Macbeth – Applause for Netrebko, boon for director in opening Scala season

With twelve minutes of applause, standing ovations and a shower of roses for Anna Netrebko, the audience at La Scala in Milan celebrated the start of the season with Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Macbeth” on Tuesday evening. Italian director David Livermore, who staged highly dramatic operas in a contemporary setting, suffered from booze and whistles.

“The tragedy of Macbeth does not take place in medieval Scotland. The hero’s ambition and brutality are evident in a terrifying metropolis of our time or the immediate future. Macbeth and Banquo are generals in suits and ties,” commented the Milanese daily “Corire della Sera” “Staging. The heroes wear costumes inspired by 1940s fashion.

“Digital Magic”

“Directed by David Livermore lives in two dimensions. The first is the performance that audiences see in the theatre. The second dimension is for Rae’s audience rediscovered through film and digital magic. Technological tricks, thanks to video games , Inserted into it are internal microcameras and virtual walls that are superimposed and mixed with concrete structures, what you see on stage is different from what happens live”, commented the Roman daily newspaper “La Repubblica”.

Austro-Russian soprano Netrebko, who dances in an elevator like a cage, a symbol of power, was excited about the premiere. The singer said, “It’s a great, modern direction that gets better with every performance. It’s a modern show that takes opera into the future.”

Director Livermore reacted calmly to the criticism. “The uniform was not afraid of boorishness and censorship. We are proud of the show. The birth of something new is always a little painful,” the director explained.

Scala celebrates a new beginning

With the opening of the season, Scala is celebrating her new beginnings, with the traditional premiere last year being canceled and replaced with a gala evening on television without audiences in theatres. “The entire theater worked with great enthusiasm at the premiere. We did everything to guarantee the health of Scala staff and spectators,” insisted Scala director Dominic Meyer.

The evening’s star guests included Italian President Sergio Mattarella, whose seven-year mandate expires next February. The audience applauded the President for six minutes and called on him to accept the extension of the mandate. However, 80-year-old Matrela has repeatedly insisted that he is not ready for a second term.

“Extraordinary Opera”

Spanish tenor Placido Domingo also participated in the performance. According to media reports before the performance began, Domingo said, “It’s awesome to be here. I made my debut at Scala 52 years ago today, it was an incredible feeling. Scala is a unique theater and ‘Macbeth’ is an extraordinary opera.” Is.”

“Macbeth” has already been featured four times at the opening of the Scala season, the last time in 1997. With this year’s production, Scala closed the trilogy of Verdi’s youth operas, starting the season with “Giovanna d’Arco” and “Attila” in previous years. With “Macbeth”, La Scala celebrated its 70th premiere on 7 December, the day of Saint Ambrose, the patron saint of the city of Milan. Prior to 1951, the Scala season was traditionally open on 26 December.