Italy’s La Scala reopens to public after 7-month pandemic-led closure
MILAN — Italy’s La Scala opera house reopened its doors to a restricted audience on Monday, raising hopes of a gradual resumption of Milan’s vivid cultural life after a nearly seven-month shutdown due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Masked members of the orchestra, conducted by in-house music director Riccardo Chailly, and of the choir performed arias by Giuseppe Verdi, Richard Wagner and other renowned composers in an empty auditorium, with about 500 masked people watching the concert from the surrounding boxes. The concert — marking the debut at La Scala of 34-year-old Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen — won a five-minute ovation and ended with an encore of Verdi’s “Va, Pensiero.” “It is a symbol of restart not only for La Scala, but for Italy as a whole,” said Artistic Director Dominique Meyer. The concert also marked the 75th anniversary of the reopening of the Milan opera house after World War II bombings. On Tuesday, director Riccardo Muti will conduct a concert with the Wiener Philharmoniker orchestra, while British conductor Daniel Harding is scheduled to take the stage on May 17. Tickets for all three performances are sold out. — Reuters
