Massimo Murru in Albrecht's variation from Giselle, act II – La Scala 1996

Patrice Bart's choreography for the Teatro alla Scala in Milan alludes to the original by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, who had created it for the Paris Opera ballet company. The costumes and sets by Angelo Sala, reconstructions of those designed by Alexandre Benois at the beginning of the 20th century for Sergei Diaghilev and his "Ballets russes", succeed in evoking the unique flair of the originals. The orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala under Paul Conelly interpret Adolphe Adam's colourful score masterfully and in perfect correlation with the magical images presented on stage.

Giselle: Alessandra Ferri
Albrecht: Massimo Murru
with the La Scala Ballet Company
Ballet Director: Elisabetta Terabust

Original choreography: Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, Marius Petipa
Revision: Patrice Bart
Music: Adolphe Adam
Conductor: Paul Connelly

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Massimo Murru began studying dance at the La Scala Ballet School, from where he graduated in 1990. He became a member of the Corps de ballet in the same year. In 1994 he was named First Ballet Dancer after his first performance as protagonist in Kenneth MacMillan's L'Histoire de Manon.

Since then he danced leading roles in plenty of classic productions. His repertoire can count protagonist roles in The Taming of the Shrew (John Cranko); Winter Dream (Kenneth MacMillan); Marguerite and Armand (Ashton); Apollo, and A Midsummer Night's Dream (George Balanchine), to only name a few.

He became one of the favourite dancers of Roland Petit who chose him to perform in many of his ballets: Carmen, The Bat opposite Alessandra Ferri, Proust, Notre Dame de Paris which made him the first Italian guest étoile to dance at the Paris Opera. Petit composed many works for Massimo Murru: Chéri with Carla Fracci, revived later opposite Dominique Kalfouni and Altinai Assiylmuratova, Bolero to music by Ravel, Swan Lake and its Evil Spells, and the solo The Dead Leaves. Mats Ek entrusted him with the role of Albrecht in Giselle and with that of Don José opposite Sylvie Guillem for the debut of his Carmen in the repertoire of the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden.

At La Scala he danced the leading role in John Neumeier's Daphnis and Chloe and in William Forsythe's Quartet. Besides at La Scala in Milan and other important Italian theatres, Massimo Murru has danced leading roles in Buenos Aires, Sydney, Melbourne, New York, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, Paris, and Mexico City. He is especially appreciated by Japanese audiences who have been able to see him perform many times over the years at the World Ballet Festival and in productions opposite Alessandra Ferri and Sylvie Guillem. In December 2003 he became Etoile of the Teatro alla Scala.

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Cover photo credits: LELLI E MASOTTI x Teatro Alla Scala