La Scala (Milan, Italy) - repertoire, ticket prices, address, phone numbers, official website.

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The most famous opera house in the world is located in Italy, and its name is La Scala. For three centuries now, it has been a meeting place for the Milanese aristocracy; all true connoisseurs of opera art and simply connoisseurs of beauty dream of getting here.

Interiors

Everything here is soaked through with luxury and grandeur - armchairs upholstered in velvet, walls generously decorated with stucco and covered with gilding, mirrors that reflect a brightly lit stage, incredibly expensive costumes of artists. Naturally, the public in La Scala is also special, including the most noble Italian families, world celebrities, businessmen and politicians, as well as all those who love art so much that they will not regret paying from 20 to 200 EUR for an entrance ticket.

Dress code

The spectators themselves create a special solemn atmosphere - the fact is that the dress code is observed here (of course, your outfit can be in casual style, no one will drive you away, but don't expect approving glances either). In general, men come in chic suits, ladies put on floor-length dresses, throwing expensive furs over their shoulders and complementing the look with diamonds.

Architecture

But all this splendor is hidden behind a completely ordinary and even inconspicuous facade. Just when Gioseppe Piermarine was building a new theater in the place where the old church of Santa Maria della Scala once stood, he decided not to waste time and money on external decoration, because the building was surrounded by residential buildings. In addition, he was hurried by the Milanese aristocracy, on whose money the construction was carried out, because the former city theater burned down, and the public constantly demanded spectacles.

In general, it is surprising how such a grandiose building was built in just two years, the first production of La Scala took place in August 1778, Salieri's opera Recognized Europe was given.

After the very first performance, one of the most important advantages of the theater was noted - its unsurpassed acoustics, from anywhere in the hall you can hear singing and music in the finest nuances. And some argue that it is best to listen to the opera from the very upper tiers, where the sound seems to be as perfect as possible.

Parterre, box, seats

Lodges are considered the most prestigious places; aristocratic Milanese families rent them for the entire season (from December 7 until summer). At the same time, if you decide to buy a ticket to the box, you should remember that the stage is visible only from the first two seats (there are five of them in the box). No less expensive and places in the so-called T-zone parterre. On the opening day of the season, there are simply no tickets cheaper than 200 EUR, on ordinary days you can get to the gallery for 20 EUR, you can buy tickets at the theater box office and in the metro near it.

Prices on the page are for December 2019.

Teatro alla Scala - the gold vein of the Milanese aristocracy. La Scala - leading opera house built in neoclassical style. The Red and Gold Theater is famous for its top-notch acoustics, which showcase the true abilities of the performers on the great stage!

Where is it located and how to get to La Scala

Metro M1 Duomo (red line), M3 Montenapoleone (yellow line).
Tram number 1, stop Via Manzoni - Piazza della Scala.
Tram number 2, stop Via Manzoni
Piazza della Scala.
Train: Cadorna Central Station.

How to get to the performance at La Scala theater

Get to the show, opera or ballet will not be difficult, thanks to the purchase of tickets online in advance on the official website of the theater or on the website of partners, where you can buy a joint ticket for the performance and the museum, and even at a good price. More .If you arrived in Milan and decided to buy a ticket, then do it at the central officeMilano, Box Office Duomo c/o Mondadori, Piazza Duomo 1.

And also at authorized points of sale: Milano, Box Office Galleria c/o Feltrinelli, Via Ugo Foscolo 2; Mondadori Multicenter, Via Marghera 28; Mariposa Duomo, Galleria S. redegonda; Teatro Nuovo , Piazza San Babila ; TicketOne c/o Teatro Dal Verme, Via San Giovanni sul Muro 2.

Or through the telephone reservation system at 02-860775.

When to buy tickets?

The start of sales for each event are indicated in their calendar. Sales take place from 9:00 to 18:00 at the central office, the Internet and telephone reservation system is active 24/24 and 7/7.

Ticket prices are indicated in special sections on sales sites. All prices include taxes. Tickets at the central office are purchased at an advance sale of 10% the day before the show. The fee for booking (purchase) via the Internet and at authorized points is 20%.

Prices can be completely different, from 20 to 80 euros for places in the gallery ( Galleria area 4/3/2/1) and up to 300 euros in the front rows (Platea e Palchi zona 1/2/3/4/5). It is very difficult to say specifically when it is better to buy a ticket, you need to carefully surf the pages of the La Scala Internet portal and track prices. If you buy tickets at the last minute, then one hour before each performance, La Scala Theater offers tickets for sale, available at a reduced priceminus 25%, which does not apply to premieres, since basically all tickets are sold out instantly. If you decide to visit the theater with the whole family, including children, then only children over 5 years old are allowed to enter the theater for the show.

All about zones in the theater La Scala

The most expensive tickets are in the Platea zone (Parterre), most of the good seats are booked by the Scala association, the cost does not always correspond to the quality of the place, where visibility is not very good due to the spectators sitting in front and which, in general, is not distinguished by high acoustics.

Palco (Lodge), the area behind the stalls, is often reserved for public authorities and has 4 rows:

Row 1 - the same price as in the stalls, visibility and acoustics are much better, but the lateral location limits the viewing of the full picture;
Row 2
- center - excellent visibility, the sides do not differ from the first row;
Row 3
recommended only for the center and first places of the side steps. Other places have poor visibility, you will have to get up;
Row 4
viewing almost only standing.

Galleria Prima (Gallery 1) are the only places in the gallery with excellent visibility and acoustics. Most of them are booked by the Scala association.
GalleriaSeconda (Gallery 2) has good visibility only for central locations, and has excellent acoustics.
Galleria Terza (Gallery 3) The center is quite good, the side seats are distinguished by poor visibility and inaccurate sound. Not recommended.
Galleria Quarto (Gallery 4)
the center and side seats offer really poor visibility. You'll have to stand.

Theater guests are advised to arrive an hour before the start of the performance.In the theater hall during the show, strictly forbidden use cameras , make all types of audio and video recordings . The security department warns about the observance of the dress code, in accordance with the theater itself and other spectators. Visitors who wear tops, shorts, sneakers, etc. are not allowed into the theater.

What can you see outside the theater itself?

Next to the main entrance to the La Scala Theatre, there is definitely one of the best restaurants in Milan.–Ristorante Teatro alla Scala Il Marchesino, which is open from morning until late in the evening, from Monday to Saturday. Stunning views, top notch offerings: service, quality and creativity, food, wine selection. You can have a drink, enjoy lunch or dinner, before and after the show. We recommend booking tables in advance. The price range is quite highLet's give an example: for a glass of dry white wine and a cheese plate (4 pieces of cheese), you will give about 30 euros.

Those who like not only to watch the show and eat delicious food, have the opportunity to visit the theater museum (Museo Teatrale alla Scala). It is located away from the main entrance to the theater at Largo Antonio Ghiringhelli 1.

The museum is open daily, except on public holidays. Opening hours: from 9:00 to 17:30 (last admission 17:00 hours). As for entrance tickets: for adults, a full ticket is 9€, sometimes on pre-holiday days there can be tickets for 6€; students 6€; schoolchildren €3.50; over 65 years 6€; children under 12 free of charge. Backpacks and bags are not allowed in the museum.

We wish you a pleasant stay at the La Scala theatre!

La Scala (Italian) Teatro alla Scala or La Scala) is the world center of opera culture. This theater has a great history. The theater building was built in 1776-1778 on the site of the church "Santa Maria della Scala", from where the theater got its name "La Scala" - the opera house in Milan. It is curious that during the excavation of the site for the construction of the theater, a large marble block was found, on which Pylades, the famous mime, was depicted. ancient rome. This was taken as a good sign.

The theater building, built by the architect G. Piermarini, was one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. It is designed in a strict neoclassical style and is distinguished by impeccable acoustics. The artistic decoration of the auditorium was combined with a convenient arrangement of seats in it and met all the strictest requirements of optics. The theater building was 100 meters long and 38 meters wide. In the middle of the facade there was a portal for the entry of carriages with ladies and their gentlemen.

The hall was in the shape of a horseshoe. It had five tiers of boxes and a gallery. There were only 194 lodges (there was also a royal lodge). Each box accommodated 8 to 10 people. All lodges were connected by a corridor. This was followed by the second row of boxes, which housed tables for card games and drinks. The theater stage was rather small. Initially, there were no armchairs in the parterre - they were replaced by folding and mobile chairs.

The lighting was rather poor. Candles were lit in the boxes, and those who sat in the stalls did not dare to take off their hats and other headdresses, as melted wax dripped on them. There was no heating in the theater. But the theater hall was wonderful - made in white, silver and gold tones. Everything took place in this wonderful hall - from balls to gambling and bullfighting. The theater building cost Milan about 1 million then lire. Expenses were distributed among themselves by 90 aristocrats of the city. The theater building has been restored many times. During World War II, it was destroyed and restored to its original form by engineer L. Secchi. The Teatro alla Scala reopened in 1946.

"The Rock" (as the Italians call the theater) opened in August 1778 with two operas, including A. Salieri's opera "Recognized Europe" specially written for this occasion. They were followed by two ballets. The Milanese quickly fell in love with their theatre. Both ordinary people and aristocrats crowded at the doors of the theater, wanting to get into it. But, of course, not everyone wanted to go to the theater to listen to the opera. A significant part of the public spent time in the corridors, drinking and eating.

Until the end of the 18th century, dramatic performances were also staged on the stage of the theater. Popular at that time troupes of the puppet theater and dramatic ones performed in them, but the opera seasons, which had the names “carnival”, “autumn”, “spring”, “summer”, immediately became regular. During the "carnival season" opera seria and ballets were staged, the rest of the time mainly opera buffa.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, operas by Italian composers P. Anfossi, P. Guglielmi, D. Cimarosa, L. Cherudini, G. Paisiello, S. Maira appeared in the theater's repertoire. In 1812, the premiere of G. Rossini's opera "The Touchstone" took place on the stage of the theater. She marked the beginning of the so-called Rossini period. The La Scala Theater was the first to stage his operas Aureliano in Palmyra (1813), The Turk in Italy (1814), The Thieving Magpie (1817) and others. At the same time, the theater staged Rossini's well-known operas. The operas by J. Meyerbeer "Margaret of Anjou" (1820), "The Exile from Grenada" (1822), as well as the most significant works of S. Mercadante were staged for the first time on its stage.

Since the 30s of the 19th century, the history of La Scala has been associated with the work of the largest Italian composers - G. Donizetti, V. Bellini, G. Verdi, G. Puccini, whose works were staged here for the first time: "Pirate" (1827) and Norma (1831) Bellini, Lucrezia Borgia (1833) Donizetti, Oberto (1839), Nebuchadnezzar (1842), Othello (1887) and Falstaff (1893) Verdi, Madama Butterfly (1904) and Turandot by Puccini.

Verdi, for example, was not too fond of this theater at first. In one of his letters, he said to Countess Maffei: “How many times have I heard them say in Milan: “The Rock” best theater in the world. In Naples: San Carlo is the best theater in the world. In the past, even in Venice, they said that the Fenice was the best theater in the world ... And in Paris, the opera is the best in two, or even three worlds ... " Great composer I would have preferred a theater "which is not so good." Nevertheless, in 1839 Verdi made a successful debut in Scala. But he was dissatisfied with the way they staged his "Jeanne d'Arc", considered the production a "shame", broke the contract with the theater, slammed the door and left.

But still, this theater is the cherished goal of musicians from all over the world. Always. At all times. The position of a singer or conductor at La Scala is an all-powerful visiting card. With her, he will be always and everywhere accepted. The audience also purposefully aspires to this theater. Wealthy tourists from Europe, America and Japan always demand from travel agencies the opportunity to spend an evening in this famous theater.

At the beginning of the 19th century, "stars" were born in "The Rock", composers wrote operas especially for it. Around the theater are created music magazines, as well as open cafes for lovers of singing. Ballerinas and singers become favorites of the city. Foreigners begin to show interest in the theater. So, the famous Englishman Byron and the no less famous Frenchman Stendhal spend every evening, while in Milan, at La Scala and inform connoisseurs of their countries about new performances.

It's time for the soprano. Capricious and beautiful female singers are pushing the castrati out of the stage. Verdi returns to the theater again. Now he is already in love with him. The maestro directs the productions of his operas.

In 1887, for the first time, a twenty-year-old genius stood at the conductor's stand at La Scala - Arturo Toscanini. On his finger was a gold ring, given in Brazil for the performance of Aida. On this day, he was forced to replace the theater conductor booed by the public. He was literally brought from the hotel directly to the stage. His debut as a conductor at The Rock was a triumph.

Toscanini passionately loved Wagner, but he came to Milan and to the theater in order to get acquainted with Verdi. Toscanini was small in stature and of an intolerant disposition. He was adored and hated everywhere, but invited everywhere. He always spent an endless number of rehearsals, completely oblivious to someone else's fatigue. In 1898, Toscanini became chief conductor of the Scala Theatre. For a whole month he rehearsed Wagner - in Milan this was perceived as a challenge to the national opera. But he proved with this performance that "The Rock" can do anything, that "The Rock" is a magnificent theater.

Toscanini induces iron discipline in the theater: both on stage and in the hall. From the ladies, for example, he demanded to leave their hats in the wardrobe, so as not to obscure the scenes for others. He also canceled the showing of ballets before the opera performance. He demanded that the curtain in the theater not rise up, but open to the sides (as in Bayreuth, with Wagner). For if it rises, then the audience sees first the legs of the performers, and then the heads, which Toscanini categorically did not like.

It is thanks to this iron man that the Rock turns into the best in the world. Musical Theatre. Toscanini led him for a very long time - not a frequent and enviable longevity! But at the beginning of the 30s of the new century, the conductor could no longer remain in Italy due to clashes with the National Socialists. Toscanini refuses to sing their anthem before the performance. He simply hid behind the scenes. In 1931 he leaves for America. And after 12 years (in 1943) he learns that the "Rock" was destroyed by bombs.

But the troupe continued to give performances at different venues. The war for Italy ended on April 25, 1945. On this day, Mozart's sunny "Don Giovanni" was on the stage of the theater. Toscanini always followed the fate of La Scala. He donates 1 million lire to restore the theatre. The mayor of the city of Milan gives him a telegram in which he says: "You must conduct at the opening of the Scala, now we are restoring it." In April 1946, Toscanini returned to Milan to the restored theatre. His first concert was unforgettable for everyone.

In the second half of the 19th and in the 20th century, the theatre's repertoire was still based on the works of Italian composers - Boito, Ponchielli, Catalani, Giordano, Cilea, Alfano, Pizzetti, Casella, etc. More and more often, works of world classics are staged on the stage of the La Scala Theater and operas by contemporary composers. Among them: "Parsifal" and "Gold of the Rhine" by Wagner, " Queen of Spades Tchaikovsky, Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov and Khovanshchina, Prokofiev's Love for Three Oranges and Shostakovich's Katerina Izmailova and many others.

Outstanding Italian and foreign performers performed at La Scala. In the 20th century, these are E. Caruso, T. Ruffo, de Luca, T. Skipa, B. Gigli, G. Benzanzoni, M. Canilla, M. Del Monaco, M. Callas, R. Tebaldi, B. Hristov, F Corelli, F. Chaliapin, L. Sobinov.

A new era in the activity of the theater is associated with the names of Tebaldi and Callas - the main prima donnas and main rivals in "The Rock". Callas is hated by many actors, but the directors adore her. The great director Zeffirelli remained her friend until the singer's death. Visconti gave her the opportunity to earn the title of "divine" with his production of La Traviata. It was 1955. Callas was gorgeous and amazing. For the whole world, this singer has become the personification of "The Rock".

In this theater, Callas never missed a single performance, while in the Rome Opera, for example, she could not attend a performance, citing a “bad mood”. Her constant partner is Di Stefano, also a great singer, like his rival Del Monaco. The rivalry between Callas and Tebaldi has reached the point where clubs of adherents of one or another singer appear in the city. Supporters of these clubs often had to be separated by the police. Tebaldi could not stand this struggle and left for America. She never returned to The Rock.

The theater still hosts operas representing world classics, and the best artists from different countries perform. The first Soviet singer to perform at La Scala was T. Milashkina. V. Noreika, I. Arkhipova, M. Reshetin, V. Atlantov, E. Obraztsova, M. Guleghina and others also took part in the performances of the theater. Generally interest in opera singers quite significant. L. Pavarotti, who gave a concert in 1984 at the Palais des Sports in Bologna, proved that an opera artist can have no less fans than famous football players.

The theater periodically goes on tour to Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, Canada. In the autumn of 1964, an exchange tour of La Scala took place in Moscow and Bolshoi Theater in Milan. In 1974, La Scala toured again in Russia, in Moscow. One of the brightest periods in the life of the theater was associated with the name of Paolo Grassi, who became director of the theater in 1974. It was he who showed the theater to the whole world, organizing large-scale tours. It was he who attracted talented artists and musicians to the theater.

In 1982, the Philharmonic Orchestra was created at Skala. Its first leader is Claudio Abbado, a world-class musician. Orchestra concerts are always holidays for listeners. Since 1986, the theater has been headed by the outstanding conductor Riccardo Muti. The largest conductors Karajan, Zawallisch, Kluytens, Boehm toured in the theater.

In 1955, with the performance of Cimarosa's Secret Marriage, a branch of La Scala, Piccola Scala, was opened. On small stage works of composers of the XVII-XVIII and early XIX centuries, operas intended for small ensembles (chamber orchestra, choir and soloists), as well as compositions by young authors.

On December 7, 2001, the Teatro alla Scala opened the season for the last time with Verdi's Otello. The theater was closed for reconstruction, which took three years (the last reconstruction was after the war). On the outskirts of Milan, in the Bicocca district, in the ultra-modern building of the Teatro degli Arcimboldi, on January 19, 2002, the premiere following Othello took place: La Traviata.

In the first months of 2002, the construction of a new stage and work to renovate the auditorium, offices, and warehouses began. The project coordinator is the Swiss architect Mario Botta. He had to build a new stage structure, outside the eighteenth century historic building. The next opening of the season took place in the old building on December 7, 2004 with Antonio Salieri's opera Recognized Europe.

La Scala (full name - Teatro alla Scala) is an opera house in Milan, one of the largest centers of world opera culture. It was opened on August 3, 1778 with A. Salieri's opera Recognized Europe, specially written for this occasion. The building was built in 1776-78 on the site of the church "Santa Maria della Scala" from where the theater got its name. Strict, neoclassical style theater. the building with impeccable acoustics (architect G. Piermarini) was one of the most beautiful in the world. Repeatedly restored During the 2nd World War 1939-45 it was destroyed and restored in its original form by Eng. L. Secchi and rediscovered in 1946.

Until con. 18th century dramas were also staged on the stage of La Scala. performances were performed by T-ra puppet troupes, popular at that time, and others, but opera seasons (“carnival”, “autumn”, “spring”, “summer”) immediately became regular; during the "carnival" season, opera seria and ballets were staged, during the rest of the time ch. arr. - buffa operas. In con. 18 - beg. 19th centuries in the repertoire of "La Scala" - production. ital. composers P. Anfossi, P. Guglielmi, D. Cimarosa, L. Cherubini, G. Paisiello, N. A. Tsingarelli, S. Maira. In 1812, the premiere of G. Rossini's opera The Touchstone took place on the stage of the theater, which marked the beginning of the so-called. Rossini period: "La Scala" first post. his operas Aureliano in Palmyra (1813), The Turk in Italy (1814), The Thieving Magpie (1817), Bianca and Faliero (1819); at the same time t-r set and others already widely known products. Rossini. Also for the first time there was a post. operas by J. Meyerbeer "Marguerite of Anjou" (1820) and "Exile from Grenada" (1822) and most significant. prod. S. Mercadante - "Elisa and Claudio" (1821) and "The Oath" (1837).

Since the 30s. 19th century the history of La Scala is connected with the work of the largest Italian composers - G. Donizetti, V. Bellini, G. Verdi, G. Puccini, many others. prod. to-rykh were post. here for the first time, incl. "Pirate" (1827) and "Norma" (1831) Bellini, "Lucretia Borgia" (1833); Oberto (1839), Nebuchadnezzar (1842), Otello (1887) and Falstaff (1893) by Verdi, Madama Butterfly (1904) and Turandot (1926) by Puccini. In the 2nd floor. 19th century and in the 20th century the basis of the repertoire is still made up of works. ital. composers, incl. Boito's "Mephistopheles" (1868), "La Gioconda" (1876), "Marion Delorme" (1885) by Ponchielli, "Valli" by Catalani (1892), "André Chénier" by Giordano (1896) and many others were first performed. operas by F. Cilea, F. Alfano, I. Pizzetti, O. Respighi, A. Casella, J. F. Malipiero and others. prod. world classics and modern. composers. For the first time in Italy t-r staged the operas Faust (1862), The Nuremberg Mastersingers (1889), Siegfried (1899), Parsifal and Rhine Gold (1903), Eugene Onegin (1900), The Queen of Spades (1906) ); "Salome" (1906), "Electra" (1909) and "Der Rosenkavalier" (1911) by R. Strauss, "Pelleas and Mélisande" by Debussy (1908), "Boris Godunov" (1909) and "Khovanshchina" (1926); " short life» de Falla (1934), Britten’s Peter Grimes (1947), Janacek’s Cunning Chanterelle (1958), Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges (1947), Katerina Izmailova (1964) and others. The first fast. the operas Triumph of Aphrodite by Orff (1953), David by Milhaud (1955), Dialogues of the Carmelites (1957) and The Human Voice (1959) by Poulenc, Atlantis de Falla (1962).

Outstanding Italians performed at La Scala. and foreign singers: in con. 18 - beg. 19th centuries - C. Gabrielli, A. Catalani, F. M. Festa, I. Colbran, J. B. Rubini, L. Lablache, A. Tamburini; from the 30s 19th century - Giuditta Grisi, J. Pasta, Giulia Grisi, M. Malibran, J. Strepponi, A. Cotogni; in the 70-90s. 19th century - T. Stolz, I. Campanini, S. X. Gaillarre, A. Patti, F. Tamagno, M. Battistini, E. Calve, X. Darkle, N. Melba, R. Storchio, A. Bonci, E. Giraldoni , E. Carelli; from the beginning 20th century - E. Caruso, Titta Ruffo, De Luca, R. Straccari, N. De Angelis, M. Barrientos; in the 10-20s. 20th century - L. Bori, C. Galeffi, C. Muzio, T. Skipa, B. Gigli, G. Bezanzoni, T. Dal Monte, A. Pertile; from the 40s 20th century - M. Caniglia, G. Di Stefano, M. Del Monaco, M. Callas, R. Tebaldi, G. Simionato, F. Barbieri, G. Guelfi, B. Christov, G. Shutti, G. Tucci, F. Corelli and many others. others; here they sang Russian. artists - F. Litvin, F. I. Chaliapin, L. V. Sobinov, Ukrainian. singer S. A. Krushelnitskaya. In the 19th century the largest conductors worked in the t-re - F. Faccio, L. Mugnone, E. Mascheroni, R. Ferrari. In 1898-1903 and 1921-29 Ch. the conductor of La Scala was A. Toscanini, with the activity of which the highest flowering of the theater is associated. Toscanini's successors were A. Guarnieri and V. De Sabata. In the 40-60s. 20th century the conductors V. Gui, A. Votto, G. Santini, C. M. Giulini, G. Gavazzeni, N. Sanzogno, F. Molinari-Pradelli, and others performed regularly here. conductor t-ra - C. Abbado.

Theater. The season at La Scala runs from December to June. In autumn, symphonic events are held in the t-re. concerts. Most means. productions of the 60s and 70s. - "La Boheme" (1963), "Ring of the Nibelung" (1963); Macbeth by Verdi (1964), Khovanshchina (1967 and 1971), Boris Godunov (1967); The Daughter of the Regiment by Donizetti (1968), The Siege of Corinth (1969; for the first time in the 20th century) and The Barber of Seville (1969) by Rossini, Norma (1972). In the troupe of t-ra (1975): singers - F. Barbieri, F. Cossotto, I. Ligabue, L. Maragliano, R. Orlandi-Malaspina, M. Rinaldi, A. M. Rota, M. Siegele, R. Scotto , M. Freni; singers - C. Bergonzi, I. Vinko, V. Ganzarolli, J. Guelfi, N. Giaurov, K. Cava, R. Capecchi, P. Cappuccili, L. Pavarotti, B. Prevedi, J. Raimondi, M. Sereni, D. Chekkele and others. Well-known zarubs also perform in the t-re. singers - T. Bergansa, P. Glossop, R. Crespen, P. Lorengar, M. Caballe, B. Sile, P. Domingo, R. Massard, B. Nilsson, L. Price, J. Sutherland, M. Talvela, S. Yurinac and others; conductors - G. Karajan, A. Kluitens, V. Zavallish, J. Pretr and others. the singer who performed at La S. was T. A. Milashkina (Battle of Legnano by Verdi, 1961). V.-K. L. Noreika (“Madama Butterfly”, 1966), I. K. Arkhipova (“Khovanshchina”, 1967, 1971; “Boris Godunov”, 1967, 1973), M. S. Reshetin (“Khovanshchina”, 1967), L A. Nikitina (“Boris Godunov”, 1967), V. A. Atlantov (“Tosca”, 1975), E. V. Obraztsova (“Werther”, 1976). From the 60s. young Soviet singers trained at La Scala.

T-r periodically goes on tour (Austria, Germany, Great Britain, West Berlin, Germany, Belgium, Canada). In the autumn of 1964, exchange tours took place - La Scala in Moscow and the Bolshoy T-ra in Milan, which served as the beginning of creative work. cooperation between two teams; in 1974 La Scala again toured Moscow.

Dec 26 In 1955, the performance of "The Secret Marriage" by Cimarosa opened a branch of "La Scala" - "Piccola Scala". Here, on a small stage (a hall for 500 seats), productions are staged. composers 17-18 and early. 19th century, operas intended for small ensembles (chamber orchestra, choir and soloists), as well as Op. young authors. Among the operas staged in the 60s - early. 70s on the stage of Piccola Scala: Rossellini's The Language of Flowers (premiere, 1963), Milhaud's The Unfortunate Orpheus, Poulenc's Theresia's Breasts, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, Monteverdi's The Return of Ulysses, Testi's At the Bottom (after M. Gorky; premiere, 1966), Heroes of Bonaventure by Malipiero (premiere, 1969), Britten's The Turn of the Screw.

V. V. Timokhin

History of ballet

Since the founding of the La Scala theater, ballet has occupied significant place in his repertoire. On the opening day, along with the opera Recognized Europe by Salieri, the ballets were shown: Pafio and Mirra, or Captives of Cyprus by Salieri (choreographer Legrand) and Pacified Apollo, or the Appearance of the Sun after the Fall of Phaeton de Bayou (choreographer G. Canziani).

The first decades of the existence of the theater are closely connected with the activities of choreographers: G. Angiolini (1779-1803 intermittently), D. Rossi, P. Franchi, F. Clerico, L. Dupin, G. Monticini, U. Garcia and G. Gioia.

At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, the following dancers worked here: Vulcani, Pelosini, R. Clerico-Pantseri, C. Pitro-Angiolini, A. Trabattoni, T. Monticini, T. Coralli, F. Angiolini; dancers - the brothers Vulcani, Fabiani, Franchi, G. Vestris; decorators - P. Gonzago, K. Cacchaniga, F. Fontanesi, G. Galliari and others.

In the 19th century, the La Scala troupe became one of the centers of ballet art in Europe. In 1813, a ballet school was founded at the theater, where L. La Chapelle, C. Villeneuve, and Garcia taught. Since 1812, S. Vigano worked in the troupe, staging his choreo-dramas: The Creations of Prometheus (1813), The Hussites near Neuburg (1815), Othello, or the Venetian Moor (1818), The Vestal Virgin (1818), "Titans" (1819), "Joan of Arc" (1821) - all on Sat. music

The largest dancers performed on the stage of La Scala: F. Cerrito (1838-43), M. Taglioni (since 1841), F. Elsler (1838-48). In 1837-50, the La Scala school was headed by C. Blazis (together with A. Ramacchini), after him - O. Yus.

In the second half of the 19th century, choreographers P. Taglioni, G. Casati, A. Cortesi, I. Monplaisir, J. Rota and others worked at La Scala, whose productions marked the crisis of romantic ballet. Ballet extravaganzas were staged by L. Manzotti (“Excelsior”, 1881; “Love”, 1886; “Sport”, 1897) and his successors and epigones - A. Coppini, J. Pratesi and others.

At the same time, the ballet school brought up a galaxy of outstanding dancers who gained wide popularity: G. Salvioni, R. Sangalli, F. Brambilla, A. Grassi, A. Bella, C. Cherry, C. Brianza, P. Legnani, V. Zucchi .

Since the end of the 1990s, the ballet troupe and the school have experienced a long period of stagnation. A new stage in the development of the ballet school began with the arrival of O. I. Preobrazhenskaya as a teacher, and then E. Cecchetti (1925-28), who was replaced by C. Fornaroli (1928-33).

In the 1930s and 1940s, the troupe was replenished with talented dancers. In the 50-60s, the school was headed by E. Balns, from the mid-70s - by A. M. Prina.

The revival of ballet at La Scala is associated with the arrival of choreographer A. Millos (1924-75, intermittently), who staged ballets by I. F. Stravinsky, B. Bartok, S. S. Prokofiev and modern Italian composers (A. Casella, G Petrassi, F. Malipiero, L. Dallapiccola, V. Bucca, L. Berio, R. Vlad, N. Rota and others).

Artists worked in the theater: M. Pompei, G. De Chirico, E. Prampolini, R. Guttuso, N. A. Benois and others.

Since 1976 the troupe has been led by P. Dobrievich. The repertoire includes ballets of classical heritage: "Coppelia", "Giselle", " Swan Lake”,“ Nutcracker ”; productions by J. Balanchine, M. Bejart, S. Lifar and others.

Among the productions of the late 70s (in brackets are the names of the choreographers): Daphnis and Chloe (1975, Zh. Skibin); "Symphony of Psalms" to the music of Stravinsky (M. Shparemblek), "The Tempest" to the music of Sibelius (L. Guy), "Othello" to the music of Dvorak (J. Butler), "Romeo and Juliet" (R. Fashilla after J. Cranko ) - all in 1976; "Cinderella" (P. Bortoluzzi); "Don Giovanni" by Gluck, "Riot of Sisyphus" by Petrassi (Millosh) - all in 1977.

In the troupe (1977): soloists - L. Cosi, L. Savignano, A. Accola, M. Cavagnini, B. Geroldi, R. Kovacs, E. Morini, A. M. Razzi; soloists - R. Fashilla, M. Pistoni, A. Moretto, D. Morganti, P. Podini, B. Telloli, B. Vescovo.

Ballet troupes and soloists from other countries performed at La Scala.

Many of you are familiar with one of the main attractions of Milan - the legendary Milan's La Scala theater, which has been for many years symbol of Italian opera.

And here are some interesting points about the main opera house:

1. Where did La Scala get its name from?

La Scala in Italian means “stairs”, however, the name of the theater has nothing to do with this word.
The theater was founded designed by the architect Giuseppe Piermarini in 1776-1778. on the site of the Church of Santa Maria della Scala where the name of the theater itself comes from. And the church, in turn, received its name in 1381. from the patroness of the family of the rulers of Verona by the name of Scala(Scaliger) - Beatrice della Scala (Regina della Scala).
The first opening of the theater took place on August 3, 1778 with a production of Antonio Salieri's opera "Recognized Europe".

2. It's curious:

The history of the theater is very interesting. It's curious that during the excavation of a site for the construction of a theater a large marble block was found, on which Pylades, the famous mime of Ancient Rome, was depicted. This was taken as good sign.

3. Are you sure that in the 800s the theater was just a place for performances?

Surely, if you ask a question, what was the audience of La Scala in the 800s, you will immediately begin to imagine cultural spectators who arrive at the performance strictly on schedule and, sitting in a chair, wave their fan and prepare to watch the performance. If so, then you are far from the truth. Can you imagine that here they gambled, held balls and feasts. Yes, the audience arrived long before the start of the performance, in the afternoon they played cards on stage with friends, then it was dinner time, when delicious treats were served until the start of the performance. And even after its completion, people were in no hurry to disperse, but continued to play roulette in the lobby. And we thought that we only watched performances here.

4 Giuseppe Verdi Beard

The theater museum contains some Giuseppe Verdi items, which were in him at the time of death, as well as a patch of his beard. Thanks to this little relic DNA analysis was able to establish the authenticity of his letters written by him personally.

5. The famous drink Barbaja

In 1859, an equally popular theater was opened opposite the famous opera house. cafe Caffe' dei Virtuosi. An impresario worked here Barbaja- philanthropist composer Bellini. He became famous creating a gourmet chocolate drink by combining coffee, cream and chocolate. Today this drink is known as coffee. morocino. Very quickly, the drink turned into a favorite delicacy of the Milanese high society.
You can try real Barbajada at

When a tourist who first came to Milan sees the theater building, he is sincerely perplexed - is this squat gray building the most luxurious opera house in the world, La Scala? But the Italians know that real beauty can be hidden inside, behind an inconspicuous facade.

Story

The history of the "great opera" originates in the second half of the 18th century when the city theater burned down in Milan, and the city aristocracy, eager for "spectacles", demanded that a new one be hastily erected. For this, 90 of the most influential citizens of Milan have allocated money - a total of 1 million Italian lire. The architect Giuseppe Piermarine, who was entrusted with the construction, hastily looked for a place for a new theater.

On one of the streets, the architect noticed a building that was once the church of Santa Maria della Scala. The church was built in the XIV century (1381) and received its name from the patroness of Verona - Beatrice della Scala.

During the excavation of the foundation, a large marble slab was suddenly discovered, on which the image of the famous ancient Roman mime, Pylades, was engraved. This was taken as a good sign and blessing "from above" for the construction of the theater.

Piermarine decided not to focus on the external arrangement of the building (which was built as a typical example of the neoclassical style), but to make focus on interior. As for the name, there was no need to think long: the theater was given the name that the church bore (Santa Maria della Scala), only in a slightly abbreviated version - La Scala.

The theater building was built in just 2 years, which by those standards was considered quite fast - in 1778. Already in August of this year, on the stage of the Opera House took place first premiere - the opera "Recognized Europe"(composer - A. Salieri).

20 years later, with the light hand of Stendhal, the Dela Scala Theater called "the first theater in the world". This was partly due to the fact that for many years Italy was under the rule of the Austrians, and because of the territorial proximity of Milan to Vienna, Empress Maria Theresa chose Milan as the opera capital of the world. Eminent guests and no less eminent stars of opera and ballet came here.

In the 18th century, people came to the theater not only for performances.: a card game was organized on the second floor, chic balls were held. It so happened that people did not even go into the hall to look at the production, but remained at the card table.

The life of the theater did not stop even during the years of World War II. In 1943, during the bombing of the city of La Scala, it was almost completely destroyed., but the artists continued to rehearse in the basement and the performances became more intimate. In 1946 the theater was rebuilt from ruins. The lion's share of the funds for the restoration was allocated by the theater's conductor, Arturo Toscanini.

The premiere performances by G. Rossini, G. Donizetti, G. Bellini, G. Verdi, D. Cimarosa took place here. The best opera voices performed here - Renata Tibaldi and Maria Callas, Placido Domingo and Montserrat Caballe, Enrique Caruso, Mario del Monaco and others. Representatives of Russia were also not ignored: on the stage of La Scala, the audience applauded F. Chaliapin, L. Sobinov, R. Nureyev.

Building today and photo

The auditorium of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan has perfect acoustics. The shape of the hall is semicircular, in the form of a horseshoe. The most prestigious seats in the auditorium are the boxes: as a rule, they are redeemed by influential and wealthy families, celebrities, and often - for the whole season at once. There are 194 such lodges in the hall.

The auditorium after restoration (2002-2006, under the direction of M.Bott) accommodates up to 2015 people. The entourage has remained virtually unchanged, but the technical capabilities have increased many times over.

On the stage are both modern and classical works. And if earlier in the repertoire there were productions of only Italian authors and directors, but today for the sake of productions at La Scala directors and directors are invited not only from all over Italy, but also from abroad. For example, in 2013, the debut of A. Raskatov’s opera “ dog's heart"(under the direction of V. Gergiev).

In the right wing of the building is La Scala Museum, opened in 1913. Here are stored rarities bequeathed by composers and performers, items from private music collections donated to the museum, and there is also a theater fund library.

You can admire the props and chic costumes in which certain stars performed - velvet camisoles embroidered with gold, dresses with crinolines and luxurious accessories.

Learn more about theater from this movie:

Opening hours, ticket prices

Ticket price in the halls of the museum - 6 euros(group tours - 4, children's tickets - 3 euros).

Opening hours of the museum halls: from 9 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 5.30 pm.

Theater ticket price (on average):

  • Opera in La Scala: from 30 euros in the gallery to 225 euros (parterre).
  • Concerts: from 38 to 70 euros.
  • ballet performances: from 65 to 140 euros.

The price depends on the type of production, whether the production is a premiere or not, on the participation of guest stars. Ticket price for a particular performance can reach up to 2000 euros.

Tickets arrive at the box office of the theater 2 months before the date of the show. It is best to book them directly on the official website (http://www.teatroallascala.org/en/index.html), or on specialized ticketing sites.

You can, of course, buy a ticket at the box office directly on the day of the show - but this is a matter of chance.

All tickets to La Scala are nominal: the purchased ticket cannot be returned, re-gifted to someone. The only exceptions are personal invitations to a booked box - but only a few receive such invitations.

In addition to visiting the theater for an opera or ballet performance, you can get to La Scala with an excursion group. Tours run daily from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm. Duration - 2 hours. Photography indoors is allowed.