MILANoLTRE, Milan’s festival of contemporary dance, now in its 33rd edition, presented 24 works at Teatro Elfo Puccini this year, and 19 were by Italian companies. I saw three productions of outstandingly quality during the 17-day event, which also includes masterclasses, interviews, and lessons. Susanna Beltrami, who runs the company, academy and performance space, … [Read more...] about Three new works from MILANoLTRE Festival by Susanna Beltrami, Diego Tortelli and Richard Siegal
La Scala
Photo Album – first look at La Scala’s new production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare
Handel's Giulio Cesare A first look at La Scala's new production of Handel's Giulio Cesare (opening 18 October 2019) with a staging by Robert Carsen. With this new production La Scala inaugurates a Baroque project, which will continue in the coming years with two other titles by Handel: Agrippina and Ariodante. Giulio Cesare in Egitto has only been staged once at La … [Read more...] about Photo Album – first look at La Scala’s new production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare
Review: Giselle at La Scala with Zakharova/Hallberg, Manni/Andrijashenko, Valerio/Coviello
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
Rome Opera Ballet names its main dance studio after the late Elisabetta Terabust
The Intendant at Rome Opera, Carlo Fuortes, and the director of the opera house’s ballet company, Eleonora Abbagnato, together with theatre employees, today inaugurated the Sala Elisabetta Terabust, the main ballet rehearsal room, formerly known as Sala Ballo A. Virginia Raggi, Rome’s mayor, said, Elisabetta Terabust, a woman with a strong personality, was appreciated … [Read more...] about Rome Opera Ballet names its main dance studio after the late Elisabetta Terabust
Hui He answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition
When did you start singing? I always loved to sing since I was a child. I sang on every occasion, also during public events at school, where my maths teacher heard me and advised me to take singing lesson with her neighbour who was a voice teacher. He listened me, and he told me that I was ready to attend the conservatoire in Xi’an, my city. I went there, in few years I became … [Read more...] about Hui He answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition
Tenor Marcello Giordani has died at 56
Tenor Marcello Giordani died this afternoon following a heart attack – he was 56 years old. He was at his home in Augusta in the Province of Syracuse when at about 3 pm, after lunch, he felt unwell, but an hour of attempts to revive him by medical staff who arrived by ambulance and helicopter were to no avail. Just a month ago he was singing the role of Calaf in Turandot at … [Read more...] about Tenor Marcello Giordani has died at 56
Interview: Who is Jacopo Tissi? The Bolshoi’s enigmatic Italian star talks about Moscow, Milan and London, “It certainly wasn’t easy”
Three years ago, Jacopo Tissi left La Scala to join the Bolshoi Company in Moscow. Makhar Vaziev, the Company’s current director, was previously the director at La Scala and had seen Tissi’s work. It was Vaziev (on having to find a substitute for Sergei Polunin, who was himself a substitute for David Hallberg), who chose the young corps de ballet dancer to partner Svetlana … [Read more...] about Interview: Who is Jacopo Tissi? The Bolshoi’s enigmatic Italian star talks about Moscow, Milan and London, “It certainly wasn’t easy”
Vittorio Grigolo comments on recent accusations after a triumphant performance at La Scala
Vittorio Grigolo received an enthusiastic ovation after his performance as Nemorino in L’Elisir d’amore at La Scala. After having seen contracts suspended with The Royal Opera and The Metropolitan Opera, La Scala decided to take no action against the tenor as there is an undergoing investigation by The Royal Opera House. The audience was clearly very much on Grigolo’s side … [Read more...] about Vittorio Grigolo comments on recent accusations after a triumphant performance at La Scala
La Scala remembers Jessye Norman in words and pictures
Jessye Norman didn’t sing very often at La Scala, but the impact on the few occasions when she appeared was great. The opera house released the following photos from its archives today to remember the soprano, who died yesterday morning in New York following complications from a spinal cord injury she sustained in 2015. She was 74. The management and all the workers at La … [Read more...] about La Scala remembers Jessye Norman in words and pictures
Vittorio Grigolo: I couldn’t apologise. I was sent home like a killer.
December 2019 UPDATE: Colleagues support Vittorio Grigolo as he replies to being fired by the Royal Opera House and the Met In a video to his fans, Vittorio Grigolo has put forward his version of the story of his alleged groping a colleague onstage while on tour with The Royal Opera. The action led to him being suspended from The Royal Opera and The Metropolitan Opera while … [Read more...] about Vittorio Grigolo: I couldn’t apologise. I was sent home like a killer.