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Wednesday, May 27, 2026

LA PHIL appoints Daniel Harding as its next music director

Daniel Harding, Photo by Polly Brown

Kim Noltemy, LA Phil President & Chief Executive Officer and David C. Bohnett CEO Chair, and Jason Subotky, LA Phil Board Chair, announced today the appointment of Daniel Harding as the next Music Director of the LA Phil. Harding’s tenure will begin in the 2027/28 season.

As Music Director, Harding will oversee the orchestral programming across the organization, including its presentations at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford, along with Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA). He will lead the LA Phil's ambitious commitment to commissioning new works and expanding the orchestra’s global presence through touring, media projects, and new ventures for international collaboration and cultural exchange. Harding will conduct eight weeks of programming in his inaugural 2027/28 season, increasing to 12 weeks of programming in subsequent years.

Noltemy said, “We are immensely proud to welcome Daniel Harding as the LA Phil’s next Music Director, following an extensive search led by a committee of our musicians, board, and staff. He is greatly admired by the orchestra and was the overwhelming choice based on their feedback. His intellectual curiosity, passion for bringing in and engaging with new audiences, global perspective and talent for nurturing emerging voices directly align with the LA Phil’s mission and vision. We are eager for Daniel to join our leadership team and open new pathways for creativity, collaboration and connection with our audiences and our city.”

Daniel Harding said, “Making music with the magnificent LA Phil musicians is a thrill and an inspiration. Over recent years, the LA Phil has developed something extraordinary that cannot be manufactured: a kind of institutional charisma. That expands the vision of what you ask when thinking about what comes next, for the orchestra, for Los Angeles, for music and for our community.” Harding continued, “Perhaps the hardest task in music is to take something already exceptional and to help it grow further. Inheriting an orchestra with a tradition that includes Giulini and Mehta and shaped most recently by Esa-Pekka and Gustavo is an extraordinary gift. So many great artists have found possibilities here that don’t exist anywhere else, and I come to California full of excitement for what we will discover and create together.”

With this appointment, Harding will spearhead the LA Phil’s evolving artistic leadership team, comprised of the recent additions of Creative Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, Conductor-in-Residence Anna Handler and Gustavo Dudamel, who last week was appointed to the new positions of Artistic and Cultural Laureate of the LA Phil and Founding Director and Conductor Laureate of YOLA. The group joins longtime Creative Chair John Adams, Creative Chair for Jazz Herbie Hancock, Artist Collaborator Emmanuelle Haïm, Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra Thomas Wilkins, and Conductor Emeritus Zubin Mehta. Within the next year, this illustrious assembly will be completed with the appointments of two new positions: Creative Chair for Latin Music, representing the LA Phil’s continued investment in supporting Latin artists; and Creative Chair for Film, fostering deeper connections between the worlds of film and music.

Subotky added, “Out of the remarkable group of conductors we considered, Daniel Harding stood out through the magical connection he formed with our musicians and audiences. His conducting genius has been widely hailed since the start of his career, and we are equally impressed by his vision for the role of Music Director in Los Angeles and his desire to connect to our community. We are thrilled to welcome Daniel to the LA Phil family.”

Among Harding’s stated priorities is a deep investment in YOLA, with plans underway for an international YOLA tour marking the Frank Gehry centennial in 2029. The LA Phil will also expand access to music education with a commitment to LA County public schools, including performances and interactive workshops designed to expose young people to the power of learning through music, with a focus on schools with dual-language education programs.

Harding is acclaimed for his artistic leadership and craftsmanship, building the standards and reputations of the orchestras with which he has worked through his rigor, dynamism and creativity. His repertoire is wide-ranging, from award-winning recordings of baroque music through to countless premieres of new works. He is recognized for his interpretations of works from across the symphonic spectrum, from Mahler, Mozart and Britten to contemporary composers such as Thomas Adès and Unsuk Chin. As a renowned opera conductor, Harding will bring his experience from great opera houses to the stages in LA, committing to boundary-pushing collaborations and presenting semi-staged operas and works beyond the concert hall aimed at illuminating and demystifying music for new audiences.

Daniel Harding is currently Music Director of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. He was the Artistic and Music Director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and following his tenure was named Conductor Laureate of both orchestras. He previously served as Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra for ten years. In 2024, he succeeded Yo-Yo Ma as leader of a Pan-Asian youth orchestra program (YMCG) in China.

“Daniel brings an exceptional level of focus and musical insight to his work,” said John Lofton, bass trombone of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and member of the Music Director search committee. “As musicians, we value his clarity, his respect for the orchestra, and the way he invites us into the music. There’s a real sense of shared purpose in what he does, and that’s energizing for all of us.”

Dudamel said, “I have a deep admiration for Daniel's artistry, and for the profound connection he has built with the musicians of the LA Phil over the years. I'm confident that the brilliance, heart and limitless talent of this orchestra, which has inspired me for so many years, will be in good hands under his musical leadership as they build new worlds of sound together."

Salonen said, "Daniel is absolutely one of the most important conductors of our time. With his appointment as Music Director, the orchestra has put a key piece of its artistic leadership in place. My hope is that the beauty, optimism and openness of Los Angeles prove as transformative for Daniel as it has been for me. I look forward to collaborating with him well into the future."

Handler said, “One of the reasons I joined the artistic leadership team at the LA Phil was the vision of forging a brilliant, multifaceted creative team that is unprecedented in our field. With Daniel, as well as Gustavo, Esa-Pekka, Emmanuelle and John Adams — artists whom I respect deeply for their unconditional service to our art form - there’s no limit to the spectacular things we can imagine and create together for our audiences.”

In the LA Phil’s 2026/27 season, Harding will lead the Brahms Second Piano Concerto with Leif Ove Andsnes, Leonard Bernstein’s “Jeremiah” symphony with mezzo-soprano Avery Amereau and Betsy Jolas’s Latest in November 2026, and a program featuring Thomas Adès’s The Exterminating Angel Symphony and Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra in January 2027.

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Photo: DECCA

ABOUT DANIEL HARDING

Daniel Harding was born in Oxford in 1975. As a teenager, he persuaded his school friends to play for him — not Mozart or Haydn, but fiercely complex twentieth-century music. Simon Rattle was impressed enough to invite him to Birmingham as his assistant. Claudio Abbado brought him to Berlin shortly after. He came to international attention in 1998 when he conducted Don Giovanni at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in a Peter Brook production. He was twenty-two. His subsequent career was built on long relationships rather than the rapid accumulation of engagements. Nineteen years with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Decades with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, which he helped found. Ten years as Principal Guest Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. More than thirty years of appearances with the Berlin Philharmonic, and more than twenty with the Vienna Philharmonic. He served as Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris before taking up his current position at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, one of the world’s oldest musical institutions. Beginning with the 2027/28 season he becomes Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He is a Grammy winner and an airline pilot for a major European carrier. A Commander of the British Empire, Daniel Harding is also an Officer of the French Order of Arts and Letters and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.

Elim Chan Named Next SF Symphony Music Director

The San Francisco Symphony today announced that Elim Chan will become the Orchestra’s next Music Director, beginning in September 2027. Chan will be the 13th Music Director in the San Francisco Symphony’s 115-year history when she takes the post in the 2027–28 season for an initial six-year term. One of the most sought-after artists of her generation, Elim Chan embodies the spirit of contemporary orchestral leadership with her crystalline precision and expressive zeal.

In September 2027, Elim Chan begins her tenure as Music Director, leading the Orchestra in a minimum of 10 weeks of programming, including the Opening Gala and All San Francisco concert. From the 2028–29 season onward, she will conduct a minimum of 10 subscription weeks, as well as Opening Week, with an additional three weeks devoted to special projects such as touring and SoundBox.

“In Elim Chan, we have found a musician of unusual gifts and a leader of equal substance—a rare combination, and the one behind her remarkable international rise,” said San Francisco Symphony Chief Executive Officer Matthew Spivey. “What sets her apart on the podium is the conviction she brings to the music itself. Works orchestras have played a hundred times sound newly made under her hand, lit by a feeling for structure, color, and emotional architecture that audiences hear before they can name. Just as distinctive is the company she keeps with living composers. She does not simply program new music—she lives inside it, shaping what the canon can become by advocating for it. Her artistry sits naturally inside the San Francisco Symphony's lineage—an orchestra long known for its sound, its appetite for new work, and its conviction that the great repertoire is something to be tested and reanimated, not preserved under glass. She brings the strength, empathy, and intellectual rigor that orchestral leadership demands today, and the generosity to be an effective partner with our musicians, our board, and our community in the work ahead. Her arrival opens new territory for this great American orchestra.”

“The San Francisco Symphony is one of the truly great orchestras of the world, and I am honored to take the podium as its next Music Director," said San Francisco Symphony Music Director Designate Elim Chan. “From my very first encounter with this orchestra, I have been genuinely struck by the generosity of its musicians—exemplified in their sound, their music-making, and in their spirit. The Bay Area has long been the place where the future gets invented. This orchestra carries that same restless, forward-looking energy in everything it does. Stepping into the rich legacy of my distinguished predecessors, it is this exact spirit that I want to nurture and explore every single night, together with these incredible musicians. I also look forward immensely to interacting with the San Francisco Symphony’s audiences and my new community as we begin this exciting journey together.”

"Elim Chan is a truly extraordinary human being who makes music with creativity, dynamism, and personality,” said San Francisco Symphony Principal Bass Scott Pingel. “Her appointment in San Francisco marks a new beginning in the illustrious history of this great cultural institution, and I look forward to the joy our collaboration will bring to our beloved audiences at home and beyond.”

“From Elim Chan’s first rehearsal with the San Francisco Symphony, it was clear she is an extraordinary musician and an original interpreter with a distinct artistic voice,” said San Francisco Symphony Assistant Principal Second Violin Jessie Fellows. “She brings passion, imagination, and a deeply communicative approach that I find incredibly inspiring. Her vision and artistry feel especially aligned with San Francisco’s spirit of innovation, curiosity, and possibility.”

“Elim brings a vibrant and exciting presence to the podium,” said San Francisco Symphony Principal Oboe Eugene Izotov. “Her artistic vision resonates with the spirit of San Francisco, blending tradition, curiosity, and humanity. I look forward to our new journey together.”

“San Francisco has always thrived on bold vision and reinvention, and in Elim Chan we have exactly the Music Director this moment calls for,” said San Francisco Symphony Board of Governors Chair Priscilla B. Geeslin. “She brings a rare combination of energy, imagination, and openness, along with a natural ability to engage deeply with musicians, audiences, and the spirit of our city alike—qualities that will be central to this next chapter. Her creative vision and leadership, paired with the artistry and excellence of our musicians, create a powerful opportunity to realize something truly extraordinary. In the spirit of E.M. Forster’s ‘Only connect,’ her values embody the importance of forging meaningful connections—between music and audiences, artists and city. It all feels perfectly aligned with where San Francisco is today and where it is going. We are truly fortunate to welcome Elim Chan to the San Francisco Symphony at this pivotal time.”

Elim Chan was recently appointed Artistic Partner with the Vienna Symphony for the 2026–27 and 2027–28 seasons, following her designation as Portrait Artist at the Musikverein in the 2022–23 season. Chan served as Principal Conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra from 2019–2024 and Principal Guest Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra between 2018–2023.  

Chan made her San Francisco Symphony debut during the 2022–23 season, conducting a program that included the world premiere of Elizabeth Ogonek’s Moondog, a Symphony commission, which Joshua Kosman (San Francisco Chronicle) called, “a dynamic and splendidly controlled debut.” Subsequent appearances, including performances of Britten’s Les Illuminations and Holst’s The Planets and an all-Tchaikovsky program, also garnered critical praise. Following her second conducting appearance in October 2023, Kosman proclaimed that Chan is “the real deal.” “For one thing,” he continued, “Chan … projects a degree of physical authority from the podium that is rare to witness. All she has to do is raise her arms and the orchestra responds with torrents of finely shaped sounds, as if she were some kind of Wagnerian superhero bending the sonic environment to her will. At the same time, she leaves plenty of space for eloquent turns of phrase and the slight fluctuations in rhythm that make music sound truly alive.”

Of her March 2025 all-Tchaikovsky program, Michael Zwiebach (San Francisco Classical Voice, San Francisco Chronicle) noted, “It’s clear by now that conductor Elim Chan can bring out the best in a top-rank orchestra. … Chan clearly works from a detailed conception of the score, but what the audience sees is a conductor who is as communicative as a dancer. … Her hand and arm movements are connected to her body’s core, and she stretches and bends with the musical phrases.”

Upcoming concerts with the San Francisco Symphony feature Debussy’s La Mer and Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’été with mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke in June 2026, and a program pairing choral works of Brahms and Arvo Pärt with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto alongside Renaud Capuçon, and the first SF Symphony performances of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic Symphony, in October 2026.  

A sought-after guest conductor, Chan will make her Berlin Philharmonic debut in the 2026–27 season, alongside first appearances with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra, and Dallas Symphony Orchestra. She conducts her first staged opera with John Adams’s Doctor Atomic at Zurich Opera House in a new production.  In 2028, she will make her Vienna Philharmonic debut.

Recent debuts and upcoming re-invitations include leading orchestras such as the Boston Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Pittsburgh Symphony in the United States, and the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin, Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, Munich Philharmonic, Bamberg Symphony, Orchestre de Paris, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and Toronto Symphony internationally.  

Chan appeared at both the Lucerne and Salzburg festivals and conducted the First Night of the Proms with the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 2024 and returned in 2025 to conduct the Last Night of the Proms. With the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, she recorded All These Lighted Things for Alpha Classics, pairing the titular Elizabeth Ogonek work with works by Prokofiev and Ravel.  

Born in Hong Kong, Elim Chan studied at Smith College in Massachusetts and at the University of Michigan. In 2014, she became the first female winner of the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition and went on to spend her 2015–16 season as Assistant Conductor at the London Symphony Orchestra, where she worked closely with Valery Gergiev. In the following season, Chan joined the Dudamel Fellowship program of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She also owes much to the support and encouragement of Bernard Haitink, whose masterclasses she attended in Lucerne in 2015. 

San Francisco Symphony

The San Francisco Symphony is among the most adventurous and innovative arts institutions in the United States, celebrated for its artistic excellence, creative performance concepts, award-winning recordings, and standard-setting education and community engagement programs. Since it was established in 1911, the Symphony has grown in acclaim under a succession of distinguished music directors: Henry Hadley, Alfred Hertz, Basil Cameron, Issay Dobrowen, Pierre Monteux, Enrique Jordá, Josef Krips, Seiji Ozawa, Edo de Waart, Herbert Blomstedt, Michael Tilson Thomas, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and now Elim Chan. The San Francisco Symphony is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians and music lovers through a comprehensive range of educational programs. These include Fisher Family Adventures in Music (AIM) and Music and Mentors, which serve more than 25,000 San Francisco public school students annually; interactive youth and family concerts; heritage events; and the prestigious, tuition-free San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. With a reputation for artistic daring and a dedication to excellence, innovation, and community engagement, the San Francisco Symphony continues to shape the future of orchestral music, making a lasting impact on the cultural fabric of San Francisco and the world.  

San Francisco Symphony Music Directors 

Henry Hadley (1911–1915) 

Alfred Hertz (1915–1930) 

Basil Cameron (1930–1932) 

Issay Dobrowen (1930–1935)  

Pierre Monteux (1935–1952) 

Enrique Jordá (1954–1963) 

Josef Krips (1963–1970) 

Seiji Ozawa (1970–1977) 

Edo de Waart (1977–1985) 

Herbert Blomstedt (1985–1995)  

Michael Tilson Thomas (1995–2020) 

Esa-Pekka Salonen (2020–2025)

Elim Chan (2027– )

Elim Chan joins the San Francisco Symphony as Music Director Designate effective immediately, and conducts the Orchestra June 5 & 6 in a program including Richard Wagner’s Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde, Hector Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’été featuring mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke as soloist, and Claude Debussy’s La Mer. Tickets for these concerts are available now at sfsymphony.org/elimchan. Following the performance on Friday, June 5, all ticketholders are invited to a post-concert welcome celebration featuring complimentary live music, light food, and beverages.

San Francisco Symphony

San Francisco Symphony Music Directors 
Henry Hadley (1911–1915) 
Alfred Hertz (1915–1930) 
Basil Cameron (1930–1932) 
Issay Dobrowen (1930–1935)  
Pierre Monteux (1935–1952) 
Enrique Jordá (1954–1963) 
Josef Krips (1963–1970) 
Seiji Ozawa (1970–1977) 
Edo de Waart (1977–1985) 
Herbert Blomstedt (1985–1995)  
Michael Tilson Thomas (1995–2020) 
Esa-Pekka Salonen (2020–2025)
Elim Chan (2027– )

Monday, May 25, 2026

Nabucodonosor en Milán

Foto: Brescia & Amisano

Massimo Viazzo

La reciente producción de Nabucodonosor en el Teatro alla Scala de Milán se distinguió por su notable calidad. Nabucodonosor representa uno de los títulos más célebres de Verdi, constituyéndose como un icono musical no solo para el catálogo operístico del compositor como también para todo el melodrama italiano, y para el Teatro alla Scala mismo. Es conocido que después del fracaso de su segunda ópera Un giorno di regno, Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) después del fracaso de su segunda obra, Un giorno di regno, amagó llegar al punto de abandonar la carrera de compositor de ópera. El anecdotario narra como el musico se apasionó con el libreto de Temistocle Solera al que llegó a causa de situaciones fortuitas, después de que la pagina del libreto mismo iniciaba casualmente con el verso que iniciaba con las palabras Va, pensiero, sull’ali dorate. Si bien esta narración sea probablemente muy romantizada, es indudable que Verdi obtuvo una poderosa inspiración de las vicisitudes del pueblo perseguido, en el caso del libreto de Solera, que se trataba de los judíos bajo el dominio babilónico Tal situación luego adquirió una connotación simbólica durante el periodo del Risorgimento de mediados del siglo XIX, cuando los italianos combatían bajo el dominio austriaco. La ópera se afirmó como emblema de la Italia unida y continúa evocando intensas emociones, en particular hoy en dia, en un contexto histórico caracterizado por una escalada incontrolada de hostilidad entre los pueblos. Nabucodonosor tuvo su estreno en el Teatro alla Scala el 9 de marzo de 1942 y desde entonces permanece en su repertorio con el titulo abreviado Nabucco, que apareció por primera vez en 1844 con motivo de una reposición en Corfú. Entrando legítimamente en la imaginación colectiva, la obra es un título de referencia para el teatro milanés, donde se ha representado durante más de 200 funciones. Las representaciones del montaje actual fueron dedicadas a la memoria del maestro Gianandrea Gavazzeni en el trigésimo aniversario de su fallecimiento y a los sesenta años del Nabucco inaugural de la temporada 1966/67, en la que se estuvo en el podio dirigiendo un elenco estelar compuesto por Giangiacomo Guelfi, Elena Souliotis, Gianni Raimondi y Nicolai Ghiaurov. En la actual producción Nabucodonosor fue ejecutado con la edición critica curada por Roger Parker. Se señala la primera ejecución escénica moderna del divertissement compuesto por Giuseppe Verdi en la reposición de la ópera en el teatro de la Monnaie de Bruselas en 1848, y redescubierto en 2021 por el estudioso Knud Arne Jürgensen que hasta ahora había sido ejecutada exclusivamente en concierto. Por otro lado, quien ha seguido a lo largo de los años las propuestas de Riccardo Chailly en el Teatro alla Scala sabe que al director milanés le gusta presentar curiosidades y rarezas. El ballet, coreografiado con ironía por Danilo Rubeca e insertado al inicio del tercer acto justo después del coro È l’Assiria una regina, es una interesante primicia. Además, es oportuno destacar la privilegiada relación de Chailly con Giuseppe Verdi, de quien ha dirigido en el Piermarini: I masnadieri (1978), I due Foscari (1980), Rigoletto (2006), Aida (2006 y 2020), Misa de Réquiem (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2026), Giovanna d’Arco (2025), Attila (2018), Macbeth (2021), Don Carlo (2023) y La forza del destino (2024). Por lo tanto, Nabucodonosor representa una especie de punto de exclamación sobre su dirección musical scaligera, antes de que la misma le sea confiada en la próxima temporada a Myung-whun Chung. La interpretación de Riccardo Chailly se caracterizó por su singularidad interpretativa, representando una ruptura significativa con cierta tradición caracterizada por un enfoque agresivo, una exuberancia excesiva y un ritmo frenético. Chailly profundiza en la partitura, deja que la página respire, enfatiza los timbres instrumentales como si fueran voces de la psique y cincela los fraseos, todo ello con una sensibilidad artística que evita cualquier forma de banalidad o gratuidad. A Chailly no le importa el efecto por sí mismo. En consecuencia, su interpretación de Nabucodonosor se configuró como íntima y profunda, con la evolución narrativa que se desarrolla directamente desde las mentes disturbadas de los personajes. Aunque no careció de vigor, energía y potencia dramática, la característica distintiva de esta interpretación residió precisamente en la excavación psicológica. A través de un análisis profundo de la partitura verdiana, Riccardo Chailly declaró que Nabucodonosor le transmitió una intensa sensación de vértigo. Es precisamente ese vértigo que el director milanés supo transmitir a las voces, a la orquesta y al público. Chailly tocó en lo más profundo, emocionó, pero también supo ser arrollador y espectacular. Como bastante espectacular resultó la dirección de Alessandro Talevi. El director de escena sudafricano de origen italiano supo narrar una historia de poder, de abusos, de fanatismo y egopatía desmedida y patológica, temáticas tristemente actuales. La representación escénica se valió de efectos especiales, de movimientos acrobáticos y pirotécnicos (cuidados por Ran Arthur Braun) y de efectos ilusionistas y mágicos (a cargo de Masters of Magic) que, aunque a veces parecieron un poco previsibles (como la aparición de las llamas para subrayar a veces algún evento en escena), resultaron en otros casos más sugerentes (como la de los tres caballos mecánicos que arrastraban el carro dorado de Nabucco o el templo de Jerusalén que se recomponía inesperadamente en el último acto de la ópera). La asignación de identidades radicalmente opuestas a judíos y babilonios, tanto en términos de vestuario como de contexto narrativo, se mostró como una elección acertada. Para el pueblo judío, el templo de Jerusalén fue evocado a través de la representación de la majestuosa cúpula del Panteón de Roma. Los babilonios, por otro lado, fueron representados alrededor de una estructura de hierro que se elevaba en espiral hacia lo más alto, evocando la legendaria torre de Babel. El director concibió esta representación como una cruda metáfora de la contemporaneidad o, más precisamente, como imagen de una trágica historia universal que se perpetúa incesantemente. Por lo tanto, se debe agradecer al equipo técnico interno de la producción, con particular referencia a las escenografías y a los trajes realizados por Gary McCann, mientras que Marco Giusti asumió el papel de diseñador de video y responsable de la iluminación. En lo que respecta a la parte vocal, es oportuno destacar, antes que nada, la excepcional participación del Coro del Teatro alla Scala, galardonado este año con los Oper! Awards! prestigioso reconocimiento de la crítica alemana. Bajo la meticulosa dirección y preparación de Alberto Malazzi, el coro se distinguió como un verdadero protagonista. La presencia del coro en Nabucodonosor es, de hecho, una presencia constante a lo largo de toda la obra, incluso dentro de pasajes solistas, y culmina con el célebre Va, pensiero, interpretado en esta función con ligereza, fluidez, sin énfasis y con pudorosa emoción. Luca Salsi se impuso como el protagonista indiscutido de la noche. Al interpretar a Nabucodonosor, un personaje de notable complejidad, Salsi subrayó con eficacia, en la primera parte de la obra, la crueldad y la prepotencia del soberano. Posteriormente, el artista supo transmitir al público una gama de emociones contrapuestas, entre ellas la ira, y el miedo y, finalmente, profunda humanidad, confiriéndole al personaje una dimensión auténtica y envolvente. Salsi conoce como pocos el significado de la palabra escénica verdiana. Su interpretación se basó en el profundo análisis del sonido de la palabra y de los significados intrínsecos de cada frase del libreto, alcanzando una plena expresividad a través de un canto capaz de alternar momentos de prepotencia y arrogancia con momentos de mayor intimidad con el uso de las mezze voci. La voz de Salsi es amplia, además de que posee un canto esculpido y extremadamente comunicativo en el que el sonido de la palabra no se muestra menos importante que el sonido de las notas en el pentagrama. A su lado, Anna Netrebko personificó a Abigaille con voz oscura, timbre aterciopelado, proyección vocal constante y gran dedicación interpretativa. La suya fue una Abigaille exaltada y atormentada. La soprano rusa dominó, aunque haciendo un poco de esfuerzo, su temible parte vocal, pero salió vencedora con determinación, inteligencia y experiencia. La culminación de su presentación fue Su me… morente… esanime, la escena de su muerte, interpretada con fraseo refinado y palpable emoción. El Zaccaria de Michele Pertusi convenció por la belleza de su timbre y la suavidad de su línea musical. Tu sul labbro de’ veggenti fue un momento contemplativo de pura emoción. Pertusi también mostró seguridad en la zona más aguda con un canto sólido y robusto, y su personaje mostró indudable autoridad. Sobre las cualidades técnicas de Francesco Meli no hay discusión, de hecho, su Ismaele gustó por su musicalidad, su proyección vocal y la elegancia de la línea de canto, mientras que Veronica Simeoni dio vida a Fenena con un grato color vocal. Del todo adecuados y confiables estuvieron Simon Lim (Gran Sacerdote) Haiyang Guo (Abdallo) y Laura Lolita Perešivana (Anna).

Nabucodonosor -Teatro alla Scala di Milano

Foto: Brescia & Amisano

Massimo Viazzo

La recente produzione di Nabucodonosor presso il Teatro alla Scala di Milano si è distinta per la sua notevole qualità. Nabucodonosor rappresenta uno dei titoli verdiani più celebri, costituendo un’icona musicale non solo per il catalogo operistico del compositore, ma anche per il melodramma italiano nel suo complesso, e anche per il Teatro alla Scala stesso. È noto che Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) dopo il fallimento del suo secondo lavoro, Un giorno di regno, sembrasse sul punto di abbandonare la carriera di compositore d’opera. L’aneddotica narra di come il musicista si sia appassionato al libretto di Temistocle Solera, giunto a lui a causa di fortuite circostanze, dopo che la pagina del libretto stesso si era aperta casualmente sui versi che iniziavano con le parole Va, pensiero, sull’ali dorate. Sebbene questa narrazione sia probabilmente molto romanzata, è indubbio che Verdi abbia tratto una ispirazione potente dalle vicende del popolo perseguitato, nel caso del libretto di Solera si trattava degli ebrei sotto il dominio babilonese. Tale situazione assunse poi una connotazione simbolica durante il periodo risorgimentale di metà Ottocento, quando gli italiani combattevano sotto il dominio austriaco. L’opera si è aﬀermata come emblema dell’Italia unita e continua a evocare intense emozioni, oggi in particolare, in un contesto storico caratterizzato da un’escalation incontrollata di ostilità tra i popoli. Nabucodonosor ebba la sua première al Teatro alla Scala il 9 marzo 1842 e da allora rimase in repertorio con il titolo abbreviato Nabucco, comparso per la prima volta nel 1844 in occasione di una ripresa a Corfù. Entrata a ragione nell’immaginario collettivo, l’opera è titolo di riferimento per il teatro milanese in cui è stata rappresentata per più di 200 serate! Le recite dell’allestimento odierno sono state dedicate alla memoria del maestro Gianandrea Gavazzeni nel trentennale della sua scomparsa e a sessant’anni dal Nabucco inaugurale della stagione 1966/67 che lo vedeva sul podio alla guida di un cast stellare composto da Giangiacomo Guelfi, Elena Souliotis, Gianni Raimondi e Nicolai Ghiaurov. Nell’attuale produzione Nabucodonosor è stato eseguito nell’edizione critica curata da Roger Parker. Si segnala la prima esecuzione scenica moderna del divertissement composto da Giuseppe Verdi per la ripresa dell’opera alla Monnaie di Bruxelles nel 1848, riscoperto nel 2021 dallo studioso Knud Arne Jürgensen e finora eseguito esclusivamente in concerto. D’altronde chi ha seguito nel corso degli anni le proposte di Riccardo Chailly al Teatro alla Scala sa che al direttore milanese piace proporre curiosità e rarità. E questo balletto, coreografico con ironia da Danilo Rubeca e inserito all’inizio del terzo atto subito dopo il coro È l’Assiria una regina, è una interesante primizia. Inoltre è opportuno sottolineare il rapporto privilegiato di Chailly con Giuseppe Verdi, di cui ha diretto al Piermarini I masnadieri (1978), I due Foscari (1980), Rigoletto (2006), Aida (2006 e 2020), Messa da Requiem (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2026), Giovanna d’Arco (2025), Attila (2018), Macbeth (2021), Don Carlo (2023) e La forza del destino (2024). Nabucodonosor rappresenta pertanto una sorta di punto esclamativo sulla sua direzione musicale scaligera, prima che la stessa venga aﬃdata nella prossima stagione a Myung-whun Chung. La lettura di Riccardo Chailly si è contraddistinta per la sua singolarità interpretativa, rappresentando una significativa rottura con una certa tradizione caratterizzata da un approccio aggressivo, da un’esuberanza eccessiva e da una ritmica frenetica. Chailly approfondisce la partitura, lascia respirare la pagina, enfatizza i timbri strumentali come fossero voci della psiche e cesella i fraseggi, il tutto con una sensibilità artistica che evita qualsiasi forma di banalità o gratuità. A Chailly non preme l’eﬀetto fine a se stesso. Di conseguenza, la sua interpretazione di Nabucodonosor si configura come intima e profonda, con l’evoluzione narrativa che si dipana direttamente dalle menti turbate dei personaggi. Pur non mancando vigore, energia e potenza drammatica, la caratteristica distintiva di questa interpretazione risiede proprio nello scavo psicologico. Attraverso un’approfondita analisi della partitura verdiana, Riccardo Chailly ha dichiarato che Nabucodonosor gli ha trasmesso una intensa sensazione di vertigine. È proprio tale vertigine che il direttore milanese ha saputo trasmettere a voci, orchestra e pubblico. Chailly ha toccato nel profondo, commosso, ma ha saputo anche essere travolgente e spettacolare. E abbastanza spettacolare si è rivelata la regia di Alessandro Talevi. Il regista sudafricano di origini italiane ha saputo narrare una storia di potere, soprusi, fanatismo ed egopatia smodata e patologica, tematiche purtroppo tristemente attuali. La rappresentazione scenica si è avvalsa di eﬀetti speciali, movimenti acrobatici e pirotecnici (curati da Ran Arthur Braun) e di eﬀetti illusionistici e magici (a cura di Masters of Magic) che, sebbene a volte sono apparsi un po’ scontati (come la comparsa delle fiamme a sottolineare talvolta qualche evento sulla scena), si sono rivelati in altri casi più suggestivi (come i tre cavalli meccanici che trainavano il carro dorato di Nabucco o il tempio di Gerusalemme che si ricomponeva inaspettatamente nell’ultimo atto dell’opera). L’assegnazione di identità diametralmente opposte a ebrei e babilonesi, sia in termini di abbigliamento che di contesto narrativo, si è dimostrata una scelta azzeccata. Per il popolo ebreo, il tempio di Gerusalemme è stato evocato attraverso la rappresentazione della maestosa cupola del Pantheon di Roma. I Babilonesi, d’altro canto, sono stati raﬃgurati attorno ad una struttura ferrigna che si elevava a spirale verso l’alto, richiamando la leggendaria torre di Babele. Il regista ha concepito questa rappresentazione come una cruda metafora della contemporaneità o, più precisamente, come immagine di una tragica storia universale che si perpetua incessantemente. Si esprime pertanto apprezzamento all’interostaﬀ tecnico della produzione, con particolare riferimento alle scenografie e ai costumi realizzati da Gary McCann, mentre Marco Giusti ha assunto il ruolo di video designer e responsabile delle luci. In merito all’esecuzione vocale, è opportuno evidenziare prima di tutto l’eccezionale prestazione del Coro del Teatro alla Scala, insignito quest’anno dell’Oper! Awards, prestigioso riconoscimento della critica tedesca. Sotto la direzione meticolosa e preparata di Alberto Malazzi, il coro si è distinto come un vero e proprio protagonista. La presenza del coro in Nabucodonosor è infatti una presenza costante per tutta l’opera, anche all’interno di brani solistici, e culmina con il celebre Va, pensiero, interpretato in questa recita con leggerezza, scorrevolezza, senza enfasi e con púdica emozione. Luca Salsi si è imposto come protagonista indiscusso della serata. Nell’interpretare Nabucodonosor, personaggio di notevole complessità, Salsi ha sottolineato con eﬃcacia, nella prima parte dell’opera, la crudeltà e la prepotenza del sovrano. Successivamente, l’artista ha saputo trasmettere al pubblico una gamma di emozioni contrastanti, tra cui ira, paura e, infine, profonda umanità, conferendo al personaggio una dimensione autentica e coinvolgente. Salsi conosce come pochi il significato della parola scenica verdiana. La sua interpretazione si è basata sull’analisi approfondita del suono della parola e dei significati intrinseci di ogni frase del libretto, raggiungendo una piena espressività attraverso un canto capace di alternare momenti di protervia e arroganza a momenti di maggiore intimità con l’uso delle mezze voci. Una vocalità ampia quella di Salsi unita ad un canto scolpito ed estremamente comunicativo in cui il suono della parola non si mostra meno importante del suono delle note sul pentagramma. Accanto a lui Anna Netrebko ha impersonato Abigaille con voce brunita, timbrica vellutata, costante proiezione vocale e grande dedizione interpretativa. La sua è stata una Abigaille esaltata e tormentata. Il soprano russo ha dominato, non senza fatica, la sua terribile parte vocale, ma ne è uscita vincitrice con determinazione, intelligenza ed esperienza. Culmine della sua prova Su me… morente… esanime, la scena della sua morte, interpretata con fraseggio rifinito e commozione palpabile. Lo Zaccaria di Michele Pertusi ha convinto per la bellezza timbrica e per la morbidezza della linea musicale. Tu sul labbro de’ veggenti è stato un momento contemplativo di pura emozione. Pertusi ha mostrato anche sicurezza in zona più acuta con un canto saldo e robusto. Ed il suo personaggio ha mostrato indubbia autorevolezza. Sulle qualità tecniche di Francesco Meli non si discute. E infatti il suo Ismaele è piaciuto per musicalità, proiezione vocale ed eleganza della línea di canto, mentre Veronica Simeoni ha impersonato Fenena con un bel colore vocale.Del tutto adeguati e aﬃdabili Simon Lim (Gran Sacerdote), Haiyang Guo (Abdallo) e Laura Lolita Perešivana (Anna).