Height problems at La Scala led to last-minute casting for Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon, or, as it is known outside the UK, L’histoire de Manon. Alessandra Ferri brought Manon to La Scala – and … [Read more...] about Review: Manon at La Scala – Nicoletta Manni/Reece Clarke; Myriam Ould-Braham/Claudio Coviello
Walter Madau
La Scala in città – Milan’s opera house offers five days of free events
La Scala continues with its successful project to decentralise performances, scattering the orchestra, chorus, corps de ballet and its ballet school students in various locations around Milan – and it … [Read more...] about La Scala in città – Milan’s opera house offers five days of free events
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 … [Read more...] about In with the old – La Scala returns to Nureyev’s Sleeping Beauty
Lescaut almost steals the show among excellent performances in Manon at La Scala
I wonder how many reviews of Manon start by appraising the portrayal of Lescaut. A very important character of course, but certainly he has less plot points or stage time than Des Grieux and the … [Read more...] about Lescaut almost steals the show among excellent performances in Manon at La Scala
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 … [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 … [Read more...] about Photo album: first look at Heinz Spoerli’s Goldberg Variations at La Scala
La Scala’s fired ballerina, and eating-disorder author, Mary Garret on her first year back with the company
In 2016, Mary Garret walked through the artists’ entrance at La Scala, ready to take daily class again with the company that had fired her four years previously. The ballerina Mariafrancesca … [Read more...] about La Scala’s fired ballerina, and eating-disorder author, Mary Garret on her first year back with the company
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 … [Read more...] about Proscaenium’s Gran Gala with the best of Italy’s dancing talent
Balanchine saves the day – a triple bill at La Scala: La Valse, Symphony in C and Scheherazade
An odd evening at La Scala saw Balanchine’s pure, sparkling choreography for Symphony in C sandwiched between two new contemporary creations on music which has already had phenomenally successful … [Read more...] about Balanchine saves the day – a triple bill at La Scala: La Valse, Symphony in C and Scheherazade
La Scala Ballet returns to Paris with Ratmansky’s Swan Lake
After the success in Milan before the summer, La Scala now takes Alexei Ratmansky’s Swan Lake to Paris for six performances at the Palais des Congrès. The production was coproduced with the Opernhaus … [Read more...] about La Scala Ballet returns to Paris with Ratmansky’s Swan Lake
Martina Arduino in Ratmansky’s Swan Lake – a ballet star is born at La Scala?
If you visit NASA’s website, they define a protostar as the “hot core at the heart of the collapsing cloud that will one day become a star”. 19-year-old Martina Arduino, who graduated from La Scala’s … [Read more...] about Martina Arduino in Ratmansky’s Swan Lake – a ballet star is born at La Scala?
Sarah Lamb makes her début at La Scala with Claudio Coviello in Manon
La Scala sometimes lets down its audience by casting a ‘local’ dancer when the star has cancelled. I apologise if I'm upsetting some of the company, but this is often a deluding experience resulting … [Read more...] about Sarah Lamb makes her début at La Scala with Claudio Coviello in Manon
Cello Suites at La Scala: the good news and the bad news…
First the good news… The La Scala ballet company is in formidable shape. Makhar Vaziev and his team have nurtured many interesting talents and a piece to show off some of their qualities is surely … [Read more...] about Cello Suites at La Scala: the good news and the bad news…
Nutcracker-lite at La Scala – très chic Casse-noisette from Geneva
What a disappointment was La Scala's new Nutcracker. A shimmering front-cloth announced "Lo schiaccianoci" as though written in the stars, Tchaikovsky's bewitching overture started and there was that … [Read more...] about Nutcracker-lite at La Scala – très chic Casse-noisette from Geneva
A magical Natalia Osipova with Claudio Coviello in Romeo and Juliet
Natalia Osipova took my breath away with her extraordinary portrayal of Juliet in Kenneth MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet at Teatro della Scala. The whole company shone, the soloists were excellent, and … [Read more...] about A magical Natalia Osipova with Claudio Coviello in Romeo and Juliet