Milan Opera???
 

The opera in July is starting at 8PM. Does anyone know how long operas usually are? I am trying to plan my train ride or taxi home.

Thanks!
Kimberley

It depends on what opera you are seeing. It could last 2 1/2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, etc. There is no standard length!

There's a taxi stand just in front of the Scala and probably you still find metro and bus available at that time in summer. Don't worry and have a nice night at the Opera :)))

I bet if you told us what opera you're seeing, someone could give you a pretty good idea how long it is.

Unless the opera is Wagner (except for The Flying Dutchman) or one of the longer Verdi pieces (like Don Carlo), the length with intermissions shouldn't be much over 3 to 3-1/2 hours.

Hi Kim - I looked Lucia up on some other sites and near as I can tell it could run 2.5 hours.

We are going July 5th, when are you going?

VS

My one fisit to La Scala was headlined by VERY long intermissions.

Hmm, checked another website - 145 minutes without intermission. :"> :-D :-d

I undoubtedly will be pacing in the last half - we'll see.

VS

Hmmm. I wonder if that really means 145 minutes "not counting" the intermission?
I'm with DRJ on this. Not at La Scala but anywhere in Europe the interemissions seem endless to me. At Royal Opera House in London I felt we could have gone out for a nice dinner during intermission and made it back for the second act.

ttt 4 Kimberley

Hi!

Thanks for all of the replies. I have decided to see Dido and Aeneas on July 8th. The tickets arn't for sell yet so they don't have any information on how long the opera is going to be. I am thinking of maybe spending the extra money and getting a hotel room. I am so excited. I have always wanted to go to the opera.

Thanks!

Kimknight, I don't like to rain on your parade, but "Dido and Aeneas" is an early opera (by Purcell). It's an acquired taste, and not a very good introduction to the operas of later centuries that constitute the standard repertoire. If you can, go for something by Puccini or Verdi or Rossini. "Lucia di Lammermoor" by Donizetti is also a bit special, being "bel canto".

Kimberly - How exciting! This looks like an interesting opera.

I found several websites that say it runs 60 minutes and here is one:

http://www.classiccat.net/purcell_h/626.htm

How are you reserving tickets? If you search for La Scala on this Fodors talk-site you can locate a thread I recently posted about how my DW and I were able to obtain our tickets online, when they went on sale.

VS

Hi Eloise, what is wrong with bel canto?

I thought that if you went to an Italian opera, you really did not have much choice other than bel canto.

Can you elucidate?

VS

I never said that there was anything wrong with bel canto, but it's certainly not the only kind of Italian opera. Personally, I'm not fond of the florid detail of bel canto; I prefer the expressive range of Verdi or the verismo of Puccini. Rossini's "Barbiere di Siviglia" and "Otello" are great comic and tragic operas, respectively. But if I had to choose a favorite "Italian" opera, it would be Mozart's "Don Giovanni".

Thanks Eloise, I understand. I wonder if I will be able to make it to the end of Lucia? I don't care for sitting that long, and all that beautiful bel canto may put me to sleep.

VS

I have to say that really for me, it is more than "going to the opera." It is going to La Scala for an opera!

Can hardly wait.

VS

I am confused... What does Bel canto mean? What makes Dido and Aeneas so different? The reason I wanted to see this opera is because I will already be in Milan on this day.

Thanks! :0)

To grossly over-simplify: Bel canto ("beautiful singing") is a style of opera that is rather ornamented and fluid. The most famous bel canto composers are probably Rossini and Donizetti in the 19th century. Purcell composed more than a century before those composers: his music is English baroque in style and Dido & Aeneas, naturally enough has a very different dramatic style than later Italian grand opera (maybe you could call it stiffer or more classical) as well as English libretto.

If you just want to see an opera at La Scala, none of this may metter. Otherwise, you should probably go to the library and borrow recordings or videos of both and see which appeals to you.

I have never seen any type of opera (even on tv). I just want the experience of seeing an opera at La Scalla. The theater looks beautiful.

Thanks!

Don't worry: Lucie won't put you to sleep. There's a fair amount of action, and I defy anyone to sleep through the mad scene.

Just want to say that I'm planning to attend "Dido and Aeneas" on June 28th. Am familiar with and admire the opera, but since this will most likely be my only chance to experience opera at La Scala, I wish that my schedule would allow me to experience an opera such as "Lucia..." For one thing, I'll pay as much for hour-long "Dido" (possibly fluffed with instrumental music and dancing) as I would for an opera twice as long! Still, I'm sure the performance will be wonderful, and I'm thrilled to be attending it at La Scala. Happy opera going to all!

Kimberley - I think you will have a fantastic time at your opera! How could there be anything disappointing about it?

For me it would be the best of both worlds - La Scala and an opera that is not too long. :-)

Underhill - obviously I wasn't thinking! The mad scene will definitely keep me awake.

VS