At 74, after many years away from the stage, and often from singing (the wear and tear on her voice means that even singing a popular song on TV can lead to surprising results), Katia Ricciarelli returns to opera in Cavalleria Rusticana. It was Cecilia Gasdia, now intendant of Verona’s Arena, who convinced her. It […]
Katia Ricciarelli
Rolando Panerai dies at 95 – a career of tradition and adventure
With Rolando Panerai we lose a star of opera that we will not see the like of again, and many of his performances have shaped the history of La Scala’s opera house. La Scala left these words today, reflecting on the career of the great baritone, who died on Tuesday at 95. Maybe some of […]
Puccini’s granddaughter against Riccardo Chailly’s booed Madama Butterfly
Riccardo Chailly’s ‘Puccini Project’ at La Scala will continue with a new production of Madama Butterfly to open the 2016-2017 Season. The opera was written for La Scala in February 1904 and was booed heavily (and whistled at, the traditional sign of disapproval in Italian theatres). It was quickly withdrawn from the theatre’s schedule after […]
Giovanna d’Arco – the background of La Scala’s latest production
On 7 December 2015, La Scala’s 2015-2016 Season opens with Giuseppe Verdi’s Giovanna d’Arco, which had its premiere at La Scala on 15 February 1845, but hasn’t been staged at the Milanese theatre since 1865. Bringing back this opera after 150 years is part of the artistic and cultural line that will link the following […]
Luca Ronconi, Italian director of theatre and opera, dies at 81
Italian director Luca Ronconi died yesterday evening in the Policlinico in Milan after a short illness. His health had been poor over the last years, he was on dialysis, and was complicated by pneumonia. He was 81. His collaboration with La Scala lasted for over thirty years and today the flag outside the theatre is […]
Fiorenza Cossotto answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition
Q&A in italiano When did you start singing? When I was a girl. Why did you start singing? For my own personal enjoyment. Which singer inspired you most when you were young? No one. Which singer do you most admire? The good ones. What’s your favourite role? More than one… all the masterpieces. What role […]
Great tenor Carlo Bergonzi dies at 90
Carlo Bergonzi (born Polesine Parmense, 13 July 1924 – died Milan, 25 July 2014) Carlo Bergonzi, one of the greatest tenors of the 20th Century, died last night in Milan’s Auxologico Institute, just two weeks after celebrating his 90th birthday on 13 July. Bergonzi was born in Vidalenzo di Polesine Parmense near Parma in 1924 and at […]
Opera singer Rosalind Plowright comments on booing Bartoli at La Scala
Renée Fleming described it as the worst night of her operatic life, after Celeste Aida Roberto Alagna gave a military salute and walked off stage, Katia Ricciarelli quit the opera house refusing to come back, and Callas, Pavarotti, Verrett, Caballé and many others have all been on the receiving end. Being booed by the loggionisti at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala […]
Katia Ricciarelli “we must revolutionize the opera world” – oh really?
Opera needs a small revolution. We live in the world of internet, a world of speed: without taking anything away from the great composers we must try to renew the directing style, eliminate repeats in the music, without, obviously, touching the music itself or the dramaturgy.” This is Katia Ricciarelli’s solution for enticing young people to the world of […]
