Dukey1

We have been attending performances in Verona over the past several years and will see three works again later this summer.

For a trip next year we are going to combine a start in Switzerland and a stay on Lake Como with at least one performance in Milan before going on to Verona, Venice, and Vienna.

I had no idea the opera season at LaScala is as lengthy as it appears to be.

I am wondering if anyone knows if it is better to get tickets over the internet at the LaScala website or do this over the phone.

I had trouble with this year's Verona tickets (which I usually book on the internet) and finally had to call the box office directly. That worked but takes more time and I had to haggle a bit to get the row I wanted but eventually prevailed.

Any insights into the LaScala process would be helpful and thank you.

bvlenci

I've been to La Scala for a concert, but not for an opera. We've been planning to go to an opera for the past several years with friends who live in Milan, but we just can't get our schedules to match. Our friend goes to the ticket office of La Scala as soon as the tickets go on sale. She sees almost every opera of the season, and says that's the best way to get the tickets she wants. She tries always to get central seats in the first row of the gallery. That's right above the Royal Box, at a fraction of the price of the boxes just below that row. When I was looking for concert tickets, that section was completely sold out, so it must be the first to go. According to her, the only other way to get good opera tickets is to find out when they'll first go on sale, and buy them online just after midnight (Italian time).

Some hotels have opera packages, which can be another way to get good tickets. The combined cost of a room and two tickets was less than the cost of the two separately. (We ended up not getting them because our friends weren't available that year when we were.)

Dukey1

Almost undoubtedly the hotel we will use in Milan will have a way to get seats, especially if I email the concierge in advance, but I would rather not rely on that. The LaScala site is very clear as to exactly when tickets go on sale so I may have to do one of those late night keyboard vigils as I watch the second hand move around and around.

Bvlenci, I appreciate your taking the time to reply and also your insight as to seat locations.

Southam

LaScala maintains a small museum of portraits, costumes and souvenirs of the many stars who have hit the high notes over its long history. For buffs, at least, it makes the head swim. Casual tourists can visit a couple of boxes in the auditorium for a look at its elegance with the house lights on. The visit schedule appears variable, depending on the theatre's activity (it houses dance as well as opera and concerts.)

tuscanlifeedit

I spent a few hours this week reading about buying La Scala tickets. It appears that the two front seats in each box have backs, but that the remaining seats are stools and that the sight lines are horrible.

I hope someone can speak to this because the hours I spent reading have left me with the impression that two seats that are really chairs are very hard to come by and very expensive.

I have used the La Scala website for a lot of research and I don't find it that easy to tell exactly which seats in each box and the actual full chairs. If anyone has this figured out, I would appreciate help.

nochblad

The opera season opens on December 7 - Sant'Ambrogio who is the patron saint of Milan. It is a huge social occasion.

bvlenci

Tuscanlifeedit, what you say about the boxes is true. When we went to the concert, I bought tickets in the platea because I couldn't figure out the seating in the boxes.

The "first night" is indeed a big social occasion, much more so than a music lover's occasion.

tuscanlifeedit

bvlenci: thanks. Please, what is the platea and how was the view? I'm thinking of going to the ballet, so seeing is important.

bvlenci

Oh, sorry, I think it would be the stalls in England, or the orchestra in the US. It's the seats that are in rows in front of the stage.

We were at a piano concert, and the view was fine, but, of course, the pianist stays put the whole time. We were more interested in the acoustics and that was fine as well.

Dukey1

The platea is the horseshoe-shaped tier of boxes BEHIND the "orchestra" seats at LaScala and those latter are definitely labeled as "orchestra" on the seating plan.

bvlenci

In Italian, boxes are called "palchi" and the area on the floor is called the "platea".

I just checked the seating plan of La Scala. It's the same in Italian and English, and I don't see "orchestra" anywhere. Platea is written just under the first row of boxes, but, believe me, it wouldn't refer to boxes.

http://teatroallascala.ticketone.it/...KEN&upsellNo=0