Overview
- The premiere drew more than 11 minutes of applause and strong notices for the orchestra and chorus, with soprano Sara Jakubiak praised in the title role.
- The theater reported €2,679,482 in receipts for opening night, the highest take for a La Scala season premiere on record.
- Vasily Barkhatov’s contemporary staging used explicit depictions of violence and sex and striking live effects, which the audience largely accepted.
- Attendance in the royal box featured Liliana Segre, Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala and Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli, while Italy’s highest officeholders were absent.
- Protesters gathered in Piazza della Scala, including pro-Palestinian groups and unions, as debate continued over staging a Russian work during strained relations with Moscow.