Top on the list of my must-do’s is a concert at the La Scala. Tickets are usually sold out well in advance. However, one can try their luck on the day, and I was lucky enough to turn up 10 minutes before the ticket office closed and bought a ticket for a concert by Bernard Haitink.
When I went into the foyer I was bursting with excitement. There were chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and glass mirrors on the far wall. I took a few snap shots and went up to the first floor. I showed the lady usher my ticket. She unlocked a door and I found myself inside one of those theatre boxes facing the stage. I thought to myself, this is where world-renowned musicians have performed for over 200 years. Truly awe-inspiring.
It was still early and the theatre was still quite empty. I looked around and was fascinated by what I saw. The colours of the interior were mainly red and gold. The inside of my box was upholstered in plush velvet, so were the chairs and the stools.
I bought a programme for 5 Euros. The lady usher told me rather bluntly that it was only in Italian. I said it didn’t matter as I could read it anyway.
Gradually the audience arrived and by eight o’clock the theatre was full. The concert piece was Missa solemnis in re magi. op.123 by Beethoven. There were four singers, a soprano, a mezzo-soprano, a tenor and a bass. I didn’t know this piece of music. Normally I’m not a great fan of mass music, but it was so beautifully played and sung that I was simply captivated by it.
It was about 9.30 when I came out of the theatre. The sky was a hue of navy blue. The street lights were on and the buildings were lit up. The old yellow street car came clanking past. The atmosphere was simply magical. It was raining earlier on. Now the rain had stopped and the air smelled sweet and fresh.
I walked through Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a magnificent edifice from the 19th century and a famous shopping arcade, and came out at the piazza of the Duomo. The cathedral was lit up, and people in the square were taking selfies and photographs of the place. There was an overall feeling of freedom and jollity. This is summer in Europe.
me in milan 