La Scala for two "Requiem" for Claudio Abbado by Riccardo Chailly.(updated with RAI news)

Out of three nights in Milan I spent two at La Scala, dedicated to Verdi who is haunting this town.
He did not create his Requiem for his friend Manzoni at La Scala but not far from Manzoni's house at  San Marco the day of Manzoni's burial.

Like  I did when I stayed in Salzburg, where I visited all the sites where young Mozart lived, I tried to follow Verdi's memories in the city center as much as I know about him. I walked to San Marco Chuch from Lanza; passed Manzoni's house first and through the arty pedestrian lanes arrived at Piazza San Marco to find the church was closed. I tried to imagine what it must have been like the day the Requiem was created and conducted by Maestro Verdi.  

Spending sometime there I also discovered young Mozart stayed in the house next to the chuch.

I had spent part of the day at Brera pinacotecca, where I met Giuditta Pasta, frankly not interesting the people who seemed to be more intrigued by The Kiss at the opposite end of the wall. I paid a quiet visit to the singer and tried to explain I was in Milan first for the music and then for the rest!
 I liked her rose resting slightly by the side of her head!She was the belcanto diva, Bellini's favourite but I do not know if she sang Verdi: he certainly saw her sing as a young man. He admired Bellini's long melodic phrases and was inspired by him.
I had a parterre box ticket for the 3rd, I was not comfortable, perched on the last stool in the box but had a good view and beautiful acoustics. Still, I stood for the second part, finding it less stressing than sitting on the stool! The house was packed but from this rather sheltered spot I did not have a full view of the house. I noticed my neighbours were not Italian, it was international opera goers, two Russian young people, two Canadian father and son, a Swiss lady who talked to me a little and did not like when I took photos, though it was not during the singing, and always without the flash.  I felt like a kid being scolded for naughtiness....
I was thrilled to be in La Scala for the first time, and even more for this homage to Claudio Abbado !
Riccardo Chailly did his first act as the new director of La Scala with this Requiem and he set the level high  the way he interprets this music  There was a prestigious selection of singers; even if Jonas Kaufmann was missing, I did not find Matthew Polenzani was not fitting and quite liked his angel type voice. I felt that like Anja Harteros did, he put a lot of feeling in his singing. Anja Harteros was all in black both nights and with her rather classy look, more fragile than ever,  she gave a stunning interpretation, especially her Libera me. She has the last words, here she let us share the fear of the end with whispered last words followed by a long silence, last vibrations of instruments, the whole house lost in deep thinking, because that is what this Requiem is about, thinking. Clapping came much later on the first night.
 Her voice soared over the orchestra with grace, high notes floated  like pure pearls sustained by the length of her strong breath. As I was watching her doing this prodigious singing I thought she was really an amazing person.

Elina Garanca appeared stronger next to frail Anja Harteros. I discovered  her live that night. Looking at the two young women so concentrated on this musical challenge I admired them both ! Lacrymosa was a  gorgeous blend of their voices, so well matched. The men side was also harmonious,  the bass-baritone Ildebrando d'Arcangelo has a rich robust voice and his 'mors mors' aria was scary. Of course he had beautiful accents and also was very contrasted with the tenor who had a lighter voice than J. Kaufmann,  and  beautiful clear tops for Ingemisco.
What made  it an outstanding production was to be able to follow the chorus, a mass, confronted to the orchestra, the brilliant trumpets, the stunnings drums, sometimes I felt I had not enough eyes and ears to cope with this tremendous work of art.  The quality of interptation was beyond words and I noticed how M. Chailly gave full part to the side musical sentences of one instrument at the end of  tremendous passages, like a demoniac last thought pervading the thinking, as nothing is really secure when it comes to  what is after death.
When I crossed Piazza del Duomo to catch tram 2 I knew I would come for the second night.
I had read about the queuing system on internet and I thought I will try to come at 4.30pm  and get in the queue for cheap tickets for the 4th. (130€ for a box stool, 12€50 for  balcony 2, top of the house !)
And I succeeded ! I got a sitting ticket on balcony 2 rear end, and moved in the middle to stand and have a full view of the house! I loved it !

The second night was also amazing and this time I was among Italian poeple the famous ones who boo and cheer ! It was not very different from my Marseille opera crowd.
What I enjoyed most was the wonderful parts when the two women singers blend their voices, 
 Their voices in these parts have true affinities.  I was able to listen to this miracle live!
At the curtain calls, (both nights there were lots of them, people stood and clapped with no intention to part!) Elina Garanca turned to Anja and  grabbed her, they both hugged!
Here's is a photo from Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, found on the net, which shows the warm atmosphere between the singers;

What a wonderful team for two amazing nights for the memory of Claudio Abbado who was Riccardo Chailly 's mentor'. So as the new Scala Director,  every beginning of October he will give an homage to Claudio Abbado here.
I was impressed to be at la Scala.
When  you walk down the staicase from top balcony  to ground level the billboards remind you that here is the real temple of Bel Canto  with amazing conductors and singers past and present.
Let's hope this will last!
Rai 3Maestro Riccardo Chailly on the 3rd talking his heart. A very short insight in the Requiem. Perhaps it will be possible to listen to the whole concert .