Sparkle and Shadow

A ritual of remembrance that alternates between flashes of brilliance and glimpses of the deeper humanity that Carla Fracci embodied

by Alessandro BIZZOTTO

Now in its fifth edition, the Gala Fracci at Teatro alla Scala has established itself as a ritual of remembrance. Conceived as a tribute to Carla Fracci’s artistic legacy, the evening seeks to evoke the values she embodied: integrity, interpretative intelligence and respect for the lineage of classical ballet. The result is a sequence of excerpts where tradition and reinterpretation coexist, not always seamlessly, but often revealingly.

The opening Défilé, set to the March from Wagner’s Tannhäuser, brings together the full breadth of the Scala Ballet and the students of the Academy. It is a courteous and handsomely arranged prologue, warmly received, though its ceremonial ambition inevitably recalls similar moments at the Paris Opera — a comparison that, here, highlights more the dignity than the grandeur of the occasion.