Scarpia stabbed, Tosca smothered by Livermore’s La Scala staging

By Mark Pullinger, 08 December 2019

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“Chailly was painting in oils, scraping out new textures with his palette knife”

Reviewed at Teatro alla Scala, Milan on 7 December 2019

Puccini, Tosca

Teatro alla Scala

Riccardo Chailly, Conductor

Davide Livermore, Director

Giò Forma, Set Designer

Gianluca Falaschi, Costume Designer

Antonio Castro, Lighting Designer

Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala

Coro del Teatro alla Scala

D-Wok, Video

Anna Netrebko, Floria Tosca

Francesco Meli, Mario Cavaradossi

Luca Salsi, Baron Scarpia

Carlo Cigni, Cesare Angelotti

Carlo Bosi, Spoletta

Giulio Mastrototaro, Sciarrone

Alfonso Antoniozzi, Sacristan

Gianluigi Sartori, Shepherd Boy

Ernesto Panariello, A Jailer

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Laura Servidei, 12th April

Visually enchanting and meticulously staged, this centenary revival confirms Livermore's production as a modern classic.

****1

The Ring returns to the Rhine: Götterdämmerung at La Scala

Laura Servidei, 1st February

Under Alexander Soddy’s powerful conducting and Sir David McVicar’s dark, evocative staging, the Ring finds a searing conclusion, anchored by a powerful Brünnhilde from Camilla Nylund, as the world burns.

*****

Shostakovitch’s Lady Macbeth conquers La Scala on opening night

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Shostakovich's brutal tale of sex, murder and madness storms La Scala's opening night, with Riccardo Chailly leading his final season premiere as Music Director.

****1

The game of love: Robert Carsen’s new Così fan tutte at La Scala

Laura Servidei, 8th November

Alexander Soddy leads a great cast in a clever, supremely entertaining new production in Milan.

****1

Pelly’s iconic Fille du régiment retains its charm at La Scala

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Julie Fuchs and Juan Diego Flórez give life to the refreshing and funny take of Laurent Pelly’s classic production, under the baton of Evelino Pidò.

****1

Martone's modern Rigoletto returns with power and flaws to La Scala

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A Rigoletto revival in Milan is elevated by a stellar vocal performance from Amartuvshin Enkhbat, despite a finale that divides opinion and some uneven orchestral pacing.

***11

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.