La Scala - the preservation of theatrical traditions. La Scala Opera House, Milan: description, repertoire, reviews

One of the most important attractions of Milan is the world famous La Scala theater. In appearance, it is practically no different from most buildings in the city - monumental walls “three windows high”, columns, cornices. At the time of construction, there was no area in front of the building, and external decoration was not particularly required. Now Piazza della Scala has become a decoration. In the center, surrounded by green trees, framed by flower beds with colorful flowers, stands the monument to Leonardo da Vinci by the famous sculptor Pietro Magni. There are neat benches along the cozy alleys; relaxing in this place brings considerable aesthetic pleasure.

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Dress code

All this chic splendor reflects the good conservatism traditional for La Scala. Since ancient times, the public has visited the theater not only for the performance. New outfits, hairstyles, furs and diamonds were demonstrated before the performance by eminent and not so famous ladies, which in turn were boasted by noble gentlemen. Business meetings were held here and small talk was held.

The lodges are connected by a corridor, where snacks and various drinks were always sold. Many members of the elite spent their time here, and not in the auditorium. These days, dress codes are still practiced. People in jeans and without a tie are simply not allowed here, but women must wear dresses.

Museum

Although you can touch the legend, the La Scala brand, in the museum. History is created by individuals. There are plenty of them in this theater. The passions that have been boiling behind these scenes for more than two hundred years, and that continue to boil today, give rise to a lot of legends, sometimes even implausible, but always amazing. The exhibits collected here tell about events associated with the greatest triumphs and ordinary performances of the most gifted artists.

From the museum there is an exit to a hall where curious tourists can see the famous scene. At a small table in a theater cafe, you can feel the atmosphere in which ideas for the next masterpiece creations have been discussed thousands of times.

How to get there

The theater is located at Via Filodrammatici, 2. If you are walking around the square in front of the Duomo, you only need to go through Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. This way you can go straight to the opera house.

If you take the metro, you can get off at any station: Duomo, Montenapoleone or Cordusio. Each of them is at the same distance from the place you need.

Are you planning to get there by tram? Then you need transport following route No. 1 or 2. Get off at the Manzoni Scala or S.Margherita Scala stop.

Working hours

Daytime concerts start at 14:00, 14:30, 15:00 and 16:00, evening concerts at 18:00, 19:00 and 20:00. The Theater Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There is a break for one hour from 12:30. Weekends: December 7, December 24-26, December 31, January 1, Easter, May 1 and August 15. The cost of a ticket to the museum for an adult is 7 euros. Children under 12 years old are admitted free of charge.

Cost of tickets to La Scala

Ticket prices vary significantly. The lowest cost of a ticket for the opera is 11 euros, the highest is 2000. The cost of tickets for the ballet starts from 5 euros and the upper threshold is 250 euros. The cheapest concert ticket starts from 5 euros, the most expensive will cost 40 euros. Symphony orchestra tickets range from 6.5 to 85 euros.

You can buy tickets on the official website of the theater - teatroallascala.org. If you are interested in a specific date, we recommend that you take care of your purchase in advance and carefully monitor the start of sales. Please note that there is a fee for online bookings. The fact is that resellers know their business and make good money from tourists. If you did not have time to purchase your coveted ticket, come to the theater a few hours in advance on the day of the concert. Of course, there will be many people willing to buy tickets there, so don’t yawn.

The world-famous La Scala opera house is located near the Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo), where the Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano) is located.

The theater was built in 1778, when Salieri's opera “Europe Recognized” was staged on its stage. Since then, La Scala has enjoyed unrivaled popularity among all connoisseurs of opera.

The history of the La Scala theater

The architect of the La Scala opera house was Giuseppe Piermarini. According to his design, in just two years, from 1776-1778, a theater building was built in a neoclassical style, which was considered one of the most elegant and beautiful in the world.

The opening took place on August 3, 1778. The first production on the new stage was Antonio Salieri's opera La Recognized Europe. The theater immediately became the center of social life for the Milanese aristocracy.

Special acoustics

The exceptional characteristics of the theater were its unique acoustics, created by the talent of the architect, as well as the presence of a special portal for supplying carriages.

The opera hall was shaped like a horseshoe, 100 meters long and 38 meters wide. The boxes were arranged in 5 tiers.

Also in the interior of the theater there were buffets and gambling rooms.

Restoration

During the Second World War, the La Scala theater was almost completely destroyed, but by 1946 engineer L. Secchi managed to restore it to its original form.

Since then, the theater has been restored several times. The latest restoration work was carried out by the architect M. Botta in the period from 2001-2004, when, in particular, the number of seats was reduced and the stage design was redesigned.

La Scala Theater repertoire

From the late 18th to early 19th centuries, operas by Italian composers such as P. Guglielmi, P. Anfossi, L. Cherubini, S. Maira, and G. Paisiello were staged on stage.

Moreover, from the beginning of the 19th century, a significant share of the repertoire consisted of operas by Gioachino Antonio Rossini. The composer's debut at La Scala began with the opera Touchstone, followed by productions of Aurelian in Palmyra, The Turk in Italy, and The Thieving Magpie.

Also, since the 1830s, the theater's repertoire was supplemented with operas by Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi, and Puccini. It was on the stage of La Scala that many operas by these brilliant composers were first seen, including:

"Norma" and "Pirate" by Bellini,
"Othello" and "Falstaff" by Verdi,
"Lucrezia Borgia" by Donizetti,
"Turandot" and "Madama Butterfly" by Puccini.

In modern times, you can see classical productions by Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, Bellini, Gounod, Rossini, Tchaikovsky, Donizetti, and Mussorgsky on stage.

The opera season at La Scala traditionally begins on December 7 and ends in June. In the autumn, on the stage of the theater you can listen to symphony concerts performed by the philharmonic orchestra.

Artists

The Star Opera House preserves the history of performances by the most brilliant opera singers of all time. The famous G. Pasta, the Grisi sisters, M. Malibran, Anne Boleyn, The Favorite, Lucrezia Borgia, Linda di Chamounix and many others performed on its stage.

In the 20th century, La Scala theater enjoyed the singing of the famous:

Zinka Milanova,
Maria Callas,
Renata Tebaldi,
Mario Del Monaco,
Tamara Sinyavskaya,
Elena Obraztsova,
Enrico Caruso,
Luciano Pavorotti,
Placido Domingo,
Jose Carreras,
Fyodor Chaliapin and others.

Architecture

The La Scala theater building was built in a neoclassical style and its façade looks rather restrained. But the interior decoration of the theater amazes with its luxury and splendor.

Photo: Moreno Soppelsa / Shutterstock.com

It has everything that a theater should have: huge mirrors that reflect the richly decorated interior, gilded decorations on the walls and skillful stucco, velvet-covered seats.

The luxurious atmosphere of the theater immerses the viewer in the atmosphere of the aristocratic splendor of the best operatic traditions of Italy. World stars and true connoisseurs of art come to enjoy the perfect performance of famous operas by the first artists of our time on the stage of La Scala.

Legends

According to legend, during the construction of the site for the construction of the La Scala theater, a marble slab was discovered on the site of the church, which depicts the famous mime of the times of Ancient Rome - Pylades.

The builders took this event as a sign indicating the choice of a suitable place for the construction of the theater.

Ticket price for La Scala theater

If you are not applying for seats in the stalls on the opening day of the season, then it is quite possible to buy a ticket to the performance you are interested in at a reasonable price and enjoy the magnificent action on stage.

The cost of a theater ticket varies from 20 euros and can reach 200 euros and above, depending on the chosen location and season.

The most expensive seats are traditionally in the box, in the gallery, in the stalls, and in the front rows in the boxes. You will also have to spend a significant amount of money if you plan to visit the theater on the opening day of the season.

Great musicians and conductors, famous opera voices and the best ballet dancers, inimitable performances on the largest stage in Europe - all this is the magnificent and unique theater of La Scala. He became the symbol of Her Majesty of Classical Music.

History of Milan's oldest theater

Today, the La Scala theater is located in the ancient center of Milan in a small square, in the middle of which stands a monument to Leonard da Vinci. Its history goes back to the distant past...

In the 14th century, on this site there was a small church of St. Mary, patronized by a noble lady from the wealthy de Scala family.

In 1776, the Royal Ducal Theater in Milan was destroyed by a severe fire. Italy was then part of Austria-Hungary, and Empress Maria Theresa decides to build a new theater. The territory has been determined - on the site of the dilapidated church of La Scala.

Milan waited with bated breath, because 90 city aristocrats allocated incredible money for the building - a million lire. In just 2 years, the architect Giuseppe Piermarini developed the project and built a luxurious building.

Theater interior

In the design of the theater, the architect was the first to apply optical laws, so from anywhere in the huge hall the viewer can clearly see and hear what is happening on stage.

All the boxes, and there were 194 of them plus the royal one, were located in five tiers, all of which was bordered by a gallery where you could buy drinks or play card games. Each box accommodated 8-10 people, with only 2 chairs.

But there were no chairs in the stalls, and chairs were placed before the performance. Indeed, in addition to ballet and opera performances, the hall hosted an annual carnival and even a bullfight.

The hall was lit with candles, wax dripped onto the heads of the spectators. There was no heating, and the ladies wrapped themselves in furs. But the interior was stunning with its luxurious tints of gold, silver and white.

The carriages were delivered directly to the theater, where an entrance for carriages was arranged.

The La Scala Opera House could not boast of a huge stage, but the acoustic capabilities were unsurpassed - any sound of a musical instrument or singer could be heard clearly throughout the entire hall, although there was no orchestra pit, and the musicians were located on the stage.

The theater quickly became a fashionable place. Some wanted to hear new music, others wanted to have fun, play cards, meet ladies and chat with friends.

Even the writer Stendhal, who came to Italy, could not resist; he wrote reviews about the La Scala theater in his diary. He tells his friends about it in letters, enthusiastically noting the luxurious costumes, multiple changes of scenery during one performance, and amazing voices.

Birth of a legend

La Scala Theater opened its doors in August 1778. For this event, A. Salieri specially wrote the opera “Recognized Europe”. On the opening day, another opera was performed and two ballets were staged.

For the theater to fully operate, a troupe was required. The history of La Scala in Milan is divided into periods depending on which composer or conductor headed it and what musical preferences they introduced into Milanese society.

The theater survived the era of Gioachino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, Arturo Toscanini. Since 2015, La Scala has been headed by Riccardo Chailly, an Italian conductor.

It was La Scala that became the place where the Italian composers Anfossi, Paisiello, Cimaroso, Guglielmi, Mercadante, Cherubini, and Maira received their first fame. The names of G. Rossini, V. Bellini, G. Donizetti, G. Puccini thundered throughout the world from the hall of the Milan theater. Their operas were first shown to the demanding Italian public at La Scala.

The works of G. Verdi became popular in Europe after being staged at the Milan theater.

A performance at the Milan theater has become a sign of world recognition for a singer, musician, dancer or conductor.

The rebirth of La Scala

During World War II, the building was heavily damaged by bombing. It needed a major overhaul. La Scala conductor Antonio Toscanini, who left for America, sends funds for the restoration of the building. In April 1946, the renovated theater opened its doors, with Toscanini again at the conductor's stand.

Theater restoration

But time passed, the premises deteriorated, the equipment no longer met modern requirements. In 2001, the building was closed for reconstruction. But the performances did not stop; they were transferred to the stage of the Arcimboldi Theater.

Work continued from 2002 to 2004. What was done:

the stage has been enlarged 3 times, now 800 artists can comfortably accommodate it;
modern computer equipment was installed for the orchestra and scenery;
warehouses, offices, dressing rooms have been expanded;
Additional buildings were added to the theater.

Costumes and sets are created in specially designated Ansaldo workshops, where famous costumes and props from past performances are also stored.

The work was carried out by the Swiss architect Mario Botta; he managed to renovate the theater, leaving its lush classical style unchanged.

Now the auditorium is ancient luxury combined with modern comfort. The extraordinary acoustics of the hall have been carefully preserved; the performers can be heard even without amplification devices.

Hall and acoustics

How can you describe the La Scala auditorium in two words? Luxury and convenience.

Velvet chairs for 2015 people are now equipped with electronic devices, on the board of which there are captions in 3 languages. The walls are covered with gilding and decorated with stucco. Huge mirrors enhance the light.

While waiting for the performance, you can stroll into the foyer, where sculptures of famous composers are installed.

Stars at La Scala

The theater in Milan is the place where the singer is recognized. It is a great honor to perform on the stage of La Scala. T. Ruffo, T. Schipa, G. Benzanzoni, De Luca, M. Caniglia, B. Gigli, M. Del Monaco, F. Corelli, E. Caruso, P. Domingo and many others sang here.

Of the Russian singers, Fyodor Chaliapin and Leonid Sobinov captivated the Italian public.

The brainchild of La Scala

A Philharmonic Orchestra was created at the theater in the mid-20th century. He gives separate performances on the stage of La Scala.

In 1955, Piccola Scala opened, a branch of the famous Milan theater, where in a small hall with five thousand seats you can see and hear the music of ancient composers performed by a chamber orchestra. Works by new authors are also staged here.

What's in the theater's repertoire

Now at the La Scala theater every music fan will find a suitable work for themselves. The theater's repertoire includes the most famous classical works of Italian, French, German and Russian composers: Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, Bellini, Debussy, Mozart, Wagner, Mussorsky, Verdi, Rossini, Puccini, Gounod and others.

Theater season

In the 18th-19th centuries, the La Scala poster depended on the season. In spring, summer and autumn, serious operas were performed in the theater, and there were even dramatic and puppet productions. During the carnival, the theater delighted with ballet and light, cheerful operas.

Now the season starts on December 7 and ends in November. Usually the playbill alternates between operas and ballets, a symphony orchestra performs regularly, and children's performances are given.

Nowadays, La Scala is not only traditional classical works, but also original author's productions of well-known operas and ballets, as well as bold and controversial innovative plays.

How to order tickets and their cost

It would seem that tickets to the most famous opera house in the world cannot be cheap. However, the cheapest ticket for the opera costs 11 euros, for the ballet - 5, for performances of the symphony orchestra - 6.5. Any tourist who sees the performance from the gallery can afford such a ticket.

Of course, there are never too many of these tickets, so you need to take care of them in advance by ordering them on the theater website or at the theater reservation service. Another option is to go to an authorized point of sale or to the box office located throughout the city.

However, you can buy a ticket to La Scala in Milan a couple of hours before the performance; resellers are waiting on the theater square. But in this case, you need to be prepared that very expensive tickets will be offered:

to the opera - up to 2000 euros;
for ballet - up to 250 euros;
for a concert - up to 90 euros.

Facts from the history of La Scala

The La Scala Theater was the first in Europe to install electricity. The central chandelier had 365 light bulbs.

In 1964, La Scala performed for the first time in Moscow on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, while the Bolshoi troupe toured in Milan.

In 2008, the title of “star” was awarded to the Russian ballerina Svetlana Zakharova for the first time.

Conductor Arturo Toscanini changed the rules for visiting the theater. He forbade ladies to sit wearing huge fashionable hats because they blocked the view of other spectators. Toscanini changed the program: ballet performances were no longer shown before the opera performance. He also introduced the rule that the curtain should not be raised up to reveal the stage, but should be pulled apart - only in this case the artists could be seen in their entirety.

Nuances of visiting

You won’t come to La Scala theater in jeans or a sweater. Men are only allowed in a suit and tie; a tuxedo is preferred. Women walk by in long evening dresses. Furs and diamonds are welcome!

If you lose your ticket, you don’t have to worry - an hour before the performance, a new one will be issued at the box office if you have saved the receipt.

You cannot give your theater ticket to anyone - it is personalized.

Children from 5 years old can be brought to the theater. But if the child disturbs the rest of the audience, they will have to watch the performance in the foyer, where the screens on which the performance is broadcast are installed.

Theater Museum

Even without attending a performance at La Scala in Milan, you can visit this famous building by going to the theater museum, which is located on the 2nd floor.

200 years of theatrical history are presented in 10 halls:

stories of famous composers whose works were performed within these walls;
instruments of great musicians, including the baton of Antonio Toscanini, the piano of Franz Liszt;
luxurious suits;
documents and posters;
composer G. Verdi's desk and his death mask.

The ticket costs about 5 euros. From the museum you go through the foyer to the box, from where you can see the entire legendary auditorium.

How to get to La Scala theater

The address of the La Scala theater in Milan is Via Filodramatici, building 2.

You can get there:

by tram no. 1 and 2 to the Manzoni Scala stop;
by bus No. 61;
By metro, using the red or yellow line, get off at Duomo station.

Well, it’s even easier to take a taxi to arrive on time and fully enjoy the exquisite evening.

Opera originated in Italy and subsequently developed there as a musical and dramatic art. Since the beginning of the seventeenth century, Venice or Naples were considered opera centers. After the La Scala theater was built by order of the Austrian Queen Maria Theresa, the palm in this type of genre passed to Milan. So it remains to this day. This “Temple of Opera,” as it is usually called by the public, has its own choir, ballet troupe and unsurpassed orchestra, famous for their amazing performances throughout the world.

Background to Milanese Pride

The La Scala Theater was built on the site where a Milanese church once stood, which later gave its name to the new building. The building was designed by the then famous architect Gioseppe Piermarini and built over two years in 1778.

All the splendor of the building is hidden behind a strict and not particularly noticeable facade, which is made in the neoclassical style. La Scala (Milan) was built very quickly, since its predecessor burned down, and the Italian aristocracy demanded a faster outcome of construction and was eager for new performances. Therefore, no special attention was paid to the exterior, but this did not affect the interior decoration of the auditorium with ideal acoustics, where all the rules of optics were observed when arranging seats.

In addition to the opera and ballet, the building contained many places where the local public could be entertained. These were various gambling rooms and buffets, where large gambling gatherings took place and brought great pleasure to the Milanese aristocracy. Thus, for the whole country, La Scala became the real center of social life. Milan became a city where theatergoers and opera lovers from all over the world sought to visit.

The building underwent reconstruction more than once, and during the Second World War it was completely razed to the ground and then restored to its original form by the engineer and architect L. Secchi.

Artists and great people who performed within the walls of the theater

The greatest masters of that time created their works for La Scala. Italy always looked forward to what new things would appear in the seasons, which at that time were divided into spring, summer, autumn and carnival time. The first three always delighted the audience with serious operatic works, and the fourth was dedicated to ballet and various light theatrical productions.

In the nineteenth century, the majority of the theater's repertoire consisted of operas written by the famous master of bel canto, Gioacchino Antonio Rossini. It was thanks to him that the serious style of performing this genre came into fashion. Then Donizetti and Bellini surprised the audience with their works, and they were performed by well-known opera divas - Maria Malibran, Giudita Pasta and many others.

But the most significant event of that time was the arrival of the world-famous Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi at La Scala (Milan). It was thanks to him that Italian opera became so popular not only in Italy, but throughout Europe.

An equally significant turn of fate was the appearance at the theater of Arturo Toscanini, who already in his young years became famous thanks to the wonderful performance of the work “Aida”. Before him, there was a conductor at La Scala who completely did not meet any necessary requirements, but Toscanini was able to conquer even picky theatergoers with his playing. Subsequently, in addition to his main position, he also became an artistic director, which brought many positive changes to the life of the theater.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, on the stages of La Scala, Milan and its theater audience could see how the main opera divas of that century, such as Renata Tibaldi, fought for the title of prima, and many world celebrities performed here: Luciano Pavarotti, Enrico Caruso, Montserrat Caballe, Placiddo Domingo, as well as the best voices of Russia: Fyodor Chaliapin, Leonid Sobinov and many others.

Repertoire of our days

The theater opens its doors to art lovers on December 7, and the season ends in mid-summer. Today, the opera La Scala can be both classical and modern. Works by composers past and present can be heard from the stage. The best conductors, directors and artists from all over the world are invited to participate.

Once every two or three years, such famous plays and operas as “Aida”, “Falstaff” and “Othello”, created by Giuseppe Verdi, as well as “Madama Butterfly” by composer Giacomo Puccini and a work known to many theatergoers, are staged on the stage of the theater Vincenzo Belinni "Norma". They are presented to the public both in a classical style and in a modern adaptation - thanks to the unsurpassed technical parameters of the theater, which enable the director to realize any whim that he wants to use in a theatrical production. Therefore, the repertoire here always pleases its audience.

In addition to these greatest classics, you can find operas to suit every taste. For example, such world-class composers as Richard Wagner, Gioachino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Modest Mussorgsky and Charles Francois Gounod.

Between opera and theater performances during the season, spectators are treated to concerts by various world stars and performances by their own choir accompanied by an orchestra.

What role does ballet play?

From the very first days of the theater's foundation, ballet art occupied a significant place in La Scala's repertoire. Milan and its public on the opening day saw a delightful production of “Prisoners of Cyprus”, the choreographer of which was the well-known Legrand.

The greatest people who played a significant role in ballet, such as L. Dupin, D. Rossi and U. Garcia, worked within the walls of the theater.

In the nineteenth century, the theater's ballet troupe became the most famous and popular in all of Europe. A little later, a ballet school was founded within the walls of La Scala, where the best choreographers taught.

Museum

Next to the theater building, there is another building, which houses many exhibits dedicated not only to La Scala, but to the entire operatic art of Italy in general. Here you can see costumes, personal belongings and photographs of famous artists, as well as a variety of musical instruments and even several board games that were once popular with theater audiences of yesteryear. Most of the collection of these items was purchased at auction in the early twentieth century.

Tickets and current rules

In order to enter the theater building, you must comply with a certain dress code. Men should be dressed in beautiful formal suits, and ladies should be dressed in long dresses with covered shoulders.

You can buy tickets to La Scala from 25 euros to several hundred. The opening day is the highest entry price, and it is better to reserve your seats in advance. During the rest of the season, you can pay about thirty euros to visit the theater, and this takes into account the fact that the seat is in the gallery.

Despite such prices, many opera lovers try to get here at the very beginning of the season.