An unusual mixed bill at La Scala showcased the works of two choreographers: Hans van Manen and Roland Petit. Two of the van Manen pieces were new to the company, though his Adagio Hammerklavier, which opened the programme, was performed in Milan in 1985. Adagio Hammerklavier was created in 1973 (the men wear leg-warmers and choker necklaces!) to the considered adagio of … [Read more...] about Review: Enthralling programme of 5 works by Hans van Manen and Roland Petit at La Scala
Marco Agostino
Photo Album: Rehearsal photos of La Scala’s new mixed bill with Roberto Bolle, Manni, Coviello, Arduino and company
Serata van Manen – Petit, (Van Manen and Petit Evening) opens at La Scala on 23 January. The evening consists of five gems from Hans van Manen and Roland Petit. The three van Manen pieces are Adagio Hammerklavier, Sarcasmen and Kammerballett, while the Petit pieces are Le combat des anges (from his ballet Proust, ou les intermittences du coeur ) and Le Jeune homme et la Mort … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Rehearsal photos of La Scala’s new mixed bill with Roberto Bolle, Manni, Coviello, Arduino and company
Manuel Legris’ Sylvia shows La Scala’s dancers on top form
Sylvia opened the 2019-2020 ballet season at La Scala. It is a co-production with the Wiener Staatsballett where it opened in November 2018. There have been no changes to Luisa Spinatelli’s sets and costumes or Manuel Legris’ choreography, which suggests that everyone was pleased with how it turned out in Vienna. However, while the overall evening is extremely pleasing, it is … [Read more...] about Manuel Legris’ Sylvia shows La Scala’s dancers on top form
Save the best until last – La Scala’s triple bill shows a company in excellent form
Save the best until last. Not a bad programming policy, and with La Scala’s recent triple bill, the last was Maurice Béjart’s Boléro. Obviously, with the first item on the programme being George Balanchine’s Symphony in C it can hardly be the best for many, but the Béjart is undoubtedly a crowd-pleaser and whoops and cheers went on for a long time after Ravel’s music had … [Read more...] about Save the best until last – La Scala’s triple bill shows a company in excellent form
Marianela Nuñez and Roberto Bolle lead a top-notch cast in Onegin at La Scala
John Cranko’s ballet Onegin was brought to La Scala in 1993 as a vehicle for Carla Fracci with Rex Harrington in the title role. It wasn’t, however, Fracci’s first contact with the ballet. Her close ties with Cranko began before he became the director of the Stuttgart Ballet when she created Juliet in his production of Romeo and Juliet for La Scala; she was 21. The inimitable … [Read more...] about Marianela Nuñez and Roberto Bolle lead a top-notch cast in Onegin at La Scala
Photo Album: Opening night at La Scala – Roberto Bolle in Bolero, Symphony in C, Petite Mort
BALANCHINE / KYLIÁN / BÉJART Opening night: Saturday 16 November 2019 SYMPHONY IN C Music Georges Bizet Choreography George Balanchine © School of American Ballet Revived by Patricia Neary Costumes Karinska Lights Andrea Giretti First movement Martina Arduino, Nicola Del Freo Second movement Nicoletta Manni, Marco Agostino Third movement Alessandra … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Opening night at La Scala – Roberto Bolle in Bolero, Symphony in C, Petite Mort
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
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
First photos of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works at La Scala with Alessandra Ferri, Federico Bonelli and Company dancers
These are the first photos of La Scala's restaging of Wayne McGregor's Woolf Works created for The Royal Ballet in 2015. The work was seen again in London in 2017, and in Milan, two of the original interpreters- Alessandra Ferri and Federico Bonelli - reprise their roles. The photos are accompanied by extracts of a 2017 interview by The Royal Ballet with the work's composer … [Read more...] about First photos of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works at La Scala with Alessandra Ferri, Federico Bonelli and Company dancers
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
