La Scala commissions first woman composer

La Scala commissions first woman composer

News

norman lebrecht

March 05, 2023

The crucible of Italian opera has commissioned its first stage work from a woman.

Composer Silvia Colasanti is writing an opera, Anna A.’ on the life of the Leningrad poet Akhmatova.

The libretto is by Paolo Nori.

Under present circumstances Akhmatova, who was born in Odesa, should be referred to as a Ukrainian poet, rather than a Russian one.

Colasanti, 48, has previously written an opera on Kafka’s Metamorphosis for Maggio musicale in Florence.

Comments

  • TruthHurts says:

    I DEMAND that a major opera house now commission an Eskimo composer to write a new opera. And I urge all involved to hire a native of Guinea-Bissau to write the libretto. This is necessary so as to continue to achieve diversity. I am so tired of this prejudice.

  • Gary Freer says:

    Why not put on The Wreckers?

    Dame Ethel ticks nearly every box! And the music isn’t bad.

  • Daniel Reiss says:

    Akhmatova identified as Sarmatian (probably tongue in cheek). Moravia is an Italian novelist and Akhmatova is a Russian poet. And George Santos is, as we say in Hebrew, another opera.

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