Artist of the Week: Luca Salsi

Italian Baritone Opens Teatro alla Scala for Third Time

By Francisco Salazar
(Credit: Teatro alla Scala / Brescia – Amisano)

One of the most important days on the opera world calendar is the opening of the Teatro alla Scala. Big stars. New productions. At the close of the calendar year. All at the world’s most legendary opera house.

No surprise that this year is as big as any other with the company opening with a new production of “Macbeth.”  And leading the all-star cast will be Luca Salsi in the title role.

Salsi is no stranger to opening the Teatro alla Scala as he has performed during the Dec. 7 evening three times. Previously audiences saw him in “Andrea Chenier” in 2017, “Tosca” in 2019, and the Riveder le Stelle gala in 2020. Now he adds Macbeth to his La Scala repertoire, a role that he has performed all over Italy. He has performed the role at the Maggio Musicale, Ravenna Festival, the Festival Verdi, and the Teatro La Fenice. Recently he sang a new production at the Wiener Staatsoper, where critics stated, he “has the vocal power” and “he also convinces vocally in a nuanced, sophisticated interpretation.” 

The production will also reunite him with frequent collaborators Francesco Meli and Anna Netrebko, with whom he has performed in productions of “Aida” and “Tosca,” among others.

For audiences not in Milan, the opera will be streamed and broadcast on television.

An acclaimed Verdi baritone, the baritone has sung every major Verdi baritone role across the greatest theaters in the world. This season he reprises his “Macbeth” at the Wiener Staatsoper, “Nabucco” at the Teatro Real and Iago in “Otello” at the Bayerische Staatsoper. He also returns to the Teatro alla Scala later in the season for Renato in “Un Ballo in Maschera.”

Recordings

For those not familiar with the baritone’s voice, Salsi has appeared on recent releases of “Il Trovatore” and “Simon Boccanegra.” “Il Trovatore” comes from the Arena di Verona, while “Simon Boccanegra” comes from the Salzburg Festival. He is also featured in a recording of “Il Corsaro” and “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.”

For those not familiar with his Dec. 7 opening nights, here are excerpts from his previous two opening nights.

Here he is alongside Francesco Meli and Anna Netrebko

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