la Scala, for Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette" . I'm not really used to the style of French opera ( here exemplified as Drame lyrique which avoids blatantly theatrical or grandiose effects) but I can't resist a good love story and apparently nor can a lot of other people.Shakespeare was the major leaguer in this tragic… Continue reading Love
Tag: TeatroAllaScala
Giulio Cesare in Egitto ( Julius Caesar in Eygypt)
Monday evening at La Scala they put on a performance of Haendel's "Julius Caesar in Egypt", rare in Italy but popular in the rest of Europe,and unsurprisingly so , being such a perfect fusion of dramatic action and musical inventivity. Companies tend no longer to meddle with casting, the days they substituted the counter tenors… Continue reading Giulio Cesare in Egitto ( Julius Caesar in Eygypt)
I Masnadieri
On Monday evening I went to La Scala, to see what is the last opera for me before the summer break. It was Verdi's Masnadieri. The music was instantly attractive although I don't really like these strings of beautiful arias threaded together. What is worse, it encourages the audience to applaud after every one thus… Continue reading I Masnadieri
Die Tote Stadt
This is the latest opera I saw at La Scala. Although the music was not difficult to understand on a very superficial level, I had a good deal of trouble tying to unravel the meaning of the story. Based on a short novel written in 1892, Korngold has transformed it into a foray into symbolist… Continue reading Die Tote Stadt
Music, music, music!
Oh what a great week music- wise! Friday evening to La Scala to see Attila.It was spectacular, a real Scala-style production, pulling out all the stops! They even had horses on stage and Attila sang seated fearlessly on the back of his charger. I enjoyed everything about it, direction, choir, singing. I've made a vow… Continue reading Music, music, music!
Time flies
Oh dear, it's Friday already and I still haven't told you about this week's music! Last Friday I was too tired to drag myself down (up?) to Milan but when I saw we had Haydn (Funeral symphony) and Rossini's Stabat Mater....well you can be tired any time you want, but a concert is a concert!… Continue reading Time flies
La Scala
Last night I went to La Scala to see Ali Baba, an accademy production. Actually a kind of glorified end-of-term show! It wasn't particularly good to tell the truth and I think most of the applause came from fond relations, but there again, everyone has to start somewhere. Cherubini's less-than-spectacular music didn't help either. I… Continue reading La Scala
English that grows 