Milan .- “I’m intrigued. It’s my first time, definitely a good first experience». The prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, arrives at the Teatro alla Scala where the premiere of the opera season is staged. She smiles, excited in a black sequin dress by Armani, and she lets herself be portrayed together with the Superintendent of the Theater, Dominique Meyer. Ursula von der Leyen arrived shortly after, welcomed by the mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala and the president of the Lombardy Region Attilio Fontana. “We shouldn’t let Putin destroy this fantastic country (Russia ed) and therefore I can’t wait to see this work,” said the president of the European Commission.
The 2022-2023 season kicks off tonight with the Russian opera “Boris Godunov” by Modest Musorgsky, directed by Riccardo Chailly. A choice that sparked protests from the Ukrainian community in Milan: “La Scala does not favor Putin’s propaganda,” about twenty people shouted in the afternoon. “I think culture is something else and I think we shouldn’t make the mistake of mixing dimensions that are different,” said the Prime Minister, silencing the controversy over the performance of a Russian opera. «We are not angry with the Russian people, with Russian history – she underlined -, we are angry with the choices of those who have politically decided to invade a sovereign nation. It’s a different thing. In my opinion it is right to keep the two dimensions separate».
Also present was the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, his daughter Laura arrived at the theater with him and was greeted by an ovation with five minutes of applause: “Thank you, president, thank you”. The head of state responded to the homage by placing his hand on his heart and then sat in the box of honor next to Ursula Von der Leyen, Giorgia Meloni, the president of the Senate Ignazio La Russa and the mayor of Milan.
Shortly before, referring to the controversy on the opportunity to present a Russian opera at this moment, «these are positions that I do not share both on a cultural and political level – declared the head of state -. Great Russian culture is an integral part of European culture. It is an element that cannot be deleted. While the responsibility for the war must be attributed to the government of that country, certainly not to the Russian people or its culture”.
Among the guests also life senator Liliana Segre, greeted by applause, and Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano. “I believe that art should always be distinguished from politics, otherwise we should not read Dostoevsky,” underlined the owner of Culture. Among the institutions also the Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, the Minister of University and Research Anna Maria Bernini. Many names from the world of economy, culture and entertainment, such as the president of Mediaset Fedele Confalonieri, Mario Monti, Gianni Letta, Diana Bracco, the actress Sonia Bergamasco and her husband Fabrizio Gifuni, Stefano Accorsi, Alessandra Mastronardi and Rocío Munoz Morales.
The orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala, conducted by maestro Riccardo Chailly, played the anthem of Mameli and the anthem to Joy by Beethoven, anthem of the EU, before the start of the performance of “Boris Godunov”, «an absolute masterpiece , to be considered a World Heritage Site – commented Chailly -. It is true that for nine months we have been spectators of a painful war, but music must enjoy absolute freedom».
The performers of the main parts of the great Russian opera on the guilt and loneliness of power are Ildar Abdrazakov as the protagonist, the Tsar of all the Russias, Ain Anger as Pimen, Stanislav Trofimov as Varlaam, Dmitry Golovnin as Grigory Otrepev and Norbert Ernst as Vasili Šujskij, while Lilly Jørstad is Fyodor. The Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala is directed by Maestro Alberto Malazzi.
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