Mozart's 'Così fan tutte' at La Scala
Riccardo Muti at the Fondazione Prada with his Opera Academy dedicated to 'Don Giovanni'; in Paris the immersive concert by pianist Yuja Wang
Two masterpieces of musical theatre in close listening in Milan. Riccardo Muti works at the Prada Foundation in Milan rehearsing Mozart's opera 'Don Giovanni' with the young singers and conductors of the Riccardo Muti Opera Academy; with him the 'Cherubini' Orchestra, which he founded. The audience can attend all the rehearsals, the opening lecture-concert, and the concluding performance of the entire opera. At La Scala, 'Così fan tutte', also by Mozart, is being performed by a fine company of singers, directed by Carsen. We change atmosphere and music in Paris, with an immersive installation by pianist Yuja Wang.
Milan
On 8, 12, 15, 18, 21, 23, 26, La Scala will stage Mozart's opera "Così fan tutte", conducted by Alexander Soddy, directed by Robert Carsen, in the company Elsa Dreisig as Fiordiligi, Nina van Essen as Dorabella and Sandrine Piau as Despina; Luca Micheletti as Guglielmo, while Giovanni Sala will play Ferrando and Gerald Finley will be Don Alfonso. For this new production, with which Carsen is confronted for the first time with "Così fan tutte", the director proposes a daring investigation into human nature in the times of the entertainment society, making us think of reality shows such as "Temptation Island", "Love is Blind" and "Too Hot to Handle", which bring real people to the screen in simulated contexts to test their love. An introduction to the opera, given by Claudio Toscani, will be held in the Ridotto of the boxes one hour before each performance. Until 13 November the opera can be seen on Raiplay (Rai5).
Milan
From 19 to 30 November at the Fondazione Prada the new edition of the 'Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy', dedicated to Mozart's opera 'Don Giovanni'. The public will be able to follow a course of lessons and rehearsals for young singers and conductors, led by Riccardo Muti; it will end with the opera performed in concert form and conducted by Muti. On 19 November at 8 p.m. there will be a lecture-concert dedicated to 'Don Giovanni'. From 20 to 23 and 25 to 26, rehearsals will take place; on 27 November at 5 p.m. the final rehearsal and on the 30th at 7 p.m. the full opera.
Paris
From 14 November to 4 May 2026 at the Philharmonie is 'Playing with fire - Une odyssée immersive avec Yuja Wang'. An immersive concert in mixed reality, combining 360° video and spatial audio with a precise acoustic reconstruction of Yuja Wang's performance on a real piano, which is placed in the centre of the space; listening to the pianist's thoughts as a narrative commentary; and spectacular animations, all experienced by listeners with a visor. Depending on how they move around the room, people can see Wang - holographically - as she plays, listen to her speak, and look at the transformative visual and musical worlds on the walls that writer-director Pierre-Alain Giraud has constructed as a narrative, created in collaboration with artist Gabríela Friðriksdóttir. Spectators can move freely in the space, observing Yuja Wang's gestures, her concentration and the way the music comes to life under her fingers. Approaching the piano and light bulbs, participants enter an immersive audio zone where they can listen to fragments of poetry related to the repertoire. The repertoire and visual landscape accompanying 'Playing with Fire' explore the many facets of fire as a spark of the human imagination - from the divine and transcendent light of Bach to the primordial and revolutionary fire of Stravinsky and Prokofiev, illuminated by the works of great poets and painters. By sharing his thoughts and emotions as he plays, Yuja Wang invites the audience into his mind, allowing them to experience the music not just as passive listeners, but as active participants in his creative process.
