What is La Scala?

The Teatro Alla Scala, also known as La Scala, is a world-renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. Each year, beginning on December 7, La Scala hosts an annual opera season that features some of the world’s best performers and sometimes includes world premieres of new original works. Many visitors to Milan make time to see a performance at La Scala or to visit the opera museum on the premises.

La Scala is not only well-known, but it is also quite old. After a fire destroyed Milan’s previous opera house in 1776, the Teatro Alla Scala was founded in 1778. The gentry of Milan wrote to the governor, requesting a new opera house and stating that they would fund it by purchasing boxes and paying yearly rents on them. After several failed attempts to come up with a design that satisfied everyone, Empress Maria Theresa stepped in to approve a plan, and work on the theatre began.

Europa riconosciuta, an opera by Antonio Salieri, was La Scala’s first production; in 2004, the opera was revived for the first night of its season and broadcast live on television. Norma, Madame Butterfly, Otello, Turandot, and Lucrezia Borgia are just a few of the notable operas that made their debuts at La Scala. La Scala has also hosted a number of well-known opera stars and conductors, and there are numerous recordings of La Scala productions available.

La Scala was closed for extensive renovations in 1907, which resulted in the current layout that is familiar to current operagoers. La Scala was severely damaged by bombing during WWII, but it reopened to great fanfare in 1946. Between 2002 and 2004, La Scala was renovated once more to bring the theater up to date, expanding the backstage area and dramatically improving the acoustics.

La Scala tickets are available directly from the threatre, which also sells them online and over the phone. Ticket sales for various La Scala productions are also permitted through authorized agents. Visitors to the theatre should be aware that all premieres require formal attire, and that all other performances require patrons to dress “respectfully.” Inside the theatre, recording devices and cell phones are not permitted, and patrons are not permitted to sit while the show is in progress. Latecomers are welcome to wait in the lobby until the next break, when they will be seated.