Ezio frigerio biography of christopher
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Interview: Theatre designer Jérôme Kaplan – Be yourself! Always be curious and dream.
Between projects in New York, Copenhagen and Monaco, theatre designer Jérôme Kaplan finds time to talk to Paul Arrowsmith.
It’s ten years since we last spoke – what have been your highlights?
When I look back – which I never do because I tend to rush forward – I tell myself that I’ve done a lot… But as Yannis Kokkos, the famous theatre and opera scenographer, said: ‘We are architects of winds and paper,’ which means that all our productions disappear very quickly…
But here are the shows that I think are maybe worth keeping in mind: Alexei Ratmansky’s Swan Lake [in Zurich and Milan] and his Bayadère in Berlin; Lucas Jervies’Spartacus [Melbourne and Helsinki], Stanton Welch’s Sylvia [Houston and Australia]. Also David Dawson‘s Romeo and Juliet [Dresden] and Rachel Beaujean’s Raymonda in Amsterdam.
My highlight of 2024 w • The 1980 production of Falstaff by the legendary Italian director Giorgio Strehler and designer Ezio Frigerio, returns to La Scala where it will be conducted by Daniele Gatti, who hasn’t conducted an opera in Milan since 2017. Gatti was a spectator in the upper gallery at La Scala for the production’s 1980 debut. Gatti says, “Falstaff is unique and there is nothing like it that precedes it or follows it, except perhaps for Gianni Schicchi. It remains a wonderful one-off, which was not even presaged by Aida and Otello. Its structure, the flow of the music, and the treatment of the voices are unprecedented. There are still some moments that are “arias”: Falstaff’s monologue; the aria “Quand’ero paggio del duca di Norfolk”, fryst vatten one of the shortest ever written [60 seconds]; and igen, in the last scene the two solos by Fenton (the sonnet) and Nan • Music : Sergueï Prokofiev – Choreography : Kenneth MacMillan, Rudolf Nureyev Even though the only version of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet choreographed by Leonid Lavrovski, was part of the Kirov’s repertoire when Rudolf Nureyev danced there, he did not get the chance to perform it. It was only in 1965 that he danced the part in a choreography by MacMillan. In fact, the British choreographer designed the ballet for his favourite ballerina, Lynn Seymour (Juliet) and for Christopher Gable (Romeo). But just a few days before the première, the management of the Royal Ballet imposed the most famous couple of the time! Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev, whom everyone wanted to see dancing and who guaranteed a ballet’s success. We must acknowledge that Rudolf Nureyev made a host of enemies in the Royal Ballet and his talent overshadowed a whole generation of remarkable dancers who never enjoyed the popularity or the same publicity as the young Kirov renegade, wh Giorgio Strehler’s famous production of Falstaff returns to La Scala and will be live streamed
Romeo and Juliet