21 March-2 April 2006. Conducted by Roberto Abbado, directed by PierAlli, with Patrizia Ciofi, Ramon Vargas, Roberto Frontali and Giorgio Surian.

Gaetano Donizettis Lucia di Lammermoor will be staged at La Scala in Milan (21 March-2 May). It is a masterpiece of romantic opera which will be entrusted to the care of Roberto Abbado and PierAlli. The former is among the most interesting orchestral conductors working in Italy today. His interpretations are always captivating; close to the sensibility of the public and attentive to every detail of the score, but without losing the vision of the whole. PierAlli is a director frequently lauded by the Italian critics for his whimsical and surprising works such as Das Rheingold by Wagner, performed in Rome last October, the set design of which was half classical in style and half modern with video projections. The principal singer will be Patrizia Ciofi, a soprano whose voice is neither particularly bewitching nor full-bodied, but who possesses an intelligence and musicality that allow her to take on great traditional opera roles such as this one with credible and original results. Alongside her will be Ramon Vargas, just back from singing Verdis Rigoletto in Rome and Gounods Romeo et Juliette in New York. With his beautiful voice, great technique and enjoyable theatrical presence, he always manages to win over the public. The production will be repeated in the summer (3-21 July) and will be the show with which Mariella Devia says goodbye to the character of Lucia; her partner will be Giuseppe Filianoti. Paolo di Nicola