Comments on: Daniel Barenboim at La Scala

By: Judith Harris

Judith Harris — Mon, 03 May 2010 16:55:29 +0000

Very belatedly for Jane Dashwood: Wikipedia has an excellent article on the 17th century La Scala opera theater in Milan, with illustrations. The history also includes the problem of obtaining tickets. Plan way ahead–but do this once in a lifetime at least. My own first visit was a birthday gift in a box seat to see a performance of Peter Grimes, Riccardo Muti conducting. I shall never forget it. –Judith Harris

By: jane dashwood

jane dashwood — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:35:13 +0000

i hav always wanted to go to the la scala opera house. can someone describe the place for me and its history?

By: Peter Bridges

Peter Bridges — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 22:19:12 +0000

Judith Harris’s fine essay needs no comment, yet I will add one. She brings out beautifully the figure of the superb Israeli musician conducting at La Scala a masterpiece by the great anti-Semitic German. Robert Berger comments that before this new production of Tristan und Isolde, Wagner was performed at La Scala in the 1990s. The whole question of Wagner and Italy is fascinating, and one hopes Judith Harris will have more to tell us about it. I find, in a few minutes’ search, that a Wagner opera was first performed in Italy in 1871–Lohengrin, in Bologna. A bit late, perhaps, for an opera that appeared in 1850; but its first New York performance was that same year, and it was first performed in London only four years later. In any case, the Italians grew to be good fans, and by the end of the nineteenth century Wagner led the list (Verdi was second) of composers whose operas were being performed in Italy. Some decades later, the Duce said he liked Wagner better than Puccini–but Vittorio Mussolini often saw his father asleep during a Wagner opera. Now, Ms. Harris, tell us more!

By: robert berger

robert berger — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:09:24 +0000

Correction: The statement that La Scala has not seen a Wagner production in three decades is incorrect.Former
La Scala music director Riccardo Muti conducted a
production of Wagner’s Ring cycle in the 90s.