A heartbreaking and lavish
performance of The Lady of the Camelias opened the Teatro alla
Scala's dance season on Sunday, under the direction of Frédéric
Olivieri in the production by the Royal Theatre of Copenhagen.
The Scala production stars Roberto Bolle as Armand, a role he
danced 10 years ago with Alessandra Ferri in her farewell to the
Scala.
At that time Bolle was 32, and the past decade has enriched
his performance with improved acting and expressive abilities
for this role, resulting in a crescendo of refined acrobatics
and perfectionism that makes the desperation of Armand, who
believes he has been betrayed, all the more intense.
He painfully discovers how strong his love was for
Marguerite, danced by Svetlana Zakharova, in her debut in the
role at the Scala.
Both Bolle and Zakharova received applause for their
performances, as did the corps de ballet.
For this narration en pointe, one of the most important
living choreographers, John Neumeier, was inspired by the 1848
novel by Alexandre Dumas fil.
He quickly wrote the story just months after the death of
famed French courtesan and mistress Marie Duplessis, whose life
story also inspired Verdi's Violetta in La Traviata.
In the story, Marguerite Gautier dies and the contents of
her luxurious home are put up for auction.
The stage is set with Viscontian refinement, including three
divans - upon one of which rests a portrait of Marguerite - a
mirror, a piano, and a few other objects that were precious to
her.
In the foreground, there's a music stand with the
announcement "Vende" written on it and the date of the sale, 16
mars 1847.
Among the visitors, the curious, the buyers and Marguerite's
friends, comes also the old Monsieur Duval, and shortly after,
Armand Duval (Bolle) has a desperate outburst, falling to the
ground and losing consciousnes.
From that point forward, the story of the Lady of the
Camelias takes place in flashbacks: the first meetings between
Armand and Marguerite (the charming Svetlana Zakharova, a
37-year-old Ukrainian ballerina); the courtesan's torment in
sacrificing herself and her love at the request of Armand's
father; the quiet desperation of the young man when he is
rejected.
In three acts spanning two hours, 50 minutes, Neumeier uses
choreography to psychologically craft the feelings of his
characters.
Sensual scenes with seductive pas de deux show the two lovers
as they move from radiant passion to indifference, pain, and
finally, death.
Sumptuous dance frescoes fill the stage and create an
atmosphere that was considered rather immoral for the time.
Armand sits slumped in a corner of the stage in torment, like
a young hopeful lover who is then rejected at his beloved's
door.
The production also marks the Scala debut of conductor
Theodor Guschlbauer, who directed the Strasbourg Philharmonic
for over a decade.
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