The support for the project “Grandi Spettacoli per Piccoli” (“Great Shows for Kids”)—and in particular the performance of “The Barber of Seville for Children” during the 2017–2018 artistic season—fits within the long-standing commitment of the Italmobiliare Group, mainly carried out through Fondazione Pesenti, to promote and support innovative programs and initiatives aimed at developing ideas, projects, and actions that can generate positive social and cultural impact, with a particular focus on younger generations.
The Barber of Seville for Children
>Establishing a partnership with Teatro alla Scala di Milano is a great source of pride for the Italmobiliare Group. Through this initiative as well, the Group aims to contribute to the enhancement of Italy’s finest cultural institutions—known and admired worldwide.
To date, more than 150,000 children have attended operas tailored specifically for them at Teatro alla Scala. For Italmobiliare, this initiative is not only an opportunity to link its name with the world’s most renowned opera house—helping to spread and enhance its artistic and musical heritage—but also a way to ensure that an increasing number of children from diverse backgrounds (and their parents, who get the chance to “go to La Scala” through this initiative) are introduced to this artistic and cultural excellence.
Although La Scala had a tradition of junior programming dating back to the time of Paolo Grassi, it was General Manager Alexander Pereira who, in 2014, conceived the idea of shortened versions—with reduced duration and orchestration—of famous operas. These productions were entrusted from the start to the soloists and orchestra of the La Scala Academy.
The opera on the program featured stage direction by Grischa Asagaroff—who had previously staged L’Elisir d’Amore at Malpensa Airport for La Scala—and musical direction by Pietro Mianiti.
The arrangement was signed by Alexander Krampe, who adapted what he called “Puccini’s perfect and deeply human music” into a version for a small orchestra with 10 strings and 5 wind instruments. “I allowed myself a few small touches that I believe Puccini would have approved of. When you listen to it, it could be mistaken for the original. We did something special with the recitatives, and for me, it was a miracle—because for the first time, a general manager allowed me to do it.”
“These sets are also very special and unique to me,” added the director during the press conference, “with the letters of the word Siviglia (Seville) forming the various rooms where the scenes take place. The story is introduced by narrator Stefano Guzzi—an actor from the Piccolo Teatro—playing the role of Ambrogio.”
The opera was presented in a single act lasting one hour and fifteen minutes. The roles of Rosina, Figaro, Count Almaviva, Don Bartolo, and Don Basilio were performed by soloists from the Academy, whose talent surprised conductor Pietro Mianiti:
“There’s no telling which is the first and which the second cast,” he remarked. “They are truly two independent companies.”
For Mianiti, “this is a new Barber, very fun, and it represents a hopeful investment in tomorrow’s audience. It’s a way to ensure our operatic tradition doesn’t die—a fantastic way to carry it forward thanks to the Academy, which many try to emulate, but which remains the best in the world.”
Comunicato stampa Teatro alla Scala Brochure www.teatroallascala.org
Below: Images from the performance of “The Barber of Seville for Children” at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, March 11, 2018
