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The Teatro alla Scala is a jewel in the cultural crown of Milan. It has hosted the finest operas in history. Click and drag to explore while listening to some Mozart, then dim the lights and scroll on to lift the curtain on some of the most memorable shows...
Playbill for Europa Riconosciuta, Teatro alla Scala (1778/1778)Teatro Alla Scala
1. L'Europa riconosciuta by Antonio Salieri
The theatre opened for the first time in 1778 with the debut of this thrilling political opera by Salieri (famous for being Mozart's rival!)
Unconventionally, the opera features an on-stage murder! It was the inaugural performance at La Scala, and was also chosen as the first opera to be staged upon the theater's re-opening after renovation in 2004. A firm favorite.
LIFE Photo Collection
2. Enter, Paganini!
The legendary violinist Nicolo Paganini made his debut in November 1813 at La Scala, and it proved to be the 'stairway' to his great success.
It was a triumphanct recital, and from La Scala he scaled the heights of the classical music world, becoming the most celebrated virtuoso of his time.
Por Verdi GuiseppeLIFE Photo Collection
3. Return of the Verdi
For financial reasons, esteemed composer Giuseppe Verdi spent several years without showcasing any work at his home-stage of La Scala.
The grand old opera house and the griping genius ended up enjoying a long and special relationship, however, as in 1866 the theater hosted the debut of Otello, one of Verdi's finest Shakespearean operas. Later, La Scala also hosted the debut of his final work, Falstaff.
Poster for Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini (1904/1904) by Adolf Hohenstein (Pietroburgo, 18 March 1854 – Bonn, 12 April 1928)Teatro Alla Scala
4. A Baptism of Fire
La Scala isn't always the most forgiving space. Taking to 'the staircase' stage can be a steep and daunting task.
The La Scala premiere of Puccini's Madama Butterfly in 1904 was a famous flop. Late revisions meant that even notable singers Rosina Storchio and Giovanni Zenatello couldn't make it work. The loggionisti weren't happy, and Puccini himself described it as "a lynching".
Carla Fracci and Erik Bruhn in Giselle. by Photo Courtesy of ABT Archives.American Ballet Theatre
5. Carla Fracci's first steps
Among history's most esteemed Romantic ballerinas, Carla Fracci found her feet at La Scala, graduating from the theater's ballet school in 1954 after enrolling at the age of 10.
She gained fame in America for her performance in Giselle after leaving La Scala in 2001, but it was on the stage of the Milan theater that she announced herself to the world as a soloist and gave some of her most renowned recitals.
Serata Ratmansky - OperaTeatro Alla Scala
Wander the wings and walk the stage of La Scala in Street View here
Habanera by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100656
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
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