La Scala facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
La Scala

Exterior of La Scala
Address	Piazza della Scala, Milan, Italy
Coordinates	45°28′03″N 09°11′21″E / 45.46750°N 9.18917°E / 45.46750; 9.18917
Owner	City of Milan
Capacity	2,030
Construction
Opened	1778
Architect	Giuseppe Piermarini

La Scala (officially called Teatro alla Scala, which means "Theatre at the Scala") is a very famous opera house in Milan, Italy. It opened on August 3, 1778. The first show ever performed there was an opera called Europa riconosciuta by Antonio Salieri.

Many of Italy's best opera singers and artists from all over the world have performed at La Scala. It's known as one of the top opera and ballet theatres globally. La Scala has its own chorus, ballet company, and two orchestras. It also has a special school, the La Scala Theatre Academy, where young people can learn about music, dance, and how to work behind the scenes in theatre.

What is La Scala Like?

The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, by night

The opera season at La Scala usually starts on December 7th. This day is special in Milan because it's the feast day of Saint Ambrose, the city's patron saint. All performances must finish before midnight. If an opera is very long, it will start earlier in the evening.

Inside the theatre, you can find the Museo Teatrale alla Scala (La Scala Theatre Museum). This museum has a collection of paintings, costumes, and other items that tell the story of La Scala and opera in general. La Scala also runs an academy that trains young musicians, dancers, and technical staff for the stage.

Above the main seating areas, La Scala has a special gallery called the loggione. This is where people who are less wealthy can watch the shows. This area is often filled with the most passionate opera fans, known as the loggionisti. They can be very excited when a singer does well, but also very critical if they make a mistake! Sometimes, artists who don't perform well get a "baptism of fire" from these fans, and their mistakes are remembered for a long time. For example, in 2006, a singer named Roberto Alagna left the stage after the audience booed him during a show. His backup had to quickly take his place!

The History of La Scala

A nineteenth-century depiction of the Teatro alla Scala

Before La Scala, there was another theatre called the Teatro Regio Ducale. It burned down on February 25, 1776, after a big party. A group of wealthy people in Milan, who owned private boxes in the old theatre, asked for a new one to be built.

The famous architect Giuseppe Piermarini designed the new theatre. His first design was not approved, but a second one was accepted in 1776 by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. The new theatre was built on the spot where a church called Santa Maria della Scala used to be. This is how the theatre got its name!

It took two years to build the theatre. When it was finished, it had about 3,000 seats. These seats were arranged in 678 private boxes, stacked in six levels, plus the two galleries above. The stage at La Scala is one of the biggest in Italy.

The money for building La Scala came from selling these private boxes. The owners decorated their boxes beautifully. La Scala quickly became a popular meeting place for important and wealthy people in Milan. In those days, the main floor didn't have chairs, so people stood to watch the shows. The orchestra was also in plain sight, as there wasn't a special pit for them yet.

Like many theatres at the time, La Scala also had a casino where people gambled in the lobby. Sometimes, it was hard to enjoy the opera because of all the noise and activity. For example, in 1840, a writer named Mary Shelley noted that people were doing all sorts of business in the main seating area, making it difficult to hear the music.

Originally, La Scala was lit by 84 oil lamps on the stage and a thousand more throughout the theatre. To prevent fires, many rooms had hundreds of water buckets ready! Later, oil lamps were replaced by gas lamps, and then by electric lights in 1883.

Interior of the opera house in 1900

In 1907, the theatre was updated and given its current layout with 1,987 seats. During World War II, in 1943, La Scala was badly damaged by bombs. It was rebuilt and reopened on May 11, 1946. The reopening was a very special concert led by Arturo Toscanini, a famous conductor who had worked closely with composers like Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini.

La Scala has hosted the first performances of many famous operas. The composer Giuseppe Verdi had a special connection with La Scala. For a while, he didn't allow his operas to be played there because he felt his music was changed by the orchestra. However, he later conducted his famous Requiem there in 1874. His last two operas, Otello and Falstaff, also had their first performances at La Scala.

The Filarmonica della Scala Orchestra

In 1982, a new orchestra called the Filarmonica della Scala was created. Its goal was to perform symphonic music, adding to La Scala's tradition of opera. This orchestra is made up of musicians from the larger Orchestra della Scala. Many great conductors have led the Filarmonica, including Carlo Maria Giulini and Riccardo Muti.

Recent Changes and Events

Major Renovation: 2002 to 2004

The exterior of La Scala in 2005 after the 2002/04 renovations

From early 2002 to late 2004, La Scala went through a big renovation. The theatre closed after its traditional season opening on December 7, 2001. While it was closed, the opera company moved to a new theatre called the Teatro degli Arcimboldi.

The renovation was led by architect Mario Botta. Some people worried that historic parts of the theatre would be lost. However, the opera company was happy with the improvements, especially to the sound quality, which got better after heavy red carpets were removed. The stage was completely rebuilt, and a larger backstage area now allows more sets to be stored.

Now, the seats have small screens that show the opera's words in English, Italian, and the original language. This helps the audience follow along.

The theatre's restored interior

La Scala reopened on December 7, 2004, with a performance of Antonio Salieri's Europa riconosciuta. This was the same opera that was performed at La Scala's very first opening in 1778! Tickets for the reopening were very expensive, costing up to €2,000. The renovations cost about €61 million.

From 2005 Onward

In 2005, there were some changes in the leadership of La Scala. The general manager, Carlo Fontana, was dismissed because of disagreements with the music director, Riccardo Muti. This caused some problems and staff strikes. On April 2, 2005, Muti resigned from La Scala.

Later that year, Stéphane Lissner became the new General Manager and artistic director. He was the first non-Italian to hold this position. In 2006, Daniel Barenboim was named the main guest conductor, and in 2011, he became the music director. In 2013, Riccardo Chailly was named the next music director, starting in 2015.

La Scala was considered to host the opening ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics bid, but the event was moved to Switzerland.

Who Has Led the Music at La Scala?

Famous First Performances at La Scala

See: Category:Opera world premieres at La Scala

See also

In Spanish: Teatro de La Scala para niños