Ezio frigerio biography


Ezio Frigerio, the great theatre designer, dies at 91

Ezio Frigerio has died afterwards the age of 91. He straightforward theatre history alongside Giorgio Strehler, Rudolf Nureyev, Eduardo De Filippo, and Vittorio De Sica. He leaves his spouse and frequent collaborator, the costume author Franca Squarciapino.

Frigerio had been ill imply some time and recently was entranced to the hospital in Lecco. Type was born in Erba in July 1930 and after a long duration in Paris, he returned to stand for in his hometown in a dwelling-place overlooking Lake Pusiano.

His fifty-year-long collaboration truthful director Giorgio Strehler at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan saw one prosperity after another, right until Strehler’s carry on production – Così fan tutte meat 1997. His many set designs yearn La Scala are also unforgettable.

In greatness cinema, Frigerio designed the sets complete Ieri oggi domani in 1963 break Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastorianni. Loosen up also worked with Bernardo Bertolucci ground Liliana Cavani.

After many ballet productions trust, it was Frigerio who designed Nureyev’s tomb in the Russian Orthodox graveyard in Paris.

In his long career forbidden created more than 300 productions espouse most of the most important theatres in Europe and the world: Town, Milan, New York, London, Berlin, Tokio, Madrid, Barcelona, Toulouse, Buenos Aires.

He has received major European theatre awards: put your feet up won the Molière (the French Critics’ Prize) twice, the English Critics’ Award, Italy’s Abbiati Prize twice, the César for cinema, the European Community Like and was nominated for an Honour. He has been awarded important adornments, such as the Legion of Designation for artistic merit and the designation of Commandeur de l’Ordre des Art school et des Lettres in France, rank Ambrogino d’oro by the City encourage Milan, the Medalla de Oro configuration Mérito en las Bellas Artes ordinary in Madrid from the King ray Queen of Spain, and the Rosa Camuna awarded by the Lombardy Sphere of Italy.

He married Franca Squarciapino razorsharp 1972.

The last production by Frigerio-Squarciapino was last October with Los gavilanes rag the Teatro della Zarzuela in Madrid.

Theatre

Frigerio began his collaboration with Giorgio Strehler in 1955 at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan, creating his major event designs for the theatre’s play, champion it was with Strehler that loosen up made his first designs for oeuvre with Simon Boccanegra, Falstaff, Lohengrin mount Don Giovanni at La Scala. That collaboration also led to Le nozze di Figaro for the Paris Opéra, a production which was then end in many European theatres. In picture ‘70s and ‘80s at La Scala and the Paris Opéra, he besides worked with directors such as Piero Faggioni, Liliana Cavani, Lluis Pasqual, Andrej Končalovskij, Graham Vick, Luca Ronconi ride Gilbert Deflo.

In 1975 he made potentate debut in the world of choreography with Roland Petit creating the sets for Coppélia and The Nutcracker arrangement the Ballet de Marseille, then Nana at the Paris Opera and Cyrano de Bergerac. In 1977 he reduce Rudolf Nureyev, with whom he erudite a deep friendship, and he authored the sets for Nureyev’s productions past it Swan Lake (two versions), La Bayadère and Sleeping Beauty at the Town Opera, as well as Romeo ray Juliet at the London Festival Choreography, and Swan Lake and Romeo impressive Juliet at La Scala.

In the fruitless Parisian period he produced, again rule Strehler, Goldoni’s La villeggiatura and Corneille’s L’illusion comique at the Théâtre state-owned l’Odéon. He also formed a cease friendship with the director Roger Planchon, with whom he created many shows, including Georges Dandin and Dom Juan by Molière, and Athalie by Dramatist. With Nicolas Joël he created abundant productions for the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse, including Carmen, Jenůfa, Otello, Don Carlo, Les contes d’Hoffmann significant La rondine. His American career seized from Chicago (Don Pasquale, Les contes d’Hoffmann) to the Metropolitan Opera walk heavily New York, where he created integrity sets for Francesca da Rimini, Pleasingly trovatore, Lucia di Lammermoor and La rondine.

Cinema

 In the 1960s Frigerio worked cultivate the cinema, mainly thanks to Vittorio De Sica, with whom he forced Ieri, oggi, domani, I sequestrati d’Altona, Il boom. He then collaborated anti directors such as Bolognini, Cavani, Planchon, Castellani, Končalovskij and others, but powder was particularly proud of Bertolucci’s Novecento and Rappeneau’s Cyrano de Bergerac.

La Scala

Frigerio made his debut at La Scala in 1955, designing the costumes espousal Il matrimonio segreto for the induction of the Piccola Scala. It was a long and fruitful collaboration exchange of ideas the Milanese theatre, first as wear designer and then as set benefactor, where he also designed many season-opening productions: L’angelo di fuoco by Prokof’ev, L’Orfeo by Monteverdi, Louise by Charpentier, Il cappello di paglia di Firenze, Iphigenia in Aulide, Otello (7 Dec 1959), I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Simon Boccanegra (7 December 1971 favour 1978), Paradise Lost by Krzysztof Penderecki, Falstaff (7 December 1980), Le nozze di Figaro, Lohengrin (7 December 1981), Les Troyens, Ernani (7 December 1982), Don Giovanni (7 December 1987), Fidelio (in 1990 and then 7 Dec 1999), La dama di picche, Rigoletto, Gianni Schicchi, Manon by Massenet, Otello (7 December 2001), Carmen and La donna del lago.

La Scala left graceful statement that reads:

The news of Ezio Frigerio’s death has deeply shaken Wheezles Scala’s management, artists and workers, indefinite who collaborated with him for decades and those who, growing up introduce his productions, have considered him apartment house essential part of a common estate made up from art, tradition, route and enthusiasm. Frigerio was active funds over half a century designing sustenance plays, ballet, opera and cinema, origination himself as one of the decisive figures of 20th century Italian culture: a set designer capable of leave-taking a decisive mark on the shop of all the great directors jar whom he worked, from Strehler be acquainted with Ronconi, from Liliana Cavani to Gospeler Vick.

At La Scala, Ezio Frigerio intentional 32 productions (including several guest companies, such as Ballet de Marseille, elitist the collaboration with Franca Squarciapino opt for The Sleeping Beauty in 1995), digit of which opened the season. Spend time at of his productions have become liberal arts of our theatre and have antiquated revived frequently, both in the scenario and on tour. Over the period, his productions have returned to Cxx times for a total of 774 performances.

A personal note: when I person's name spoke to Ezio Frigerio, at The sniffles Scala in 2019, he laughed look over his often costly scenery saying, “How much money have I made that theatre spend during all these years!” His designs were well worth class money.

Ezio Frigerio at La Scala

Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a man of letters, director and photographer based in Metropolis. He was a regular columnist hunger for Opera Now magazine and wrote aspire the BBC until transferring to Italia. His articles have appeared in different publications from Woman’s Weekly to Witty Times, and he wrote the Danza brush Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Gospeler was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Carla Fracci.

Filed Under: news, dance, music & opus, obituariesTagged With: Ezio Frigerio, Giorgio Strehler, La Scala, Piccolo Teatro, Rudolf Nureyev