6-15 Oct 2006. Conducted by Roberto Abbado, directed by Jos Carlos Plaza, with Antonio Siragusa, Alessandro Corbelli, Daniela Barcellona, Roberto Frontali, Vittorio Prato.

The other theatre starting its winter season before the others is the Comunale di Firenze, which has chosen a calmer and safer path with Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Rossini (6-15 Oct), already produced in 1994 by Jos Carlos Plaza. The conductor will be Roberto Abbado, and among the singers will be Daniela Barcellona, Roberto Frontali, Alessandro Corbelli and Antonio Siragusa. This repeated production remains well anchored to the current interpretative trend: to execute Rossini with style, preparation and clarity. This displays the bravura of the performers and assures the success of the production.

Alongside the theatres whose new seasons are getting underway are also those that are coming to an end. Among these is the Teatro alla Scala, which opened its curtains with Mozarts Idomeneo and which now closes with his Don Giovanni (10 Oct-12 Nov). Conducting the orchestra will be the very young Venezuelan Gustavo Dudamel, making his debut at La Scala but already a winner of numerous international prizes. The production is new and is in collaboration with Berlins Staatsoper. The direction will be entrusted to Peter Mussbach, a director linked to the new romantic avantgarde and an excellent judge of music as well as of theatre. The singers, as in Florence, are all skilled, famous and expert, and they sing this opera often and everywhere: their names are Carlos Alvarez, Carmela Remigio, Francesco Meli, Ildebrando DArcangelo and Alex Esposito. Paolo Di Nicola