La Scala reopens with a singer cancellation

La Scala reopens with a singer cancellation

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norman lebrecht

July 07, 2020

The crucible of Italian opera reopened last night with a small recital for an audience of 603 people.

Each theatre in Italy ia allowed to calculate its own social distancing levels and La Scala has the biggest of any, equalled only by Florence.

The baritone Luca Salsi fell sick after an early-afternoon rehearsal. He was replaced by Simone Piazzola.

The other artists were pianist Beatrice Rana and cellist Mischa Maisky. Rana and Maisky played the Love Theme from Nuovo Cinema Paradiso as an encore in tribute to Ennio Morricone, who died that day.

Ignore the small print. La Scala is back.

 

Comments

  • Giuditta da Roma says:

    Why is Chailly not conducting La Scala Orchestra like every important conductor is doing with their orchestras? Is he quitting La Scala now that Meyer is the new boss?

    • norman lebrecht says:

      Because there was no orchestra, duh!

      • Giuditta da Roma says:

        And why does every great Opera house (Vienna, Berlin, Rome, Madrid, Munich, and so on) open this post-Covid period with its orchestra conducted by the music director and La Scala not?

        • E. says:

          Perhaps it is because the city and the region suffered much more severely from the pandemic. It makes sense to me that they be cautious, and — the concert was a delight.

        • CA says:

          I don’t believe there was an orchestra, was there?

        • Emil says:

          The Berlin Phil is not playing. Small ensembles from the orchestra are, but we haven’t seen the full orchestra together

    • Chailly don’t have the exclusivity of the concerts of La Scala. In summer normally he’s in Luzern. There’are some guest conductors like Chung sometimes. He did the G7 concert in Sicily 3 years ago But for the moment there’s no problem he stays in Milan and with sucess and the popularity he had during the last years, Meyer don’t need to have an argument with Chailly. If he does he will have big troubles with me ahahahah

      • quartettist says:

        I’m not an expert about conducting, so I cannot judge if Chailly is good or not.
        But “popular”???
        Scala’s loggionisti hate him, as you can read in their official blog: https://lavocedelloggione.wordpress.com!

        • Last 7th December his Tosca made some excellents ratings on Rai Uno. The national press developped that. The crowd at each June concert on the Duomo gives an answer to your question. If you don’t like him you have the right of course. But for me he’s the GOAT.

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