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
Vittoria Valerio
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
In Balanchine’s Nutcracker at La Scala the magic is almost real – three casts reviewed
Balanchine’s The Nutcracker is new to La Scala, in fact, new to Italy. And how the Scala regulars were relishing in the opportunity to grumble and mutter “humbug” during the interval. It’s certainly different from the Nureyev production which was seen in Milan for many years, and light-years away from the strange version by Nacho Duato that the theatre endured four years ago … [Read more...] about In Balanchine’s Nutcracker at La Scala the magic is almost real – three casts reviewed
Illustrated look at La Scala’s visit to Australia with Don Quixote and Giselle
After almost a month touring China, La Scala’s ballet company popped back to Milan for a run of Manon performances, before popping off to Australia for thirteen performances in Brisbane, from 7 to 18 November.It is the company’s first time in Australia and they are taking two of their most popular productions: Don Quixote and Giselle. Performances are at the Queensland … [Read more...] about Illustrated look at La Scala’s visit to Australia with Don Quixote and Giselle
Photo Album: Manon opening night at La Scala with Zakharova and Bolle
First night photographs from La ScalaWednesday 17 October – 8pm – PremiereManonSvetlana ZakharovaDes GrieuxRoberto BolleLescautNicola Del FreoMonsieur G.M.Alessandro GrilloLescaut’s mistress Martina ArduinoMadameDeborah GismondiThe gaolerMick ZeniThe beggar chief Federico FresiThe courtesans Vittoria Valerio, Agnese Di Clemente,Francesca Podini, Gaia Andreanò, … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Manon opening night at La Scala with Zakharova and Bolle
Photo album – fifteen evenings of La Scala Ballet in China
La Scala’s Ballet Company have been touring China for almost a month, taking in four cities and dancing 15 performances of Don Quixote and Giselle. Last night’s performance of Giselle in the Grand Theatre in Tianjin marked the last performance and today the company heads home.The Milanese company didn’t take guests — not even its resident Étoiles Svetlana Zakharova and … [Read more...] about Photo album – fifteen evenings of La Scala Ballet in China
Notes on Le Corsaire at La Scala… an alternative cast
The success of Le Corsaire’s first night cast at La Scala was reviewed here previously, but no less was an alternative cast which had a shining beacon in Martina Arduino as Medora. She is a lovely dancer who was thrust into the spotlight when Alexei Ratmansky plucked her from the corps — she was not even on a permanent contract — and cast her as his Odette/Odile. She was just … [Read more...] about Notes on Le Corsaire at La Scala… an alternative cast
Serata Nureyev – An Evening for Nureyev at La Scala: full casting with Zakharova, Bolle, Nuñez, Louvet, Muntagirov
24*, 25, 26, 29 May 2018Serata Nureyev – An Evening for NureyevRemembering the 80th Anniversary of Rudolf Nureyev's birth, 25 years after his deathwith Corps de ballet of La Scala, Director Frédéric OlivieriÉtoiles Svetlana Zakharova, Roberto BolleGuest Artists Marianela Nuñez, Germain Louvet, Vadim MuntagirovConductor 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
Heinz Spoerli’s Goldberg Variations are lovingly performed by La Scala’s excellent cast
Legend goes that Bach wrote his Goldberg Variations for the Russian ambassador to the electoral court of Saxony, Count Kaiserling. The Count suffered from insomnia and had Johann Gottlieb Goldberg on hand to play for him during his sleepless nights. Bach wrote these pieces for the nocturnal recitals of the young Goldberg, a German virtuoso harpsichordist.True or not, this … [Read more...] about Heinz Spoerli’s Goldberg Variations are lovingly performed by La Scala’s excellent cast
Photo album: first look at Heinz Spoerli’s Goldberg Variations at La Scala
"Every time I listen to Bach I feel my heart jumps a beat. His music is for me an inexhaustible source of inspiration and has been since my early twenties, which was even before, in Düsseldorf, when I choreographed a piece to the Goldberg Variations, which many critics considered, at the beginning of the nineties, one of the most important works of the period."Heinz Spoerli … [Read more...] about Photo album: first look at Heinz Spoerli’s Goldberg Variations at La Scala
