In 1776, under the auspices of Empress Maria Theresa, construction began on the buliding that was to become the greatest opera house in history. Two years later, in 1778 the Teatro Alla Scala was inaugurated with Antonio Salieri’s Europa. Verdi, Donizetti, Rossini and Puccini premiered their greatest Operas at La Scala. Today, La Scala is widely recognized as the ultimate challenge for the world’s greatest Opera virtuosos because of its passionate audiences, who always demand absolute perfection. When Luciano Pavarotti missed hitting a note perfectly in one performance, he was booed – he later said that the audience was right – he had made a mistake. 234 Years after its opening, La Scala’s magic can finally be experienced without travelling all the way to Italy.

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