Aida unmasked at La Scala
mainThey wore masks in the orchestra last night at the opening of a concert performance of Aida, but the conductor and singers were cleared to perform without.
Cast: Saioa Hernández (Aida), Francesco Meli (Radamès), Anita Rachvelishvili (Amneris), Amartuvshin Enkhbat (Amonasro), Roberto Tagliavini (il Re), Jongmin Park (Ramfis), Francesco Pittari (Messaggero), Chiara Isotton (Sacerdotessa). More performances on 9, 12, 15 and 19 October.
Either do it properly or not at all. Singing into masks and visors, equivalent to singing into a wasmd of cotton wool, is no way to sing or breath properly or open your throat. It only encourages pushing of the voice. You wouldn’t ask a sportsperson to play masked up and be exkecyed to breath on exercion. Now have to see if it has spread the virus as a result. That’s always the big risk and a gamble.
Chailly wore a face mask before and after his concerts for the Requiem (he had a chat with the Italian President after) and for the Duomo square concert in September. Those two events were like two unexpected miracles I thought I will never watch in 2020. The big question is now for the 7th of December…
“The big question is now for the 7th of December…” – Exactly. The Sant’ Ambrogio Day-gig is at least as important as the Last Night of the Proms. Not even a WWIII would stop it!
More than this! it’s broadcast live on Rai Uno (the raitings last year were excellent for Tosca) and in France and Germany with Arte
So why, if as important as The Last Night, is it not broadcast all over the world!
They gave Ramfis to Jong-Min Park and left the superb Roberto Tagliavini to sing the King ??? !!!
Incredibile.
There is an excellent review here discussing the added music retrieved by Chailly from a trunk (!) at Sant’Agata a couple of years ago and now performed:
http://www [dot] pierachilledolfini.it/2020/10/07/alla-scala-laida-che-verdi-non-ascolto-mai/
It’s amazing how much odd music is found in odd spots. I suspect forgeries.
Partially true: some members of the orchestra wore a mask, some did not. I guess it was up to them
I daresay the wind players did not wear masks — except perhaps during extended rests.
“Nemorino in Egitto”…
La Scala has a poor record on human rights and on topical issues. Carlos Kleiber resigned his post there because of their fascistic attitude and because of their treatment of Jews. This just fits in.
My last post should read, Erich Kleiber, Carlos Kleiber’s father.