Earlier tonight in frosty, snowed-out Milan, Daniel Barenboim conducted La Scala's orchestra and the all-powerful Scala chorus -- the astonishingly beautiful creation of maestro Bruno Casoni, probably the greatest chorus in the world -- in the Concerto di Natale, the traditional Xmas concert here. Barenboim had rawked the opera house here four years ago with a Xmas Beethoven Ninth that truly had moments of absolute greatness, proudly Furtwaenglerian in that Barenboim way, and tonight he chose a 100% Verdi program (the Quartetto in mi minore per archi, and the bada$$ Quattro Pezzi Sacri -- Adriana Damato, the weakest voice from Barenboim's vocally unexciting Carmen, as soloist).
Now Verdi isn't really Barenboim's thang -- on this, everybody but the most abnormally enthusiastic DB freaks agree -- but then, frankly, Xmas & the Baby Jesus -- thank the Lord -- aren't really his thang either, so it's kind of par for the course.
The Scala chorus, on the other hand, could even sing Xmas carols that one would have to listen, in awe, and thank one's favorite deity for their existence -- and their chorus master Bruno Casoni -- on this wacky, snowed out, half-frozen planet.