Milan's La Scala opera house
will be adorned with white lilies recalling France's symbolic
fleur-de-lis on December 7, when Giuseppe Verdi's 'Joan of Arc'
returns to the historic theatre after 150 years to open the
2015/2016 season.
Conductor Riccardo Chailly said he feels "neither a hero
nor taking a risk" with this particular opening night, despite
the recent warning from the FBI that La Scala is among potential
targets of Islamist terrorists.
"It's a choice that comes from the opera house's historic
roots. In Verdi I find the courage and the adrenaline to throw
myself with joy into this adventure," Chailly said.
In a conference leading up to Monday's opening night,
Chailly thanked partners Edison, Rolex, BMW, JTI and Monte di
Lombardia Bank Foundation for their financial support of the
opening night and other initiatives, such as the 'Prima
Diffusa', a schedule of free events throughout the city to
celebrate opening night; the Christmas concert; the 'Big Operas
for Little Ones'; the opera house museum and the 'Under 30
Project', respectively.
"This union of artistic intentions in a time when success
is less predictable is part of a plan that in coming years will
also see inaugurations of renowned works," Chailly said,
referring to the Giacomo Puccini opera that General Manager and
Artistic Director Alexander Pereira has already announced
without revealing the name for the 2016 opening night, which
some say could be Madama Butterfly.
The cultural relevance of this year's opening night opera
seems reflected in part in a parterre that, for now, promises to
be less glamourous and more substantial.
In addition to the already-announced Patti Smith (who will
hold a talk at the Edison building on December 8), and Gabriele
Salvatores, and while awaiting confirmation from institutional
representatives, there will also be conductors from the
Philharmonie de Paris, Vienna's Musikverein, London's Barbican
Centre and the Lucerne Festival.
Pereira said that it's the opening night audience that
counts above all, however, as box office receipts from opening
night make up a third of the theatre's operating budget and
finance in large part the opera house's Academy.
In addition, RAI television will capture the performance
for the audience outside the theatre, with 10 high-definition
cameras, a vertical camera for overhead shots, 40 pit
microphones and 20 microphones for the soloists, to be broadcast
live only on RAI 5, RAI HD, and Radio3.
The broadcast will also be shown on the French-German
network Arte, on Russian public television network VGTRK, on
Czech network Ceska Televize and on Japanese network NHK (with a
delay).
The opening night performance will once again be broadcast
in prisons, as well as on a Samsung jumbotron at the Galleria
Vittorio Emanuele II and in European cinemas - 100 in Italy, 180
in France, 45 in Spain and 40 in Germany.
There will also be a link to the opening night performance
in the gala dinner by Da Vittorio chef Enrico Cerea to be held
at the Garden Society and sponsored by Guido Gobino, Ferrarelle,
Bellavista and Kimbo.
The dinner's 450 guests will be served tortellini in
parmesan mousse in honor of Verdi's birth province of Parma,
mondeghili (Milanese meatballs) in honor of the city of Milan,
and a main course of veal topside and lentils that harkens back
to the less-noble meats and legumes from the common Medieval
diet.
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