WAITING FOR DON GIOVANNI at La Scala | Via Montenapoleone Milano

Via Monte Napoleone, Milan

film :.
Die CHIC Walküre
by Matt Dowson

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credits:
film : Die CHIC Walküre - 2010 La Scala's gala season premiere
director: Matt Dowson
starring: The Real Chic Inside Out
shot on location: Piazza della Scala, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II°, Milan
music by: Marl Lo - Pink Floyd cover, Comfortably numb - Tomas Bodin, Wakner's Valkyries
special thanks for appearance: Daniel Baremboi, Filarmonica della Scala, Die Walküre cast, Valeria Marini, Letizia Moratti sindaco di Milano, "Valentino" Dario Ballantini di Striscia la Notizia, Enrico "La Iena" Lucci

Waiting for Don Giovanni. La Scala's gala season premiere dress code. How to pass for a Milanese at La Scala. Mozart’s ultimate bad boy meets his match in Anna Netrebko, the opera world’s “hottest female star.”

“Elegant but not stiff”
Giorgio Armani

How to pass for a Milanese at La Scala

So now that you've managed to score tickets to a performance at Teatro alla Scala, the real panic sets in: What on earth are you going to wear?

At its heart, Milanese style is about understated elegance and sartorial simplicity: the very best fabrics in conservative cuts, uniquely accessorized. Think of women in Marni dresses adorned with silver necklaces bought in India. Think of men in bespoke suits and handmade shirts paired with bottle-green Loden overcoats from Salzburg. It's about an old school style with a counterintuitive twist. And though it's not easy to carry-off for the non-Milanese, it can be learned. Here, a few of Opera Chic's sartorial rules.

Don't overdress.
It's the most common faux pas. We know—the Milanese are so stylish that you overcompensate and show up at La Scala in a tuxedo and a long silk gown for a fifth replica of a dusty, old Rigoletto. Really, you'll just look like a tourist.

Don't underdress.
Flip-flops, sneakers, and shorts are never acceptable. T-shirts in the cheaper gallerie (more on that below) are okay, but would it kill you to wear a short-sleeved polo instead?

Note where you're sitting.
At La Scala, dress code guidelines are practically encoded into your ticket price. The platea (orchestra) and all three levels of the palchi (balcony boxes) call for elegance. For men: a dark suit, white shirt and tie. No pinstripes, please! For women: a dark dress and heels—and leave the aggressive accessories (fishnet stockings and hats) at home. If your seats are in the cheaper, rather cramped gallerie (the two top rings, also known as the loggione) it's less formal. For men: khakis or dark jeans, and dress shirts with navy blazers or cashmere sweaters; for women, a dress or skirt and heels.
When you're going and what you're seeing matters too.
If you have tickets to the premiere of an opera (la prima), regardless of the day of the week or season, dress up. But if you're seeing the ballet, symphony, or a recital at La Scala, the dress code is more relaxed. During the summer, the dress code is even more casual.

Save the black tie for Dec 7.
The only time it's appropriate to wear black tie to La Scala is the annual December 7 opening. You'll be surrounded by men in tuxedos and heavily bejeweled women in kitschy designer combinations. And frankly, if you shelled out $4,000 for your seat, you can wear whatever you want.

Cover up!
Unlike in New York, nude legs are anathema. Cleavage and bare shoulders are also generally a no-go. In the winter, women wear opaque black tights or black stockings, and even in the summer months, nude pantyhose (sorry!) are worn by young and old alike.

Accessorize.
Jewelry—more likely in hushed ebony and creamy ivory rather than shiny pearls or gold chains—is always ladled-on. If it's winter, feel free to break out the fur. You won't encounter PETA protesters as you traverse Piazza della Scala in your J. Mendel.

When in doubt, just wear black.
At the Piermarini (La Scala's Milan nickname, homage to the opera theater's architect, Giuseppe Piermarini), black is always appropriate. And most importantly, it hides any Campari stains from your pre-performance aperitivo at the Park Hyatt!

credits:.
Opera Chic

...once inside here the official rules of Teatro alla Scala:

House rules

Members of the public are asked to respect the following house rules:

Audience members must be in possession of a valid ticket or entry pass at all times. These must be handed over for inspection by La Scala staff when requested. Ticketholders must sit in the seats allocated to them.

Latecomers will not be admitted once the performance has started and will be asked to wait in the foyers until the first interval, when they may take their seats.

Children under 6 years of age will not be admitted to the theatre.

Patrons are advised to wear black tie for premiere performances and it is recommended that men wear a jacket and tie for all other performances. In general, we ask that you wear clothing that is in keeping with the decorum of the opera house.

Umbrellas, hats, bags, cameras, audio/video recording devices and mobile phones must be deposited at the cloakrooms. We request that gentlemen leave overcoats in the cloakrooms. A cloakroom service is provided free of charge.

Patrons should exercise appropriate behaviour at all times and remain silent in the auditorium during performances.

The use of mobile phones is not permitted in the auditorium.

The use of photographic equipment and audio/video recording devices of any kind is not permitted in the auditorium.

Smoking is not permitted on La Scala premises (Law 584/75).

Food and drink must not be consumed outside bar areas. Food and drink is not permitted in the auditorium or boxes.

Should you have any problems or specific requirements, our section supervisors and head usher are on hand to help.

credits:.
Teatro alla Scala

Don Giovanni
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
New production of Teatro alla Scala
Running Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Sung in Italian with electronic libretto in Italian, English

December: 7, 10, 13, 16, 20, 23, 28 January: 4, 8, 12, 14

“È aperto a tutti quanti! Viva la libertà!”
“My house is open to everyone! Long live liberty!” (End of Act I)

In Mozart’s opera, the eternal myth that is Don Giovanni champions Eros as a driving force for freedom, fighting for his own ideals to the point of defying fate. Robert Carsen’s staging of Don Giovanni keeps with this idea in his first production specifically for La Scala.

Daniel Barenboim conducts a stellar cast that includes Peter Mattei (Don Giovanni), Anna Netrebko (Donna Anna), Giuseppe Filianoti (Don Ottavio), Barbara Frittoli (Donna Elvira), Bryn Terfel (Leporello) and Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (alternating in the roles of Don Giovanni and Leporello).
Don Giovanni (K. 527; complete title: Il dissoluto punito, ossia il Don Giovanni, literally The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni) is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga (now called the Estates Theatre) on October 29, 1787. Da Ponte's libretto was billed like many of its time as dramma giocoso, a term that denotes a mixing of serious and comic action. Mozart entered the work into his catalogue as an "opera buffa". Although sometimes classified as comic, it blends comedy, melodrama and supernatural elements.

Don Giovanni / Peter Mattei (7, 10, 13, 23, 28 December; 4, 8, 12, 14 January) - Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (16, 20 December)
Il Commendatore / Kwangchul Youn (7, 10, 13, 16, 20, 23, 28 December - Alexander Tsymbalyuk (4, 8, 12, 14 January)
Donna Anna / Anna Netrebko (7, 10, 13, 16, 20, 23 December) - Tamar Iveri (28 dicembre; 4, 8, 12, 14 January)
Don Ottavio / Giuseppe Filianoti (7, 10, 13, 16, 20, 23, 28 December - John Osborn (4, 8, 12, 14 January)
Donna Elvira / Barbara Frittoli (7, 10, 13, 16, 20, 23, 28 December) - Maria Agresta (4, 8, 12, 14 January)
Leporello / Bryn Terfel (7, 10, 13, 16, 20 December) - Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (23, 28 dicembre; 4, 8, 12, 14 January)
Zerlina / Anna Prohaska (7, 10, 13, 16, 20, 23, 28 December) - Ekaterina Sadovnikova (4, 8, 12, 14 January)
Masetto / Štefan Kocán (7, 10, 13, 16, 20, 23, 28 December) - Kostas Smoriginas (4, 8, 12, 14 January)

Mrs Anna Netrebko will not sing in the Don Giovanni performance of December 28th. The role of Donna Anna will be covered by Mrs Tamar Iveri. All the other performances are going to take place as announced.