aged 88, he has taken off his chequered costume and black leather commedia dell’arte mask for the last time.Goldoni’s play is called simply Servitore di due padroni (Servant to … [Read more...] about Ferruccio Soleri – After 60 years and 2,283 performances, Italy’s Arlecchino bows out
Carla Fracci
Photo Album: Nureyev Gala at La Scala – Zakharova, Louvet, Nuñez, Muntagirov and Bolle (and Nureyev at La Scala facts and figures)
Last night a Gala to celebrate Rudolf Nureyev was had at La Scala. It is the 80th Anniversary of his birth and also 25 years after his death. The Gala was previewed by a benefit audience on Thursday, and opened Friday 25 May, with further performances on 26 and 29 May. La Scala's Étoiles Svetlana Zakharova and Roberto Bolle were joined by guests Marianela Nuñez, Germain Louvet, … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Nureyev Gala at La Scala – Zakharova, Louvet, Nuñez, Muntagirov and Bolle (and Nureyev at La Scala facts and figures)
Bolle’s Boléro: Roberto Bolle at La Scala performs Béjart’s intoxicating rite for the first time
I certainly wasn’t the only one to have doubts when Roberto Bolle announced his intention to climb onto Béjart’s red table. Facebook was abuzz with comments from puzzled ballet fans who couldn’t see him as La Mélodie. Even now, after his run of performances of Boléro, many hold on to that view.How delighted I was to be proved wrong (not that I had voiced my doubts, I may add) … [Read more...] about Bolle’s Boléro: Roberto Bolle at La Scala performs Béjart’s intoxicating rite for the first time
Rudolf Nureyev died 25 years ago – La Scala pays tribute to the great dancer
Rudolf Nureyev’s debut at La Scala was on 9 October 1965 when, finally, the Milanese public had the opportunity to see the Russian dancer that all the newspapers were writing about. With him was Margot Fonteyn, and they danced Romeo and Juliet together.On 16 September 1966 Nureyev and Fonteyn returned with Marguerite and Armand and several days later he danced with another … [Read more...] about Rudolf Nureyev died 25 years ago – La Scala pays tribute to the great dancer
La Scala ballet school’s Nutcracker in Milan is pure joy
Teatro Strehler in Milan has welcomed the young dancers from La Scala’s Ballet Academy to its stage during the Christmas period for several years. It’s a win-win situation where the theatre sells out its 900 seats for the nine-day run, and the kids get to dance, dance, dance. And dance they do. This isn’t a watered-down version with an end-of-term show feeling, but a full on, … [Read more...] about La Scala ballet school’s Nutcracker in Milan is pure joy
Raina Kabaivanska recounts career secrets including La Scala’s fur coat and Pavarotti’s kiss
Latest in a collaboration between Italy’s L’Opera magazine and La Scala to celebrate the careers of singers – both living and deceased – was Saturday’s encounter with the great Bulgarian soprano Raina Kabaivanska, still statuesque and glamourous at 82.Interspersed with audio and video clips of some of her celebrated roles, were well-aimed questions from the extremely … [Read more...] about Raina Kabaivanska recounts career secrets including La Scala’s fur coat and Pavarotti’s kiss
80 years of opera and ballet costumes from La Scala go on display
The theatrical costume is a paradox: it hides, yet at the same time, communicates revealing aspects of a character; it is made to be seen from afar, yet the designers and costume makers care for the tiniest details, even if invisible. Each costume contains thousands of secrets, from colour combining to decoration, from the choice of a fabric to the technique to create a form. … [Read more...] about 80 years of opera and ballet costumes from La Scala go on display
Luisa Spinatelli – celebrating the life of the Milanese opera and ballet designer
Luisa Spinatelli… taking tasteful to a higher dimension The Amici della Scala (Friends of La Scala), run by the indefatigable Anna Crespi, gathered together at the association’s spectacular headquarters, a short walk from La Scala, to celebrate one of Italy’s most important theatre designers.Luisa Spinatelli is one of a tight-knit core of Milanese artists, by birth or … [Read more...] about Luisa Spinatelli – celebrating the life of the Milanese opera and ballet designer
Proscaenium’s Gran Gala with the best of Italy’s dancing talent
Gramilano has already written about Cincia Puricelli’s dancing school Proscaenium, which is based in Gallarate, a town near Milan’s Malpensa airport. An ordinary town, and on the surface an ordinary dancing school, yet it is bravely run with ambitious goals. Last year Puricelli’s conceit was to invite Carla Fracci (for her first public masterclass) together with Pompea Santoro … [Read more...] about Proscaenium’s Gran Gala with the best of Italy’s dancing talent
MAB Dance Competition in its 8th year unveils new talents
The dance competition MAB (Maria Antonietta Berlusconi), now in its eighth year, has become an important date on the ballet calendar both in Italy and beyond. It is also a ‘get-together’ and ‘catching-up-time’ for the Milanese dance world.Created after the premature death of Silvio Berlusconi’s sister — who ran Milan’s Principessa Dancing School — it gives out a wide range … [Read more...] about MAB Dance Competition in its 8th year unveils new talents