The new season in Milan gets underway at Teatro degli Arcimboldi on 7 Dec. It opens with Iphignie en Aulide by Gluck (until 21 Dec). This opera was written for Paris in 1774; Gluck wanted to win back the French capital following its tepid reception of Paride ed Elena. He succeeded: the opera was a resounding success. However, it has never been widely performed; it last went on stage at La Scala in 1959. Now it is back to join the other works by Gluck that have been successfully conducted by Riccardo Muti: Alceste, Orfeo ed Euridice, Iphignie en Taurine and Armide productions born of Mutis great love for the composer. The director is Yannis Kokkos, who returns to La Scala after the Gtterdmmerung opening in 1998. Here he filters Glucks neoclassical style through a modern interpretation. The protagonist is Violeta Urmana, who made her dbut at La Scala with Glucks Armide and who gave an extraordinary performance in Berliozs Les Troyens, another French opera similar to Iphignie en Aulide for its classical content but very different in terms of conception and musical style.