The First: a century of culture from the sofa at home

A century of Italian and European music and culture from the sofa of your own home: at Prima della Scala Milanoof December 7, 2020, the time of the Pandemic was unique. An exceptional event not only because almost no one (apart from a few lucky journalists, politicians and Bruno Vespa and Milly Carlucci, ed.) will have the honor of experiencing it directly in the theater due to the pandemic, but because it was not an opera performed but a “medley” of dance, music, opera, singing and art. And to open the show the protesting workers of La Scala sang the Mameli anthem in an unreal silence. Riccardo Chailly, leading the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala, directed a story about opera and dance whose dramaturgy was conceived and transformed into a show by Davide Livermore and his collaborators. A story that celebrated the central role that Opera and Dance have had not only for culture but also for the civil growth of our country. On stage with a unique scenography made of water, fire, colours, forays into cinema and contemporaneity, 25 of the world's greatest singers took turns together with the Scala dancers who were the protagonists in three moments, including a creation by the new director Manuel Legris. The most famous arias of the most beloved operas were sung by the greatest, from Vittorio Grigolo to Placido Domingo, but at the same time the emotion was unique precisely because of the unreal silence, always the same and never broken by applause, which was consumed . The finale with all the singers on stage and the Guglie Tell wanted to celebrate the desire for rebirth which is typical of the world of theater and actors at this moment, but also of all Milanese and Italians. And to underline everything the words of Cesare Pavese and Montale, of Gramsci and many other giants of the twentieth century declaimed by Massimo Popolizio, Caterina Murino and many others. The only discordant note perhaps is the comment with Milly Carlucci and Bruno Vespa leaving a theater that would have been better made to appear truly empty. But in the end the fact that the "usual" regulars were still in the room, even if they didn't walk the catwalk, disillusioned the public. Now convinced of the illusion of beauty and theatrical ritual...