Magic at the Prima della Scala in Milan, with the curtain that has opened up ‘Macbeth’ by Giuseppe Verdi for the inauguration of the 2021/2022 opera season of the most famous opera house in the world: 12 minutes of applause at the end of the performance of the drama on power (even if it is not a record in the Scaligero applause meter, which is 20 minutes conquered by the 1996 Premiere of Christoph Willibald Gluck’s ‘Armide’).
Under the perfect direction of maestro Riccardo Chailly, the “poker of aces” of singing conquered the audience thanks to the superb interpretation of a stellar cast composed of Luca Salsi (Macbeth), Anna Netrebko (Lady Macbeth), Francesco Meli (Macduff) and Ildar Abdrazakarov (Banco). “Wonderful voices, the whole cast was very good and Anna Netrebko was simply wonderful”, commented the great tenor. Placido Domingo who just today celebrated the 52nd year of his debut in Milan.
A First of the Covid era, with green pass and compulsory mask for the public, which was also marked by an initial ovation for the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella: all standing for an applause – this indeed a record – 6 minutes long and punctuated by the request for an “encore” at the address of the tenant of the Quirinale by the audience and the loggionists.
Completely abandoning the filter of costumed representation, the exhibition recounted the cities of our time, sanctuaries of wealth and domination yet fragile and exposed to obscure threats; city whose perspectives multiply and are reflected as in the film “Inception” by Christopher Nolan (2010) – declared directorial quote – images of a tortuous unconscious, of a lost self.
Giò Forma’s scenes show a skyline that refers to that of the great American cities, New York or Chicago, with their panorama of skyscrapers; in the interiors the same metropolitan dimension, enriched with references to the classics of twentieth-century architecture, from Frank Lloyd Wright to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Among these, a precise reference to Milan stood out with a tribute to Piero Portaluppi, who marked the Milanese urban landscape with buildings such as the Palazzo of the Buonarroti-Carpaccio-Giotto company in Porta Venezia and Villa Necchi Campiglio.
“‘Macbeth comes to the conclusion of the young Verdi’s triptych, a trilogy that began with’ Joan of Arc ‘in 2015 and continued with’ Attila ‘in 2018 – explained Maestro Chailly – It is a choice that underlines not only the value of the work but the circumstance, this moment of great difficulty and uncertainty in which we all live “.
Luca Salsi returned to Piermarini for his fourth 7 December with Chailly after ‘Andrea Chénier’, ‘Tosca’ and the evening “A riveder le stelle”, together with superstar Anna Netrebko: for the soprano it was the fifth time at La Scala for Sant’Ambrogio, approaching the 6 times record of Maria Callas and Mirella Freni. And for Lady Macbeth it was the hottest and most prolonged ovation. “I am happy and satisfied, it was a great performance”, commented Netrebko.
the Scaliger superintendent Dominique Meyer said he was “lucky” to have been able to set up a similar event, in such difficult times as the ones we are experiencing: “Many theaters are closed. I am thinking of the Wiener Staatsoper, in Munich, Leipzig, Dresden . We are lucky to have staged the Premiere, it is something that has a miracle “.
The Giorgio Armani theater, partner of the Premiere, who created the floral décor of the central stage and of the Piermarini room ‘dressing up’. And King Giorgio, the most famous Italian designer in the world, was the protagonist of the foyer with his guests.
Nourished the parterre of guests. Among the first to arrive at La Scala, where the superintendent of the Theater Dominique Meyer did the house honors, Giorgio Armani in a tuxedo, accompanied by his granddaughters Roberta and Silvana and by the models Greta Ferro and Barbara Palvin, dressed in two Armani Privé creations. Then also the virologist Roberto Burioni, the president of Mediaset Fedele Confalonieri and the singer-songwriter Cesare Cremonini, accompanied by his mother, also in Armani.
In the royal box, together with the Head of State Sergio Mattarella, accompanied by his daughter Laura, dressed in Armani, and the President of the Senate, Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, the mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala, the governor of Lombardy, Attilio Fontana and the prefect of Milan, Renato Saccone. Among the institutional presences there is also the senator for life and habitué of La Scala, Liliana Segre.
The parterre of the guests at Piermarini, including big finance, ministers and VIPs, from Pier Carlo Padoan and Andrea Orcel, respectively president and CEO of UniCredit, the president of Abi Antonio Patuelli, the former CEO of Intesa Sanpaolo Enrico Cucchiani, Giovanni Bazoli, Gabriele Galateri di Genola, president of Generali, the president of Confindustria Carlo Bonomi. Various presences from the world of politics, such as the Minister of Culture, Dario Franceschini and his wife Michela Di Biase, the Minister of Education, Patrizio Bianchi and the former prime minister and senator for life Mario Monti with his wife Elsa.
Among the guests also the president of Rai Marinella Soldi and the CEO of viale Mazzini Carlo Fuortes. In the guest list the three most successful contemporary Italian artists: Maurizio Cattelan, Francesco Vezzoli and Gianmaria Tosatti. With them also another great name of Italian art, Emilio Isgrò. Among the VIPs stand out the dancer Roberto Bolle, the tenor Placido Domingo, the soprano Serena Gamberoni, the tenor Yusif Eyvazov and the composer Fabio Vacchi and the singer Manuel Agnelli with his wife. A lot of worldliness present, including the actress Cristina Marino and her husband the actor Luca Argentero dressed in Armani, the conductor Alessandro Cattelan and his wife Ludovica Sauer.
(by Paolo Martini and Federica Mochi)