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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 9 deceMber 2019

Gala evening at La Scala celebrates culture over extremism

By COLLEEN BARRY varadossi, performed by
Associated Press Francesco Meli. She rebels,
MILAN (AP) — The gala killing Scarpia, but is out
season premiere of Pucci- maneuvered by Scarpia,
ni’s “Tosca” starring Russian who ensures that her lover
soprano Anna Netrebko is executed despite her
and conducted by Ric- concessions.
cardo Chailly received 15 All three were showered
minutes of applause from with flowers and glitter from
an audience of Milanese an appreciative crowd.
elite, in an evening that Salsi kissed the stage in
celebrated culture as a gratitude.
bulwark against political “It was written in 1900, but
extremism. it gives a glimpse of the
For the second year, the future of everything that
performance opened with comes more than a cen-
long applause for Italy’s tury later,’’ said Chantilly,
president, Sergio Mat- La Scala’s musical director.
tarella, sitting in the royal “The modernity of the sub-
box with four government ject, the greatness of Puc-
ministers. As last year, the cini’s music, makes ‘Tosca’
Italian government is strug- very contemporary, very
gling, and the long ap- credible and very similar
plause was seen as a show Musician Patti Smith arrives with her daughter Jesse Smith, right, for the gala premiere of La Scala to a reality that is very raw
of support for Italian institu- opera house, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019. and harsh in our society.’’
tions, which Mattarella rep- Associated Press Vittorino Andreoli, an Ital-
resents in a non-partisan “There are too many She said she loves “Tosca” ing for “Giovanna d’Arco” ian psychiatrist and writer
role. strange things. There are for its passion, adding, “I in 2015. She lauded an Ital- who attended the perfor-
After five minutes of clap- too few politicians who wasn’t always 90 years ian grass-roots movement mance, said Tosca’s exam-
ping, Mattarella signaled have the courage to say old.” against right-wing popu- ple serves as an antidote
for the audience to turn to fascism is against the law,’’ “Culture helps everything,’’ lism, dubbed the Sardines, to contemporary woes.
the stage for the Italian an- Livermore said. Segre said before the per- as she arrived at the the- “In this moment we are
them and the start of “To- The audience of Italian formance. “As Primo Levi ater, saying “The Sardines consuming our own feel-
sca.” business, fashion, cultural said, knowing is absolutely have power.” ings. Affection doesn’t ex-
‘’When there is so much and political VIPs includ- necessary,” she said, re- Netrebko starred in the role ist any more. Great loves
applause for Mattarella, ed senator-for-life Liliana ferring to another Italian of Floria Tosca, the object don’t exist any more,’’
like last year, it is to say that Segre, an Auschwitz sur- Holocaust survivor who of unwanted sexual atten- Andreoli said backstage.
we believe in our constitu- vivor who was recently recounted his experience tion from a powerful au- “’This is a woman who
tion, that we believe in a placed under armed es- in a series of celebrated thority figure, Baron Scar- drives this story, with these
single, indivisible Italy, and cort due to anti-Semitic books. pia, sung by Luca Salsi. stupendous arias. I think
that we are a community threats. American poet Patti Smith, The plot — part thriller, part it is a great example that
that needs to grow and be The Milan native recalled who recently received an drama — evokes #MeToo women need to take con-
open,’’ said stage direc- coming to La Scala as a honorary degree from the for the modern ear, as To- trol, because society is
tor Davide Livermore, who 16-year-old and said she University of Padova, was sca feels forced to suc- built on affection, which
also directed last year’s has been a season-ticket back at La Scala, after at- cumb to Scarpia in a bid doesn’t exist any more. Ev-
‘’Attila.” holder for 30 years. tending the season-open- to save her lover Mario Ca- eryone looks at money.”q

FKA twigs outdoes herself on 2nd album ‘MAGDALENE’

By MELANIE J. SIMS cally, the singer just might Named for the oft-misun-
Associated Press be at her best. She is cer- derstood biblical figure
FKA twigs, “MAGDALENE” tainly more vocally and Mary Magdalene, twigs
(Young Turks) emotionally vulnerable weaves her album with
FKA twigs’ latest album, than ever before. mentions of the ancient
“MAGDALENE,” is not That’s especially true on woman. “I’m fever for the
about the ups and downs beautifully gut-wrenching fire/True as Mary Magda-
of love. No, the 9-track set tracks like “mirrored heart,” lene/Creature of desire/
finds twigs solidly in the with its clash of metal and Come just a little bit closer
down-and-out throes of delicate keys. “Did you to me/Step just a little bit
heartache. And the pain want me all?/ No, not for closer to me/I can lift you
is beautiful. life/ Did you truly see me?/ higher,” she sings on “mary
The album was written No not this time,” she sings. magdalene.”
and produced by twigs, She turns the hurt outward Through her lyrics and
with contributions from on the headnod-worthy sounds, twigs summons the
Skrillex, Benny Blanco, “fallen alien,” co-pro- spiritual and the sensual,
Jack Antonoff and more. duced by electronic mu- and the result of her dab-
Fans who’ve waited long sic artist Nicolas Jaar. And bling is sometimes cryp-
for twigs’ follow-up to her twigs’ voice rings out like a tic, but always intriguing.
2014 debut, “LP1,” will be morning prayer on the en- Most importantly, it sounds This cover image released by Young Turks shows “Magdalene,”
a release by FKA twigs.
happy to find that artisti- chanting “thousand eyes.” amazing.q Associated Press