A different Sant'Ambrogio that of this year. The 7th of December is traditional in Milan day dedicated to the patron saint, Ambrose. But this year no celebration or those planned will not be the same. In fact, traditionally for Sant'Ambrogio the inauguration of the opera season is held at the Teatro alla Scala. This year, however, due to the pandemic, the premiere of Donizetti's “Lucia di Lammermoor” was canceled. The evening will instead be characterized by a music and dance show, with the Director Riccardo Chailly and directed by Davide Livermore.
Sant'Ambrogio the live TV of the musical show
This event will therefore have a different flavor this year. In fact, at the Milanese theater there will be no audience that as always attends the premieres that inaugurate the opera season on December 7th.. But the event will be broadcast live on TV. It will be a show featuring Roberto Bolle and the La Scala ballet company, with the Orchestra and Chorus of the theater. The live broadcast will be broadcast live on Rai 1 and Radio 3, from 17 pm. It will be three hours of music and intense entertainment.
Tribute to Dante Alighieri on the day of Sant'Ambrogio
And the title of the show will be "To see the stars again”, Like the last verse of Hell in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. A title not by chance because it is a tribute to the 700 years since the death of the great poet which occur in 2021. Performing on the stage of the theater will be Plácido Domingo, Roberto Alagna, and then Jonas Kaufmann, Vittorio Grigolo. And together with Bolle there will be other dancers to the music of Tchaikovsky, Davide Dileo, Erik Satie and Giuseppe Verdi. Among them Virna Toppi, Marco Agostino and Nicola Del Freo.
To accompany the performances the music of important lorical works. Including "Rigoletto" by Giuseppe Verdi, "Guglielmo Tell" by Gioachino Rossini and then passages from Donizetti, Puccini, Bizet, Wagner. The thread of the narrative will be unique: Verdi's letters, Victor Hugo's writings, but also Sting's Fragile, played by famous actors.
The first of the Scala was stopped only during the war
And what is happening this year will unfortunately go down in history. In fact, the premiere of the La Scala theater in Milan in the past was stopped only in 1943 during the Second World War due to the bombings of 15 and 16 August which had completely destroyed parts of the theater.
Sant'Ambrogio, a little history
On the life of Sant'Ambrogio there are few certainties. It is said that he was born between 339 or 340 in Trier. His name was Aurelio Ambrogio and his father was praetorian prefect. And he was lucky enough to be born into a Christian family. He attended the best schools in Rome and began an administrative career. In Milan he became bishop from 374 until his death in 397. Sant'Ambrogio is considered one of the doctors of the Church. In fact he was a theologian and popularizer of Catholic doctrine. His preaching was decisive for the conversion of St. Augustine to Christianity in 386. But he also fought against the Aryans and paganism. One of the most beautiful Romanesque basilicas found in Italy is dedicated to him.
The curiosity of the Carnival linked to the saint
And did you know that Carnival lasts longer in the Lombard city? The churches of the Ambrosian rite, in fact, grant four more days to the Carnival, until the eve of the first Sunday of Lent. This fact is linked to an episode in the life of Saint Ambrose. In fact, returning from a pilgrimage, he made the Milanese wait another 4 days after Shrove Tuesday.
