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42-461: Rossini wrote quickly, and La gazza ladra was no exception. A 19th-century biography quotes him as saying that the conductor of the premiere performance locked him in a room at the top of La Scala the day before the premiere with orders to complete the opera's still unfinished overture. He was under the guard of four stagehands whose job it was to toss each completed page out the window to the copyist below. The first performance of The Thieving Magpie

84-537: A costume. Alagna did not return to the production. A fire destroyed the previous theatre, the Teatro Regio Ducale , on 25 February 1776, after a carnival gala. A group of ninety wealthy Milanese, who owned private boxes in the theatre, wrote to Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este asking for a new theatre and a provisional one to be used while completing the new one. The neoclassical architect Giuseppe Piermarini produced an initial design. However, it

126-513: A no-confidence motion against Muti. They demanded the resignation of Fontana's replacement, Mauro Meli. Muti had already been forced to cancel a concert a few days earlier because of the disagreements. Italy's culture minister, Giuliano Urbani , supported the conductor but called for urgent action by management to safeguard the smooth operation and prestige of La Scala. On 2 April 2005, Muti resigned from La Scala, citing "hostility" from staff members. In May 2005, Stéphane Lissner , formerly head of

168-453: A total of "3,000 or so" seats organized into 678 pit-stalls, arranged in six tiers of boxes above which is the 'loggione' or two galleries. Its stage is one of the largest in Italy (16.15m d x 20.4m w x 26m h). Building expenses were covered by the sale of boxes, which were lavishly decorated by their owners, impressing observers such as Stendhal . La Scala (as it came to be known) soon became

210-435: Is called away, but Antonio has heard all and offers to help Ninetta any way he can. Ninetta asks Pippo to sell a gold cross and put some money for her father in an agreed hiding place – a chestnut tree. Ninetta is brought to trial, found guilty, and condemned to death. Fernando rushes to the court to save his daughter's life, but is too late; he too is sent to prison. Ernesto, a military friend of Fernando, bursts in looking for

252-417: Is now frequently applied to any simple, melodious air, as distinguished from brilliant arias or recitatives , many of which are part of a larger movement or scena in oratorio or opera . " Ecco, ridente in cielo " from Gioachino Rossini 's opera The Barber of Seville , "Porgi amor" and " Se vuol ballare " from Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro are well-known cavatinas. A famous piece that bears

294-556: The Aix-en-Provence Festival , was appointed General Manager and artistic director of La Scala, becoming the first non-Italian in its history to hold the office. On 15 May 2006, Daniel Barenboim was named Maestro Scaligero , or de facto principal guest conductor of the company. In October 2011, Barenboim was appointed the next music director of La Scala, effective December 2011, with an initial contract of 5 years. In December 2013, management named Riccardo Chailly

336-579: The Accademia d'Arti e Mestieri dello Spettacolo (Academy for the Performing Arts). Its goal is to train a new generation of young musicians, technical staff, and dancers (at the Scuola di Ballo del Teatro alla Scala , one of the academy's divisions). Above the boxes, La Scala has a gallery—called the loggione —where the less wealthy can watch the performances. The gallery is typically crowded with

378-453: The Mayor and holding a royal pardon for Ninetta's father. Pippo shows him the way and is given a silver coin for helping, but the magpie snatches it and flies up to the tower. Pippo and Antonio pursue the thief. Ninetta is taken to the scaffold and makes her final speech to the crowd. From the tower, Pippo and Antonio cry out that they have found Lucia's silver in the magpie's nest and they ring

420-607: The Scala ' ) is a historic opera house in Milan , Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as il Nuovo Regio Ducale Teatro alla Scala ( lit.   ' the New Royal Ducal Theatre at the Scala ' , which was the former location of a church ). The premiere performance was Antonio Salieri 's Europa riconosciuta . Most of Italy's greatest operatic artists, and many of

462-719: The United States was at the Théâtre d'Orléans , New Orleans, on 30 December 1824. In 1941, Riccardo Zandonai composed a version of The Thieving Magpie for a revival of the opera in Pesaro. In 1979, Alberto Zedda edited Rossini's original composition of the opera for publication by the Fondazione Rossini. In 2013, the Bronx Opera of New York City performed an English-language version of La gazza ladra . At

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504-437: The arrest warrant for a deserter (Fernando), but as the Mayor has forgotten his reading glasses, Ninetta is asked to read the warrant, and makes up a description of someone totally unlike her father. The Mayor continues to force his attentions on Ninetta, at which Fernando almost reveals himself in anger. The three leave, and a magpie flies down and steals one of Lucia's silver spoons. Isacco passes by again, and Ninetta sells him

546-508: The bells. The crowd hear their words and hope to save Ninetta, but shots ring out and they conclude that they are too late. However, Ninetta appears walking down the hill – the shots were mere rejoicing. Ninetta celebrates with her companions but is worried about her father. He then appears with Ernesto and all – except the Mayor – enjoy a happy ending. The most famous aria in the opera is probably Ninetta's prayer "Deh, tu reggi in tal momento". The soprano cavatina "Di piacer mi balza il cor" and

588-432: The cavatina is an aria, generally of brilliant character, sung in one or two sections without repeats. It developed in the mid-18th century, coincident with the decline of the previously favoured da capo aria (in which the musical form is ABA, with the repeated A section given improvised variations). Examples occur in the operas of Mozart, Weber, and Rossini. In 19th-century bel canto operas of Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi

630-717: The exhilaration that the sociopathic narrator Alex obtains from a typical night out with his friends performing acts of violence and mayhem while mindless of the horrific consequences for his victims. The overture served as influence in John Williams ’s Aunt Marge’s Waltz from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban . Notes Sources La Scala La Scala ( UK : / l æ ˈ s k ɑː l ə / , US : / l ɑː -/ , Italian: [la ˈskaːla] ; officially Teatro alla Scala [teˈaːtro alla ˈskaːla] , lit.   ' Theatre at

672-428: The feast day of Milan's patron saint . All performances must end before midnight, and long operas start earlier in the evening when necessary. The Museo Teatrale alla Scala (La Scala Theatre Museum), accessible from the theatre's foyer and a part of the house, contains a collection of paintings, drafts, statues, costumes, and other documents regarding the history of La Scala and of opera in general. La Scala also hosts

714-778: The finest singers from around the world, have appeared at La Scala. The theatre is regarded as one of the leading opera and ballet theatres globally. It is home to the La Scala Theatre Chorus, La Scala Theatre Ballet , La Scala Theatre Orchestra, and the Filarmonica della Scala orchestra. The theatre also has an associate school, known as the La Scala Theatre Academy (Italian: Accademia Teatro alla Scala ), which offers professional training in music, dance, stagecraft, and stage management. La Scala's season opens on 7 December, Saint Ambrose 's Day,

756-461: The first productions of many famous operas and had a special relationship with Verdi. However, for several years, Verdi did not allow his work to be played here, as some of his music had been modified (he said "corrupted") by the orchestra. This dispute originated in a disagreement over the production of his Giovanna d'Arco in 1845; however, the composer later conducted his Requiem there on 25 May 1874. He announced in 1886 that La Scala would host

798-519: The general manager of La Scala since 1990, was dismissed in February 2005 by the board of governors over differences with the music director, Riccardo Muti . The resulting staff backlash caused serious disruptions and staff strikes. In a statement, the theatre's board said it was "urgent to unify the theatre's management". On 16 March 2005, the La Scala orchestra and other staff overwhelmingly approved

840-461: The house of Fabrizio Vingradito and his wife Lucia there is joy for the imminent return of their son Giannetto from the war. One of the servants, Ninetta, is in love with Giannetto and all want the two to marry, except Lucia, who blames Ninetta for the recent loss of a silver fork. Isacco, a local peddler, visits and asks about Ninetta, but Pippo, Fabrizio's manservant, sends him away. Giannetto arrives and goes inside with Lucia while Ninetta prepares for

882-511: The inscription "F.V.", initials shared by Fabrizio and Fernando. The stunned Ninetta, desperate to protect her father, is unable to refute the accusations, and the Mayor orders her arrest. Antonio, the prison warder, takes pity on Ninetta and says that he will get a message to Pippo and let Giannetto visit her. Ninetta convinces Giannetto that she is innocent. The Mayor now arrives and tells Ninetta that if she accepts his advances he will get her freed – she replies that she would rather die. The Mayor

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924-481: The most critical opera aficionados, known as the loggionisti, who can be ecstatic or merciless towards singers' perceived successes or failures. For their failures, artists receive a " baptism of fire " from these aficionados, and fiascos are long remembered. For example, in 2006, tenor Roberto Alagna left the stage after being booed during a performance of Aida , forcing his understudy , Antonello Palombi , to quickly replace him mid-scene without time to change into

966-480: The name, although without words, is the 5th movement of Beethoven's String Quartet in B-flat major, Opus 130 . Ralph Vaughan Williams also gave the title of "Cavatina" to the 3rd movement of his Symphony No. 8 . Camille Saint-Saëns wrote a Cavatine for trombone and piano . In opera, the term has been described as: a musical form appearing in operas and occasionally in cantatas and instrumental music....In opera

1008-534: The next music director of La Scala, effective 1 January 2015. Stéphane Lissner left La Scala for the Paris Opera . His successor Alexander Pereira  [ de ] , formerly director of the Salzburg Festival , began his tenure on 1 October 2014. In June 2019 it was announced that Pereira will leave in 2020 and will be replaced by Dominique Meyer . La Scala was originally selected to host

1050-403: The opening ceremony of the 134th IOC Session in 2019, but the event was moved to Lausanne , Switzerland after Milan submitted a joint bid with Cortina d'Ampezzo for the 2026 Winter Olympics . Cavatina Cavatina (Italian for "little song") is a musical term, originally meaning a short song of simple character, without a second strain or any repetition of the air . It

1092-535: The opera company was satisfied with the improvements to the structure and the sound quality, which was enhanced when the heavy red carpets in the hall were removed. The stage was entirely rebuilt, and an enlarged backstage allows more sets to be stored, permitting more productions. Seats now include monitors for the electronic libretto system provided by Radio Marconi , an Italian company, allowing audiences to follow opera libretti in English and Italian in addition to

1134-508: The opera lover, as Mary Shelley discovered in September 1840: At the Opera they were giving Otto Nicolai 's Templario . Unfortunately, as is well known, the theatre of La Scala serves, not only as the universal drawing-room for all the society of Milan but every sort of trading transaction, from horse-dealing to stock-jobbing , is carried on in the pit; so that brief and far between are

1176-401: The original language. The opera house re-opened on 7 December 2004 with a production, conducted by Riccardo Muti , of Salieri's Europa riconosciuta , the opera performed at La Scala's inauguration in 1778. Tickets for the re-opening fetched up to €2,000. The renovations cost a reported €61 million and left a budget shortfall that the opera house overcame in 2006. Carlo Fontana,

1218-431: The party. Once they have gone, Ninetta's father, Fernando Villabella, arrives, also from the war. However, he was sentenced to death after fighting with his captain and is now a deserter. He asks his daughter to sell two pieces of family silver to go towards his expenses while he is on the run. The Mayor arrives with intent on seducing Ninetta, and she claims that her father is just some vagrant. The Mayor's assistant delivers

1260-424: The preeminent meeting place for noble and wealthy Milanese people. In the tradition of the times, the main floor had no chairs, and spectators watched the shows standing up. The orchestra was in full sight, as the orchestra pit had not yet been built. As with most of the theatres at that time, La Scala was also a casino , with gamblers sitting in the foyer. Conditions in the auditorium, too, could be frustrating for

1302-469: The premiere of what was to become his penultimate opera, Otello . The premiere of his last opera, Falstaff was also given in the theatre. In 1982, the Filarmonica della Scala orchestra was established to develop a symphonic repertoire to add to La Scala's operatic tradition, the orchestra drawing its members from the larger pool of musicians that comprise the Orchestra della Scala. The Filarmonica

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1344-683: The role of Ninetta. He revised the role again in 1867 with embellishments and cadenzas for Adelina Patti . The first performance of The Thieving Magpie in England was at the King's Theatre , London, on 10 March 1821. A French-language opera-comique using the original title of the French source material ( La pie voleuse ) in a version translated by Castil-Blaze was premiered in Lille, France, on 15 October 1822. The French-language version's first performance in

1386-411: The silver her father had entrusted to her. Giannetto and others return, and Lucia notices that a spoon is missing. The Mayor starts an immediate investigation, stating the draconian penalty for domestic theft: death. Lucia and the Mayor accuse Ninetta, who in her distress drops the money she had exchanged from Isacco. The peddler is brought back and reports that he has already sold the spoon, but he recalls

1428-410: The snatches of melody one can catch. La Scala was originally illuminated with 84 oil lamps mounted on the stage and another thousand in the rest of the theatre. To reduce the risks of fire, several rooms were filled with hundreds of water buckets. In time, oil lamps were replaced by gas lamps; these, in turn, were replaced by electric lights in 1883. The original structure was renovated in 1907 when it

1470-406: The tenor cavatina "Vieni fra queste braccia" (the cabaletta for the duet between Arturo and Elvira from Bellini's I Puritani starts with exactly the same words) are two examples of Rossini's brilliant vocal writing. An animated short film called La gazza ladra was made in 1964 by Giulio Gianini and Emanuele Luzzati using the overture as the soundtrack, with motion synchronized to the music. It

1512-410: The term came to refer to a principal singer’s opening aria, whether in one movement or paired with a contrasting cabaletta . In Italian, the word is the diminutive of cavata , the act of producing a sound from a musical instrument (especially string instruments), and by extension, the quality of that sound. For example, one can notice the grace of an expert violinist's cavata or the richness of

1554-506: The traditional 7 December 2001 season-opening performances of Otello , which ran through December. From 19 January 2002 to November 2004, the opera company transferred to the new Teatro degli Arcimboldi , built in the Pirelli-Bicocca industrial area 4.5 miles (7.2 km) from the city center. The renovation by architect Mario Botta proved controversial, as preservationists feared that historic details would be lost. However,

1596-438: Was conducted first by Carlo Maria Giulini , then by Riccardo Muti , plus many collaborative relations with some of the greatest conductors of the time. As early as 1958 R. Vermeulen of Philips Electronics experimented with "loudspeakers for stereo reverberation" at La Scala, which were "concealed in the cove along the ceiling". The theatre underwent a major renovation from early 2002 to late 2004. The theatre closed following

1638-518: Was constructed by moving cutouts from frame to frame to illustrate a story of a thieving magpie, centered on the magpie, unlike in the opera. In 1965 the film was nominated for an Academy Award and won the first Grand Prix of the Melbourne International Film Festival . Stanley Kubrick used the overture for the early scenes of his movie A Clockwork Orange . The music gives the viewer a voyeuristic insight into

1680-419: Was given its current layout with 1,987 seats. In 1943, during World War II , La Scala was severely damaged by bombing . It was rebuilt and reopened on 11 May 1946, with a memorable concert conducted by Arturo Toscanini —twice La Scala's principal conductor and an associate of the composers Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini —with a soprano solo by Renata Tebaldi , which created a sensation. La Scala hosted

1722-666: Was on 31 May 1817, at La Scala , Milan . In 1818, Rossini revised the opera for subsequent productions in Pesaro ; and then in 1819 for the Teatro del Fondo , in Naples ; in 1820 for the Teatro di San Carlo , in Naples; and in 1866 he revised the music for performance in Paris . The 1866 revision included embellishments and variations written specifically for Giuseppina Vitali , who was singing

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1764-453: Was rejected by Count Firmian (the governor of the then Austrian Lombardy ). A second plan was accepted in 1776 by Empress Maria Theresa . The new theatre was built on the former location of the church of Santa Maria della Scala , from which the theatre gets its name. The church was deconsecrated and demolished. Over a period of two years, the theatre was completed by Pietro Marliani, Pietro Nosetti, and Antonio and Giuseppe Fe. The theatre had

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