“THEThe most beautiful theater in the world »- in Stendhal’s words – is preparing to inaugurate the season 2022-2023: the superintendent and artistic director, Dominique Meyerdoes not hide pride and optimism. An optimism based on the data: «Attendance increased by 10 percent compared to the pre-pandemic 2019, and revenues per evening went from 190 thousand euros to 210 thousand. The subscriptions are going very well, we are on the right track, ”he observes. Confirmation also comes “from outside”: La Scala in the citythe project that from 27 September to 1 October brought free shows to the various districts of Milanattracted over 20 thousand spectators (“Many attended a classical music concert or a ballet for the first time”).
Teatro alla Scala: a historical Sant’Ambrogio
Superintendent Dominique Meyer at the Teatro alla Scala (photo Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images).
Inaugural appointment, as per tradition, a Sant’Ambrogio. «La Scala is the guardian of Italian opera and, at the same time, an international reality: it has a duty to be open to the world. Hence the choice, for 7 December 2022, of Boris Godunov by Musorgsky (in its original version of 1869: louder, shorter, more dramatic). Directed by Riccardo Chailly, with Ildar Abdrazakov in the main role, it will be in the beautiful production of Danish director Kasper Holten. It is an unusual title, Claudio Abbado directed it in 1979 »anticipates Meyer.
Which goes straight to the point: “Of course we cannot forget the context of the war in Ukraine. Godunov it finally allows us to pass two messages: on the one hand, it demonstrates how absurd the idea of erasing Russian culture is; on the other hand, it allows comparisons with the current situation. The theme is current, I find ».
Preciousness not to be missed
The preciousness, the rarities, in a billboard that includes the return of Macbeth and of Andrea Chénierin addition to Lucia of Lammermoor “Jumped” for Covid and the Salome only broadcast on TV for the same reason? “Li zite ‘ngalera by Leonardo Vinci, with verses in Neapolitan dialect by Bernardo Saddumene. A comic masterpiece that is part of that mountain of music that has been forgotten, yet made evenings in the early eighteenth century theaters enjoyable. An interesting period because we forgot that at the time Naples was the world capital of music, there were three hundred composers. Many of these masters started with comic, cheerful and funny works, then later – in search of “dignity” (smiles) – they dedicated themselves to those “series”. I like to go back to the roots ».
What else? “Les contes d’Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach and – in March 2023 – a new production that I care a lot about: the Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten directed by Robert Carsen and a woman at the baton, Simone Young ».
Simone Young & Eun Sun Kim
Ildar Abdrazakov, who will be Boris Godunov (photo Anton Welt).
By the way: does the Zeitgeist require special attention to the female presence? “I have been working in this field for a long time (he was, among other things, director of the Vienna Opera and the Théatre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, ed) and I’ve always hired women, that’s normal for me. We are looking for the balance between emerging and “consolidated” ones: Simone Young, Australian, has directed the major operas, has also been superintendent of the Hamburg opera, is a lioness. For La Boheme instead we will have the younger Eun Sun KimSouth Korean, now musical director of the San Francisco Opera ».
The first director you trusted in? “I gave the wand to Emmanuelle Haïm, which has established itself as a specialist in Baroque works. I had known her as William Christie’s harpsichordist, I saw that she occasionally conducted rehearsals and had talent. In Vienna I was at the beginning of the career of Hope Scappucci, the first Italian to enter the Scala hole. But you have directed in London, Vienna, Paris, Berlin, Zurich and in November you will be at the Metropolitan in New York ».
The range of emotions
South Korean conductor Eun Sun Kim (photo Kim Tae Hwan).
What would you suggest to see to the boys, who in front of the Scala may feel awe, awe? “Look, contrary to what is believed, our theater has a young audience: only a third of the spectators are over 55 years old. Thanks to the work done overall by my predecessors: Stéphane Lissner had invented this special pass for the under 30s… You don’t need to be a specialist, just enter. It must never be forgotten that the work was born on a simple idea: to put the greatest possible variety of affections to music, to create emotion through emotion. However, for a neophyte, better works that are not too long but very dramatic, with a victim … Let’s celebrate Franco Zeffirelli’s centenary with the resumption of his Bohèmewhich remains magnificent: a masterpiece that transmits the full range of emotions to you in the two and a half hours of performance ».
Freedom with carnets
Roberto Bolle with Timofej Andrijashenko and Nicola del Freo (photo Laura Ferrari).
“We created a new formula to accompany the new thirties in the curve that goes up to 35 and don’t lose them: your salary is not tripled on your thirtieth birthday… But there are many types of passes that everyone can adapt to their needs. Tickets booklets, for example, they allow the purchase of a series of shows with the freedom to choose title, date and place (stalls or boxes, according to availability) ». And then: promotions for children under 18, free opera under 30, free ballet under 30, prime opera carnet, opera, ballet prime, ballet, mini weekend, singing recital, symphonic season, guest orchestras, piano recital, a family stage …
«We apply our support system to those under the age of 35 also at the concerts of the La Scala Philharmonic. There is no crisis in the love for symphonic music, the problem is the prices: it’s up to us to get the kids to come ». The highlight between concerts? “Absolute highlight theOctave by Mahler, which is a rarity (Chailly will direct). But the guests are all of a high standard. Lots of girls will come for Lorenzo Viotti … (laughs) “.
What a success, the ballet
The resumption of “La bohème” directed by Franco Zeffirelli (photos Brescia and Amisano © Teatro alla Scala).
The superintendent does not hide his satisfaction with the dance as well. “I’m happy because it works so well that we had to add some replicas. Manuel Legris (the director of the corps de ballet, ed) has completed the staff, has made the competitions … The level is stratospheric. For La Scala in the city, at the Allianz Cloud there were three thousand people even though the rain was pouring down. At the end of each piece, an explosion of joy from the audience, ovations. With Legris we sought the right balance between romantic titles (The nutcracker, Le Corsaire, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet) and a mix of the major contemporary choreographers: a piece edited for Roberto Bolle (Remanso by Nacho Duato, sui Valses poéticos by Enrique Granados, inspired by the universe of Federico García Lorca, ed), William Forsythe with an absolute novelty, Blake Works Vat the end of the season John Neumeier with Aspects of Nijinsky“.
Special for children
Lorenzo Viotti (photos Brescia and Amisano).
But the possibility of following the productions of the Teatro alla Scala in streaming? “Comes for Valentine’s Day, more or less (smiles)in conjunction with Sicilian Vespers. We have prepared everything, we have been doing technical rehearsals since October 2021. We have also renewed the style of the children’s shows and – for the first time in the history of La Scala – we have commissioned a work tailored for them, from the subject of the Little Prince. I believe in it a lot ».
You who know the public from all over Europe, how do you think the Italian one differs? «You love the national repertoire but you are not conservative. What I know from experience is: you don’t need to impose your own style or particular works. We must reassure and take people by the hand, guide them to discover things that she perhaps she would not have discovered independently. Last year for The Calisto by Francesco Cavalli they were afraid of getting bored and instead they went crazy… The public is able to open up to new things, it’s a question of balance. Paradoxically, the traditional Italian repertoire is riskier: they all come with references – true or false. We have two thousand specialists when we do Troubadour, Aida od Othello (laughs)“.
Scandalous Regie?
And as for the directing: how much can you dare with us today? “We cannot remain still with the aesthetics of the 50s: people have good memories but, if they really reviewed certain things that were done at the time, maybe they would run away (laughs). I am not afraid of innovative forms of theatrical representation, but I want the story to be told, that those who go to see an opera for the first time do not get lost.
“Salome” by Richard Strauss directed by Damiano Michieletto (photos Brescia and Amisano).
Often – in Italy not so much, actually – spectators are faced with a sort of puzzle, it is not clear what it means … However, there is a desire for renewal: there Thaïs it was a great success, and it was a very contemporary proposal. Even the Rigoletto by Mario Martone, after an initial discussion, it was a success. Of course, everything is relative: if I had presented it in Vienna, many would have said: “It’s not modern enough!” ».
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