Septenote

Time for 'Twilight of the Gods' at La Scala

At the Arcimboldi Theatre the musical 'Cats' in the original version. In Turin the Rai Orchestra between Mahler, Messiaen, Rachmaninov

by Angelo Curtolo

29 January 2026

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The 'Twilight of the Gods', the last day (as Wagner called it) of the 'Ring of the Nibelung' cycle, is being staged at La Scala. Then, in the first fortnight of March, one will have the opportunity to see the entire 'Ring' within a week, with the progression and sequentiality that Wagner intended.

Also in Milan, but at the Teatro degli Arcimboldi, a remarkable change of atmosphere with the famous musical 'Cats', here in the original English version.

In Turin, the Rai Orchestra projects us instead into the first half of the 20th century, with high achievements by Mahler, Messiaen, Rachmaninov.

Milan

On 1-4-8-12-17 February at La Scala Wagner's 'Twilight of the Gods', the last day of the 'Ring of the Nibelung' cycle. Then, from 1 to 15 March, two complete cycles of the "Ring" will be performed, in close succession, according to Wagner's thought. The direction is by Simone Young and Alexander Soddy. The direction is by David McVicar, who has been applauded at La Scala in a vast repertoire, from Cavalli to Berlioz, Cilea and Verdi. The company includes Camilla Nylund as Brünnhilde and Klaus Florian Vogt as Siegfried.

Until 1 February at the Arcimboldi Theatre the musical 'Cats' by Andrew Lloyd Webber; the only dates of the international tour of the original version. It is danced from beginning to end, with few spoken scenes. Decisive for the evergreen success was the contribution of choreographer Gillian Lynne, who presented a new vocabulary of movements. Keeping in mind the behaviour of cats - at the same time aloof, hypersensual, cold (but also warm), completely elastic and truly mysterious - Lynne had the not easy task of translating Eliot's texts into movement so that the result was theatrical, witty, exciting, while maintaining the feline manner.

Torino

On 29-30 at the Auditorium Toscanini the RAI Orchestra and mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron present Mahler's 'Kindertotenlieder'; the young Nicolò Umberto Foron conducts. The texts are by the late Romantic poet Friedrich Rückert; this highly inspired work was written by Mahler between 1901 and 1904. Also on the programme is Olivier Messiaen's 'Les Offrandes oubliées', written in 1930. Messiaen's first authentic orchestral work, this short triptych already contains the future hallmarks of his art, which is marked by timbral originality and an entirely distinctive character. Closing is Sergei Rachmaninov's 'Symphonic Dances'. The Russian composer's last work, created in 1940 on commission from the Philadelphia Orchestra, can be considered the last banner of that late Romantic civilisation to which Rachmaninov was always attached.

The concert on the 29th is broadcast live on Radio3 (at 8.30 pm) and in live streaming on the Rai Cultura portal.