The World Famous La Scala theatre in Milan opens virtual tour on Google Arts & Culture due to COVID-19

One of the world’s oldest and most famous theatres, La Scala Theatre debuts online on Google Arts & Culture to make its spaces and collections digitally accessible to everyone. You will be able to step on stage along with iconic opera singers, ballet dancers, members of the chorus and the orchestra, peek into behind the scenes locations where craftsmen create costumes and props, flip through never seen before archival documents, sketches and music scores and be amazed by the details of iconic opera garments captured with Art Camera.

Nested in the heart of Milan, La Scala Theatre is both a symbol of this city and of performing arts at large. It holds an immense heritage dating back to its foundation and encompasses art, architecture, fashion and history, going on until today with contemporary performances and activities from education to a lively digital presence.

La Scala Theatre teamed up with Google Arts & Culture to bring online for the first time the largest Opera House archive, with images from opera shows, ballets and concerts, behind the scenes, sketches, rare scores, etc.

‘’We are sad not to see the orchestra together, not to see the dancers together, not to see the chorus together, not see the stagehands every day … The theatre is a big family,’’ said Dominique Meyer, La Scala’s general director. 

‘’Of course, we can’t wait to return to the theatre, but in the meantime, we can explore these secrets of the theatre and learn things that even we didn’t know,’’ he added.

This video tribute is a unique video performance symbolically celebrating how music can connect us while apart thanks to technology. Join 92 (6 soloists, 26 choristers, 60 musicians) among the most talented La Scala musicians and opera singers in a “deconstructed” opera piece.

The artists perform this wonderful concertato from Simon Boccanegra by Verdi (a track from finale Atto I Plebe! Patrizi! Popolo!) recorded live from their homes across Europe while in quarantine. The emotional track, an excerpt of the Atto I Plebe! Patrizi! Popolo! Has a rather symbolic meaning: the protagonist invokes the union of all Italians in the face of difficulties.

What you will be able to see is virtual tours of the theatre, backstage and museum, along with 240,000 archival photos and 16,000 documents. More than 40 digital exhibits and close-up views of costumes worn by stars such as Maria Callas, can also be seen.