Salome en el Teatro alla Scala de Milán

Foto: Brescia & Amisano

Massimo Viazzo

En una palabra: ¡inquietante! Así estuvo Salome con la puesta en escena de Damiano Michieletto en el Teatro alla Scala, en la primera nueva producción después del confinamiento, y que fuera probada de manera parcial el año pasado.  El director de escena véneto confeccionó un espectáculo dramáticamente eficaz en el que el simbolismo y la psicología viajaban hombro con hombro. Esta Salome debe entenderse como una verdadera hermana de Elektra, una Salome que en los abusos y más abusos sufridos desde su juventud encontró la fuente para alimentar su histérica exaltación. Michieletto no inventó ni distorsionó nada del libreto diseñado por Oscar Wilde, si no que logró un trabajo de análisis en el subconsciente de Salome, que nunca, como en este espectáculo, hizo que emergieran sus propios impulsos de la monstruosidad vivida en su adolescencia.  El espectáculo debió ser dirigido musicalmente por Zubin Mehta (quien debutó con esta ópera en la Scala en 1974) pero su estado de salud lo obligó a renunciar.  Fue así como tuvo que salir al podio Riccardo Chailly que por primera vez dirigió esta obra maestra de Strauss en forma escénica. Aquí, Chailly firmó una de las conducciones más eficaces que se le hayan escuchado en Milán. El director milanés concertó la ópera con gran transparencia, extrema atención a la trama interna, exaltando también los aspectos camerísticos y calibrando a la perfección los puntos culminantes, con orquesta completa. Cierto que se trató de una dirección de impronta sinfónica, pero nada menos que estuvo muy atenta al dramatismo que ocurría sobre el escenario. Extraordinaria estuvo la intérprete del papel principal, Elena Stikhina, que dio vida a una Salome muy bien cantada desde la primera hasta la última nota, con vigorosa voz de buena entonación, firme y con un timbre claro, que complementó con una seductora presencia escénica. Quizás no sea una voz voluminosa, pero estuvo muy bien proyectada. Una agradable sorpresa en su debut scaligero. El Jochanaan de Wolfgang Koch pareció un poco estentóreo, aunque estuvo robusto y seguro. Gerhard Siegel delineó un Herodes menos caricaturesco, con timbre penetrante y convicción, mientras que Linda Watson se mostró como una experta y algo lasciva Herodes.  Esta Salome será sin dudas repuesta en una futura temporada, cuando el público pueda finalmente volver a la sala del Piermarini, y será una cita que no debe perderse.

Salome di Strauss - Teatro alla Scala, Milano

Foto: Brescia & Amisano

Massimo Viazzo

In una parola: conturbante! Ecco come è stata la Salome messa in scena da Damiano Michieletto al Teatro alla Scala, prima nuova produzione dopo il lockdown, e già parzialmente provata circa un anno fa. Il regista veneto ha confezionato uno spettacolo drammaticamente efficace, in cui simbolismo e psicologia viaggiavano a braccetto. Questa Salome è da intendere come vera sorella di Elektra, una Salome che negli abusi e soprusi subiti in gioventù trova la fonte per alimentare la sua esaltazione isterica. Michieletto non inventa e non stravolge nulla del libretto tratto da Oscar Wilde, ma compie una lavoro di analisi nel subconscio di Salome, che mai come in questo spettacolo sembra far scaturire le proprie pulsioni dal mostruoso vissuto adolescenziale. Lo spettacolo avrebbe dovuto essere diretto da Zubin Mehta (che con quest'opera debuttò alla Scala nel 1974) ma le sue condizioni di salute l'hanno costretto a rinunciare. E' salito così sul podio Riccardo Chailly che per la prima volta dirigeva il capolavoro straussiano in forma scenica. E Chailly ha firmato una delle sue direzioni più efficaci ascoltate qui a Milano. Il direttore milanese ha concertato l'opera con grande trasparenza, estrema attenzione alle trame interne, esaltandone anche l'aspetto cameristico, ma sapendo calibrare alla perfezione anche i punti culminanti con l'orchestra al completo. Una direzione di impronta sinfonica certo, ma nondimeno attentissima a ciò che succedeva drammaticamente sul palco. Straordinaria l'interprete del ruolo principale. Elena Stikhina ha dato vita ad una Salome molto ben cantata dalla prima all'ultima nota, con voce gagliarda, intonatissima, ferma, con timbrica limpida, e sorretta da una presenza scenica seducente; voce forse non voluminosissima ma certamente molto ben proiettata. Una bella sorpresa per questo che era il suo debutto scaligero. Il Jochanaan di Wolfgang Koch è parso un po' stentoreo, seppur robusto e sicuro. Gerhard Siegel ha tratteggiato un Herodes meno caricaturale, con timbrica penetrante e piglio, mentre Linda Watson è stata una Herodias esperta e giustamente un po' lasciva. Questa Salome sarà senz'altro ripresa in una prossima stagione quando il pubblico potrò tornare finalmente tornare nella sala del Piermarini. E sarà un appuntamento immancabile!

La Scala’s programming for February and March 2021

Ph: Teatro alla Scala - Covid Hanninen

La Scala’s programming for February and March 2021

Salome conducted by Zubin Mehta, a Weill diptych conducted by Music Director Riccardo Chailly with Irina Brook directing, Rossini's Stabat Mater conducted by Myung-Whun Chung, and a concert conducted by Nicola Luisotti, are among the highlights of the La Scala calendar, alongside the ballet's tributes to Nureyev and to contemporary choreographers. The La Scala program until March includes fifteen appointments from 20th February to 27th March including opera, ballet, concerts and masterclasses. In addition to the consolidated collaboration with Rai Cultura, there will also be streaming on the Theatre's channels.

 Opera

There are two new opera productions: the previously announced Salome, conducted by Zubin Mehta and directed by Damiano Michieletto on February 20th, will be joined on March 18th by a diptych of Kurt Weill’s Die sieben Todsünden and Mahagonny-Songspiel, conducted by Music Director Riccardo Chailly, directed by Irina Brook and featuring Kate Lindsay. Throughout his musical life Maestro Chailly has explored the 20th century repertoire in depth, but he has never conducted Kurt Weill, an indispensable author in the history of the 20th century who has been rarely performed at La Scala.

The Ballet

On Thursday, February 25th at 9.15 p.m., Rai Cultura will broadcast the evening Great Moments of Dance, recorded in December 2020, as a TV premiere on its channel Rai 5. This will be followed by two further evenings in streaming: a Tribute to Nureyev with some of his most spectacular choreographic creations entrusted to the La Scala dancers on February 28th, preceded by two masterclasses held by the Ballet Director Manuel Legris - who was chosen by Nureyev as étoile at the Paris Opera - on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th at 7 p.m.; and an evening dedicated to contemporary choreographers on Saturday 27th March, also preceded by two masterclasses on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th.  

The Symphonic Season

On  March 5th Myung-Whun Chung conducts the Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala in Joseph Haydn's Trauersymphonie and Gioachino Rossini’s Stabat Mater with Eleonora Buratto, Veronica Simeoni, René Barbera and Andrea Mastroni: this concert marks the return to full activity of the Teatro alla Scala Chorus conducted by Bruno Casoni. Nicola Luisotti is on the podium on Wednesday March 24th for a concert dedicated to the Italian repertoire with soprano Maria Agresta and tenor Francesco Meli.

The Recitals

The Recitals begin with the comeback to La Scala of tenor Vittorio Grigolo on Monday February 22th with pianist Vincent Scalera with a programme of opera arias and chamber songs from Donizetti and Verdi to Gounod, Massenet and Tosti. On Sunday March 7th baritone Ludovic Tézier and Helmut Deutsch will perform Lieder and mélodies ranging from Schubert, Schumann and Liszt to Mozart, Ibert, Fauré and Berlioz. On Sunday March 14th, a few days before she takes on the role of Anna I and Bessie in the diptych directed by Riccardo Chailly, Kate Lindsay offers an evening of songs by Kurt Weill accompanied by pianist Baptiste Trotignon. Finally, Aleksandra Kurzak will record with pianist Marek Ruszczynski and violist Tomasz Wabnic a recital with music by Chopin, Schumann, Brahms and Tchaikovsky, which will be broadcast on April 4th.

Extraordinary concerts

On Saturday February 27th, La Scala hosts the winner of the 2019 Busoni Competition, Emanuil Ivanov, in an extraordinary concert, underscoring the joint commitment of the Theatre and the Competition to give online visibility to young talents, particularly penalised by the restrictions caused by the pandemic; the program features Busoni, Ravel and Skrjabin.

 

 

 

 

Chick Corea, jazz great with 23 Grammy Awards, dies at 79

Photo: Getty Images / Jakubaszek

Chick Corea, a towering jazz pianist with a staggering 23 Grammy Awards who pushed the boundaries of the genre and worked alongside Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, has died. He was 79. Corea died Tuesday February 9, 2021 of a rare form of cancer. A prolific artist with dozens of albums, Corea in 1968 replaced Herbie Hancock in Miles Davis’ group, playing on the landmark albums “In a Silent Way” and “Bitches Brew.” He formed his own avant-garde group, Circle, and then founded Return to Forever. He worked on many other projects, including duos with Hancock and vibraphonist Gary Burton. He recorded and performed classical music, standards, solo originals, Latin jazz and tributes to great jazz pianists. Corea was named a National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Master in 2006. He was a member of the Church of Scientology and lived in Clearwater, Florida. He regularly won the title of Jazz Artist of the Year from Downbeat Magazine. In addition to his Grammy wins, Corea also had four Latin Grammy wins. The Latin Recording Academy called him “a virtuosic pianist and one of the most prominent Latin jazz musicians of all times.” The Blue Note jazz club in New York City simply called him “irreplaceable.” Drummer Sheila E. took to Twitter to mourn. “This man changed my life thru his music and we were able to play together many times. I was very fortunate to call him my family,” she wrote “Chick, you are missed dearly, your music and brilliant light will live on forever.” Last year, Corea released the double album “Plays,” which captured him solo at various concerts armed simply with his piano.The double album was a peek into Corea’s musical heart, containing songs he wrote about the innocence of children decades ago as well as tunes by Mozart, Thelonious Monk and Stevie Wonder, among others. Corea is the artist with the most jazz Grammys in the show’s 63-year history, and he has a chance to posthumously win at the March 14 show, where he’s nominated for best improvised jazz solo for “All Blues” and best jazz instrumental album for “Trilogy 2.”Corea was born in Massachusetts and began piano lessons at 4. But he bristled at formal education and dropped out of both Columbia University and the Juilliard School. He began his career as a sideman. Late last year, Corea had two commissions: A trombone concerto for the New York Philharmonic and a percussion concerto for the Philadelphia Orchestra. He’s also started teaching online, creating the Chick Corea Academy to offer his views on music and share the opinions of others, take questions and chat with guests. He hopes his students will explore their freedom of expression and think for themselves. Corea is survived by his wife, Gayle Moran, and a son Thaddeus.  AP