Singer

The world premiere of Giacomo Puccini's final masterpiece took place at La Scala on April 25, 1926. The composer had died in Brussels on November 29, 1924, without being able to complete the score. Arturo Toscanini had asked Franco Alfano to prepare a finale, which remained problematic. On the night of the premiere, Toscanini placed his baton on the last note composed by Puccini, upon Liù's death: a gesture that has remained in the history of La Scala and is also remembered in the production conceived by Davide Livermore for Puccini's centenary. A rich production, combining technological marvels and artisanal expertise, revived under the baton of Nicola Luisotti.

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Turandot

On the fiftieth anniversary of Shostakovich's death, La Scala opens its season with his masterpiece, Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District , based on Nikolai Leskov's story in which a young bride, with the complicity of her lover, kills her husband and tyrannical father-in-law, but is discovered and ends up committing suicide in Siberia, betrayed by all. After its debut in St. Petersburg, the opera, which was intended to be the first chapter of a trilogy on the condition of women in Russia, was enormously successful at home and abroad. Stalin attended a performance in Moscow in 1936; two days later, the famous criticism in Pravda, titled "Chaos Instead of Music," appeared, decrying both the opera and the composer. Years later, Shostakovich prepared a new version, which premiered in Moscow in 1963 under the title Katarina Izmailova , after Superintendent Ghiringhelli had unsuccessfully attempted to secure its premiere at La Scala. Today, the Theatre presents the 1934 version, conducted by Maestro Chailly and featuring the debut of director Vasily Barkhatov.

A Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District

Teatro alla Scala

After the Kurt Weill Triptych and the Season opening in tribute to Shostakovich, Music Director M° Chailly adds another key milestone to his ongoing exploration of Verdi’s work, completing his survey of the composer’s early operas with the work that marked a turning point. The triumph of Nabucodonosor at La Scala in 1842 signaled the definitive breakthrough of the composer, while also forging a strong bond between the Milanese theatre (and, more broadly, Italian opera) and the emerging spirit of unification and the Risorgimento. The new production, in which the divertissements composed by Verdi for the 1848 revival in Brussels will be performed, marks the La Scala debut of the now well-established talent of Alessandro Talevi, a South African director who has reconnected with his Italian roots. The cast is the best imaginable: Anna Netrebko, Luca Salsi, Francesco Meli, Michele Pertusi, and Veronica Simeoni. Also central to the production is the Chorus, conducted by Alberto Malazzi, performing the iconic “Va, pensiero.”

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Haiyang Guo

Events

Upcoming events

May 16 - Jun 9, 2026

Nabucodonosor · Teatro alla Scala

Past events

Apr 29, 2026

Turandot · Teatro alla Scala

4 - 30 Dec, 2025

A Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District · Teatro alla Scala

Future and recently performed repertoire

The Little Prince of Persia in Turandot by Puccini

Teatro alla Scala

A coachman in A Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District by Shostakovich

Teatro alla Scala

Abdallo in Nabucodonosor by Verdi

Teatro alla Scala

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