Russian Opera ‘Boris Godunov’ to Open Next La Scala Season

From left, La Scala director Riccardo Chailly, Milan's mayor Giuseppe Sala, La Scala general manager Dominique Meyer and La Scala ballet director Manuel Legris attend at a press conference to present the 2022/2023 season, at the Milan La Scala opera house, Italy, Monday, June 6, 2022. (AP)
From left, La Scala director Riccardo Chailly, Milan's mayor Giuseppe Sala, La Scala general manager Dominique Meyer and La Scala ballet director Manuel Legris attend at a press conference to present the 2022/2023 season, at the Milan La Scala opera house, Italy, Monday, June 6, 2022. (AP)
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Russian Opera ‘Boris Godunov’ to Open Next La Scala Season

From left, La Scala director Riccardo Chailly, Milan's mayor Giuseppe Sala, La Scala general manager Dominique Meyer and La Scala ballet director Manuel Legris attend at a press conference to present the 2022/2023 season, at the Milan La Scala opera house, Italy, Monday, June 6, 2022. (AP)
From left, La Scala director Riccardo Chailly, Milan's mayor Giuseppe Sala, La Scala general manager Dominique Meyer and La Scala ballet director Manuel Legris attend at a press conference to present the 2022/2023 season, at the Milan La Scala opera house, Italy, Monday, June 6, 2022. (AP)

Milan’s famed Teatro alla Scala on Monday announced the celebration of next season's gala premiere with the Russian opera "Boris Godunov,'' in a move the opera house hopes will underline the separation of culture from politics.

La Scala's 2022-23 calendar, set long before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, also marks the Milan opera house's premiere of another Russian opera, Antonín Dvořák's "Rusalka,” and includes a host of Russian stars singing roles in the Russian composition as well as other titles.

"We hope that we will have a St. Ambrose (feast day) that will also celebrate peace," said Mayor Giuseppe Sala, who is president of La Scala’s board, calling the opera by Modest Mussorgsky "a masterpiece." He referred to the Dec. 7 feast day for Milan’s patron saint when La Scala holds its gala season opener each year, one of the most anticipated events of the European cultural calendar.

General Manager Dominique Meyer emphasized that choices were made two to three years ago, in keeping with opera world's practice of drafting calendars and booking stars years in advance.

The announcement of an unusually heavy Russian calendar comes months after La Scala became one of the first opera houses to exclude Russian conductor Valery Gergiev after he failed to respond to their appeal to denounce the war.

Opera house management was quick to separate Gergiev from other Russian artists who will be performing in Milan, noting his position as the general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg puts him close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We considered him like a politician. The others, no. He is almost culture minister. It is another case," Meyer said.

"Boris Godunov," which the La Scala program calls "a disturbing fresco on the brutality and solitude of power," opened the 1979-80 season, conducted by Claudio Abbado.

Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov, who sang in last year’s season premiere, will sing the title role in "Boris Godunov," while Russian tenor Dmitry Korchak headlines "Rusalka."

Chief conductor and musical director Riccardo Chailly, who assisted Abbado’s 1979 premiere of "Boris Godunov," said he has long been pushing for more Russian music on La Scala’s calendar, historically heavy on the Italian repertoire as the premier opera house in the birthplace of lyric theater. Giuseppe Verdi is by far the composer most represented on the Dec. 7 gala season opener.

"It would be serious to penalize the artistic aspect for the tragedy that we are all aware is happening in Ukraine," Chailly said. "It seems to me necessary, in light of what we are living unfortunately for more than 90 days, (to say) that great music can live independently, as it should be.

"It is important to distinguish the two things. Give merit to those who deserve it and to bring back to life masterpieces completely independently of events."

The 14 operas on the calendar also include "Lucia di Lammermoor," starring American soprano Lisette Oropesa in the title role opposite Juan Diego Flórez. The Donizetti opera was supposed to open the 2020-21 season, but was delayed because of pandemic restrictions.

La Scala is also reprising Umberto Giordano’s "Andrea Chénier," which opened the 2017-18 season, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the late stage and film director Franco Zeffirelli's birth with his staging of "La Boheme," and premiering Leonardo Vinci’s Neapolitan opera "Li Zite ’Ngalera" as part of a project to relaunch Italian baroque opera.

Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, who performed to rave reviews last week at La Scala, will sing four dates of Verdi’s Macbeth, alternating with Belarusian mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk.

The ballet season opens with Rudolf Nureyev's choreography for "The Nutcracker," marking the 30 anniversary of the Russian dancer's death. The program, which includes both classics and contemporary choreographies, contains another homage to Nureyev, with his choreography to Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake."



Which Stars Will Join De Niro at Cannes This Year?

US actor Robert de Niro poses during a photocall for the film "Killers of the Flower Moon" at the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 21, 2023. (AFP)
US actor Robert de Niro poses during a photocall for the film "Killers of the Flower Moon" at the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 21, 2023. (AFP)
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Which Stars Will Join De Niro at Cannes This Year?

US actor Robert de Niro poses during a photocall for the film "Killers of the Flower Moon" at the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 21, 2023. (AFP)
US actor Robert de Niro poses during a photocall for the film "Killers of the Flower Moon" at the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 21, 2023. (AFP)

Robert De Niro is set to receive an honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes festival this year, with rumors that Tom Cruise will join him and other stars on the French Riviera.

The industry is buzzing with speculation about who will attend the world´s premier film event one month before it kicks off in the south of France.

Cinemas are desperate for some stardust and sparkling new films after a weak start to 2025.

Cannes president Iris Knobloch and long-time director Thierry Fremaux will unveil the selection of in-competition films and other major premieres at a press conference in Paris on Thursday.

They confirmed on Monday that De Niro, star of "Taxi Driver" and "Godfather Part II", was to be given an honorary Palme d'Or at the opening ceremony on May 13 for his contribution to cinema.

"With his restrained style, expressed through the softness of a smile or the hardness of a glance, Robert De Niro has become a legend of cinema," the festival said in a statement in French.

Fellow Hollywood icon Tom Cruise, now 62, has also been tipped to appear in Cannes three years after making a dramatic helicopter entrance at the festival for "Top Gun: Maverick."

Rumors suggest he may return with the latest instalment of "Mission: Impossible", which has been billed as the final chapter in the saga.

The film is slated for release in French cinemas on May 21, which would be perfect timing for a Cannes launch out of competition.

Many cinema owners are in need of a blockbuster and are banking on Cruise's star power to sell tickets after a terrible start to 2025 that has been marked by a series of expensive Hollywood flops.

These include Disney's live-action "Snow White," superhero sequel "Captain America: Brave New World" and bizarre sci-fi movie "Mickey 17".

The much-hyped "A Minecraft Movie", released last week, was panned by critics but might help to lift the gloom after a record-breaking opening weekend in the United States.

That saw fans of the legendary computer game flock to cinemas.

- Contenders -

The head of the Cannes jury this year is French screen legend Juliette Binoche, who will hand out the famed Palme d'Or for best film.

Around 20 movies are set to compete in the top category, looking to emulate the success of last year's winner, "Anora" by Sean Baker.

Terrence Malick, who won the Palme d´Or for "The Tree of Life" 14 years ago, has been tipped to return with a long-awaited project inspired by biblical stories.

Other festival veterans could also return, such as Jim Jarmusch ("Broken Flowers", "Dead Man"), whose latest film stars Cate Blanchett and Adam Driver.

Wes Anderson, 55, has also assembled yet another star-studded cast for his latest film, featuring Benicio Del Toro, Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson.

Johansson, 40, could bring a breath of fresh air to the festival by presenting her directorial debut, "Eleanor the Great".

Another actress-turned-director, Kristen Stewart, 34, has also recently completed her first feature film.

Experts have also suggested the new master of American horror, 38-year-old Ari Aster -- known for his chilling films "Hereditary" and "Midsommar" -- could make his Cannes debut with a movie starring Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone.

Three French female directors, Julia Ducournau (2021 Palme d´Or winner for "Titane"), Rebecca Zlotowski ("Other People's Children", "An Easy Girl") or Alice Winocour, who has made a film about Paris Fashion Week starring Angelina Jolie, have also been named as contenders.

Exiled Russian filmmakers such as Kirill Serebrennikov, Andrey Zvyagintsev and rising talent Kantemir Balagov could also feature.

The festival has yet to announce its opening film or the full composition of the jury.