(by Pierpaolo Lio).
One of the least performed of
Verdi's works from his youth, 'Giovanna d'Arco' will be opening
the 2015/16 season for La Scala.
The opera is returning after a 150-year absence under the
direction of Riccardo Chailly, for an innovative a post-Expo
line-up aiming to "rediscover" works that have long been off the
playbill and showcase the debut of young directors, managers and
actors.
The focus on the future will reach a peak with the 'Die
Zauberflote' Mozart project with the young artists from the
Accademia, conducted by Peter Stei and under the direction of
Adam Fischer, on his return to Milan after an almost 20-year
absence.
"This is a project that makes me sweat a bit, but which I
think will be something interesting, a project like no other in
the world," said superintendent Alexander Pereira.
Fifteen works - more than any other year except for the
special X1 season for the Expo - including seven Italian works
are lined up for the season, as well as six ballets and the
symphonic season.
Together, these represent what Chailly calls a "response to
those who were concerned that the theater might become too
Milan-centric".
After the work by the young Verdi - with the voices of Anna
Netrebko, Francesco Meli and Carlos Alvarez and directed by
Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier - the season continues with
another Verdi, 'Rigoletto', with the historic staging by Gillo
Dorfles and set design by Ezio Frigerio.
The direction will be by the Finnish Mikko Franck, "one of
the greatest musical talents in the world, for the first time at
the Scala," said Pereira.
Other Verdi works to be staged this season are 'I Due
Foscari' - with musical director Michele Mariotti and Placido
Domingo alternating with Luca Salsi, the tenor Francesco Meli
and the debut of the young soprano Anna Pirozzi.
Also included are 'Simon Boccanegra', directed by
Myung-Whun Chung, also with Domingo, which "will probably go on
tour to Seoul, Taipei and Moscow," said Pereira.
Other Italian features will be 'La Cena della Beffe' by
Umberto Giordano, Puccini's 'La Fanciulla del West' with
director Graham Vick, and Claudio Monteverdi's
'L'Incoronazione'.
The international opening includes the Salzburg production
of 'Der Rosenkavalier' by Strauss - conducted by Zubin Mehta and
directed by Harry Kupfer - and the new productions 'Fin de
Partie' by Gyorgy Kurtag, with which La Scala "opens up to a
large contemporary production".
Also included are 'Porgy and Bess' by George Gershwin,
which returns in a semi-scenic version under the direction of
Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
Kasper Holten will debut with Benjamin Britten's 'The Turn
of the Screw' while a director not yet thirty years old,
Frederic Wake-Walker, is behind a new production of Mozart's 'Le
Nozze di Figaro'.
The program also calls for 'Il Trionfo del Tempo e del
Disinganno', an implementation of the plan for a La Scala
orchestral ensemble for the Baroque repertory, and 'L'Enfant et
les Sortileges' performed alongside with Ravel's 'L'Heure
Espagnole' and directed by Marc Minkowski.
For ballet, the season will include 'Cinderella', 'Il
Giardino degli Amanti', 'Il Lago dei Cigni' - all three new
productions.
Also watch for 'Lo Schiaccianoci', 'Don Chisciotte', and
'Giselle'.
The 'Grandi Spettacoli per Piccoli' project will include
the works 'Cenerentola' and 'Il Flauto Magico', the ballet 'Lo
Schiaccianoci' and five concerts.
There will also be a season ticket for those under age 30
called 'LiberoUnder30' for three either operas, ballets or
concerts; and the return of the ScalAperta, which offers 11
opera performances and six ballets for half price.
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