ckendall

If you want something central and not too expensive, try the IBIS: http://www.ibis.com/gb/hotel-0933-ib...ro/index.shtml

JMN57

Certainly understand. La Scala is a must do if you love the opera. We've been a number of times and ironically the best seats we ever had (second row orchestra) were free as a customer procured them for us and when I offered to pay was told no way and the worst seats were in the front row of the top ring and I paid $400 a seat for those as the trip popped up with little notice and there was a production the MRS and I wanted to see (La Donna del Lago with Joyce DiDonato a few years ago) and the concierge at the hotel got them on the "secondary" market.

JMN57

One tip if you are flying out of MXP back to Stati Uniti on AA. AA 199 (NY) is a 10AM departure and while it is not impossible from downtown Milan, staying the night before at the Sheraton makes the AM departure out of MXP a breeze. There's a nice covered walkway and your are in the terminal. If you have Starwood points, point and cash make it pretty cheap. Always stay there when flying out with the MRS as her AM routine is longer than mine and it makes getting to the plane easy.

Non-NonRev

To reinforce what JMN57 has written concerning the dress code, I checked with Marco, an Italian friend of mine who regularly attends opera at the Teatro alla Scala, and this was his response concerning the subject:


La Scala is very strict about gentlemen guardarobe. The opening
performance of every performance is considered a gala and so you have
to wear coat and tie. If you do not, no matter whatever ticket you have and how
much you have paid, no explanations are accepted and you have to follow the
opera in the standing room in the last balcony.

But this is only for the downfloor and balconies (the most expansive tickets. If you
have tickets for the low cost balconies you are not obliged to wear coat and tie. For every performance after the first you are not obliged to wear suite and tie, But be careful. You have to be decent dressed anyway. Men in shorts are never admitted in the downfloor or boxes for every performance. This can sound strange but happens really
quite often, expecially with foreigners in summer. You are invited to
go to see the performance in the balconies. Women too have to be
decorous with not too audacious dressings. The 'leader valet' at the
entrance checks the admittance of everybody and if there is any
problem he decides the admittance.

The rules can be old and absurd but the worst is that is not written in the back of the thicket so nobody knows about. I complained years ago when I happened to help an American gentlemen in shorts who paid 200 dollars for a good downfloor seat and had to watch the entire opera standing on the balcony.

Is so stupid... Crazy... but Milano is famous for many
rules ordered but the fascism during the 30thies and still actual.
For instance we cannot skate... yes is true is not a joke. In Milano
skating is forbidden... Nobody changed the fascist restriction... so
it still a law. Not because we are fascist but simply nobody cared
about. Something like English pub closing at 10 o clock. Milano
would like to imitate New York but we have a lot again to do


Marco's advice dovetails with the following from the La Scala website:

Dress code at La Scala

Gentlemen are advised to wear black suit for premiere and are in any case always advised to to wear a jacket and tie. In general, we ask that you wear clothing that is in keeping with the decorum of the opera house.

So you should be fine with general jacket and tie, even in the platea or the palchi. Otherwise, I second what JMN57 has said concerning ticket locations. Many old families have held onto prime seating generation to generation and sell the seats to the secondary markets for income.

Concerning the Trovatore, it's an existing "traditional" production by Hugo de Anna, generally known for big sets if not especially deep 'personenregie'. There are alternating A and B casts; I like Agresta, the A cast Leonora - although the B cast Leonora (from venezuela) is highly regarded but still young and still refining her art. Both Manricos are fine (Lee the younger of the two). The two di Lunas offer a real contrast; the younger Massimo Cavalletti (who scored a big success in the 2012 Salzburg La Boheme) contrasted with the great septuagenarian Nucci. The biggest contrast is in the Azucena,where I consider Semenchuk far preferable to the Italian, who is probably well past her yell-by date, as they say.

As for outdoor performances, I think that everyone should do it once - it's well worth the experience. But I find that it's more about the spectacular venues (the Roman arena in Verona, the Sferisterio in Macerata, etc) than about serious music drama.

To SJOguy, I am familiar with Iride Martinez - are there other Costa Rican singers that you follow?

To JMN, did you catch the recent Covent Garden Donna del Lago with Joyce diDonato and Juan Diego Florez? Truly amazing Rossini singing!

OK, I've gone on way too long, so I'll leave you with this tidbit from the La Scala stage from six days ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMO9ZDfvE9c

JMN57

No - did not but the performance we saw at La Scala was with the both of them - it was the production that they debuted in Paris and is rumored heading to the Met in NY.

I like Florez's performance in it but I have to say his high water mark for me was in La Fille du Regiment at the Met where he nailed those high C's.

Saw Nucci in Verona this summer in Rigoletto and I have to say he is amazing for someone in his 70s (and when I mention his age, there is no rationalization being made - it was a great performance). That Rigoletto spoke to me in a way that none prior had and made me really appreciate the opera (and also had the effect of washing away the Met's sad version set in Las Vegas that we'd seen in April).

Off to the Met tonight to see Tosca. I wish it was the old Zeffirelli production but it's not. Nonetheless, probably my favorite opera musically.

SJOGuy

I don't want to give anybody the impression that I'm big on opera. I'm not. In fact, I see that La Scala offers non-opera entertainment. Those would be my preference, but Il Travatore is what coincides with my time there, so why not? I won't be getting tickets for opening night, so no black suit necessary.

Since Costa Rica is such a small country, the career of any Costa Rican who makes it big abroad is followed with pride by the folks back home, no matter what the field. That includes Iride Martinez.

Thank you for all the detailed information. I'm really looking forward to this trip.

medichill

I am going to Milan with the Mrs. and 15 yo twin daughters. Planning on spending the majority of our time in Milan. Will definitely see the Duomo and the Monumentale Cemetery.

There is a production of Les Troyens at La Scala but it is 5 1/2 hours and although we like the arts, that is a looooong time for any activity. Any thoughts from the opera buffs?

Also, I like to do "off-beat" things that are more what the locals might do. Any suggestions for that?

Thanks for all the great feedback and suggestions so far!

Alsacienne

As an opera fan, I would strongly advise against taking your 15 year old daughters to Les Troyens (Berlioz). Apart from massive orchestral forces (typical Berlioz!) there really aren't any 'hummable' arias or choruses, and unless your daughters are into Ancient Greek History, transformed into Romantic opera, I'd think they'd (and possibly you'd) be bored stiff! Just my HO though.

Non-NonRev

Well, there are "Inutiles regrets", "O blonde Ceres" and "Vallon Sonore", but you're right, those are small 'tunes' in the overall landscape of this great work. The cast is good (Antonacci especially) and Sir David McVicar's productions are always solid and reasonably good in fleshing out the characters, but I have to agree that the overall length works against it being an ideal work for novices.

ForJMN57 - that 'Donna del Lago' production you saw at LaScala was by Lluis Pasqual; the production was widely panned when it premiered in Paris (although the singing was praised). In fact, Covent Garden, the third co-producer, hated the Pasqual production so much that they rejected it and had the company's Associate Director of Opera create an entirely new production for the London performances.

JMN57

Thanks for the info, I hadn't realized that Covent Garden had created a new production. I hope that it makes it to NY just to compare. The production at La Scala was great musically but the staging and set weren't particularly notable as I recall. Of course we were in the top level (great view of the chandelier) /front row so the our best evaluation of the production was probably the work of the hair dressers.

combiblock

going to Milan mid-march, arriving the 20th 8am leaving 9am ish on the 26th.
which means a full 5 day in Milan.

Planning to have a day trip to lake como (wifey wants check it out)
Venice,
Florence.

Is that too aggresive? how many days one need to spend in Milan to do it justice? Florence and or Venice?

Is opera a must? is it like a broadway production but in italian language? if I were to go to youtube and look for one, any link to recommend to get the "feel"?

we love ancient stuff/city/buildings/churches/castles , historical places, and arts pieces etc.
AND local food.
AC Milan game would be a big PLUS. Do they do tour of San Siro stadium?
Also if anyone has insight on local festivities on those dates.

a recommendation of a high level itinerary/option would be much appreciated.

jerryhung

I have 7 days (6 full days really) in Italy and asked on TripAdvisor on Milan-Florence-Venice-Milan and many people said it's too aggressive

but I'd say 5-day for 3 cities is even more aggressive than me
I'd cut out Milan completely if you only have 5 days, and just do Florence & Venice
or skip Florence

combiblock

now that i think about it, i probably need to skip florence entirely.

well i can focus my research now

boboqui

The misses and I have a similar itinerary for six nights, we're also shunning Milan after reading about the traffic there. On the first day we're driving to Lugano, Switzerland, where we'll spend the first night, the next day we'll visit Bellagio in Lake Como on the way to a Spa in Bardolino, near Verona (2 nights), then on to Venice (2 nights), then catching the train back to the Sheraton MXP for the final night before the next day's early morning flight.

You may consider taking the train and staying in Verona on your way to/from Venice, we chose it "Because of the value and importance of its many historical buildings, Verona has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verona

combiblock

skipped Milan entirely? so u rented a car from MXP and drove straight to Lugano? what is in Lugano that interest you guys, looking at the map you have to backtrack the next day to get to Bellagio?

thanks for the link, didnt think about Verona at all. another thing to research @_@