The 2023/24 season opened at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan with Giuseppe Verdi's "Don Carlo" in the four-act version which had its first performance at La Scala in 1884.
And, as per tradition, the highest officials of the State participated in the premiere, together with well-known faces from institutions, politics and entertainment.
In the royal box, senator Liliana Segre, who entered the theater with mayor Beppe Sala. Alongside them were the President of the Senate Ignazio La Russa, the Vice President of the Council Matteo Salvini, the Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano, the Minister for Institutional Reforms Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati and the President of the Lombardy Region Attilio Fontana.
Other VIP guests included Fedele Confalonieri, president of Mediaset and the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo, Mario Monti, the architect Mario Botta, Livia Pomodoro, the singer Patti Smith and the director Pedro Almodovar.
On this occasion, some of the spectators present wanted to remember all the victims of femicide, from Giulia Cecchettin to Giulia Tramontano, by wearing a red dress or accessory, thus dispelling the tradition that prohibits this color in the theater to send a message against violence against women .
Outside, like every year on December 7th, the day of Sant'Ambrogio, patron saint of Milan, there was no shortage of protests. A group of pro-Palestine activists held out a large Palestinian flag chanting chants such as "Free free Gaza" and "Fascist Israel, terrorist state". Other demonstrators gathered on the side of Palazzo Marino, waving the flags of the autonomous grassroots union Cub, to bring "the voice of the workers in opposition to the powerful and politicians who will be present at the Premiere".
Also present was a woman wearing a scarf in the colors of the Ukrainian flag and a poster saying "no to concerts by the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko". Before “Don Carlo”, maestro Riccardo Chailly conducted the orchestra for Mameli's anthem, after which an isolated cry rang out: «No to fascism!».
(Unioneonline/lf)
