A program of rich colors and late-Romantic intensity unfolds as Riccardo Chailly and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra open the evening with Scriabin’s shimmering Rêverie, a brief yet atmospheric sound vision. Rising star Lukas Sternath then performs Sergei Rachmaninoff’s rarely heard Piano Concerto No. 4, presented in the composer’s 1941 revision, where virtuosity, modern clarity, and lyrical depth find a remarkable balance. After the interval, the orchestra explores the dramatic world of Rachmaninoff’s opera Aleko through a selection of orchestral scenes full of passion, contrast, and dance. The concert concludes with Ottorino Respighi’s brilliant orchestrations of Rachmaninoff’s Cinq Études-Tableaux, transforming the piano pieces into vivid symphonic landscapes.
Lucerne Festival 2026: Opening Concert with Riccardo Chailly
The Lucerne Festival launches its 2026 summer season with a program celebrating the breadth of American music. Riccardo Chailly and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra pair the vibrant sound world of George Gershwin with the early symphonic voice of Charles Ives. Gershwin’s Cuban Overture sets a spirited opening, alive with rhythmic drive and Caribbean color. Pianist Frank Dupree then brings his versatility to the Concerto in F major, where Gershwin seamlessly fuses the pulse of jazz with classical structure, culminating in a sparkling, high-energy finale. After the interval comes a shift in tone with Ives’s Symphony No. 1 in D minor, a work rooted in the late-Romantic tradition yet already hinting at the originality that would define his later music. Its lush orchestral writing and subtle surprises offer a compelling counterpart to Gershwin’s urban flair. Together, these works form an opening night that blends vitality, virtuosity, and the spirit of discovery—an ideal start to the Festival’s summer season.
La forza del destino
Among Teatro alla Scala’s most unforgettable productions, this La forza del destino is a performance of striking musical energy, with Riccardo Chailly conducting an exceptional cast of opera stars. Anna Netrebko (Leonora), confirms her absolute dominance of the Verdian repertoire, showcasing “beautiful floating high notes and enviable fiato” (OperaWire). Brian Jagde (Don Alvaro) and Ludovic Tézier (Don Carlo), give impeccable performances of great emotional depth and timbral richness. Joining forces, Stage Director Leo Muscato and Set Designer Federica Parolini deliver a reinterpretation of Verdi’s classic in a modern key. On a set that impresses for both beauty and functionality, the scenes are set across different eras, reminding us that war is always part of humans’ fate. “The undisputed star of the evening is Anna Netrebko. She elevates Donna Leonora with her distinctive, dark, velvety timbre, impeccable high notes, and acting presence.” (Orpheus Magazine)
Lucia di Lammermoor
A manifesto of Italian romanticism, Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor is a tale of dark atmosphere and turbulent love. Teatro alla Scala presents its new production under the signature of stage director Yannis Kokkos, whose sober vision remains faithful to the libretto with elegance, emotion and the expression of passions over any gesture of modernity. Conductor Riccardo Chailly leads a splendid vocal cast: Lisette Oropesa delivers a compelling Lucia of vocal refinement and emotional depth, while Juan Diego Flórez brings elegance and lyrical intensity to Edgardo. The Orchestra and Chorus give an exceptional interpretation, creating a “beautiful, rich, ominous sound” (Bachtrack). “Riveting. Flórez and Oropesa did not disappoint on the opening night …. The chemistry between them is electrifying from the opening duet. (FINANCIAL TIMES)
Andrea Chenier
Set in Paris immediately before and during the French Revolution, Andrea Chénier is Giordano’s passionate and most successful opera. José Carreras stars in the title role as the idealistic poet of the French Revolution, and Maddalena, the object of Chénier’s adoration, is portrayed by Hungarian soprano Eva Marton. A servant-turned-revolutionary, Gérard, also loves Maddalena, and when he is elevated to the revolutionary court, he wreaks his revenge against Chénier who is condemned to death – Maddalena joins him in his cell and they go to the guillotine together. Gérard, torn between political and amorous loyalties, is the Italian baritone Piero Cappuccilli.
Bach, Weihnachtsoratorium (Christmas Oratorio) BWV 248
This production of Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio” was recorded at two highly exceptional places: Palestine and Israel, the authentic, historical locations of the Christmas story. The recording of the work’s first three cantatas took place in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve, and the second set of cantatas at the Evangelical Church in Jerusalem on Christmas Day. Conductor Riccardo Chailly leads the Zurich Opera’s acclaimed early-music ensemble along with a roster of top soloists. The program is interspersed with shots of various historical sites of Israel and Palestine.
La Cenerentola
From the Salzburg Festival 1988 Rossini’s version of the Cinderella story – an exciting mixture of comedy, pathos, coloratura fireworks and masquerade – features bel canto specialists Dame Ann Murray (Angelina) and Francisco Araiza (the Prince). The effervescent and noble score is conducted by Riccardo Chailly, whose masterly display of the Rossini style is visually matched by the ravishing sets of Mauro Pagano and the stylish direction of Michael Hampe. This is a performance of exceptional theatrical surprise and phenomenal vocal agility. (Sung in Italian)
Rigoletto
Renaissance Italy has never been portrayed more opulently and more realistically than in Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s film of Verdi’s “Rigoletto”, the composer’s first true masterwork for the stage. Towering over the production is Luciano Pavarotti as the cynical, dissolute Duke of Mantua, one of the famed tenor’s greatest vocal and dramatic roles. Rigoletto is magnificently portrayed by the Swedish baritone Ingvar Wixell. His beautiful daughter Gilda is interpreted by Edita Gruberova, one of the leading coloratura sopranos of our time. Director Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, “whose stage and television work has brought a new and grandly colorful vitality to opera interpretation” (The New York Times), acclaimed Italian cameraman Pasqualino de Santis (Death in Venice) and architect Gianni Quaranta have created a spellbindingly unique atmosphere. The drama unfolds with a powerful authenticity highlighted by the historic locations in which it was filmed: Parma’s Teatro Farnese of 1628, Mantua’s Palazzo Te, famed for its frescoes by Giulio Romano, and the Palladian-style Teatro Olimpico in Sabbioneta. Riccardo Chailly’s vibrant interpretation of Verdi’s score, with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra responding magnificently to his conducting, is a perfect complement to Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s high-intensity retelling of the drama.
Tosca
“La Scala’s season opens with a powerful Tosca” (Financial Times). Premiered in 1900 with huge success, Puccini’s “melodramma” Tosca is one of the most dramatic thrillers in the history of opera. In this performance Riccardo Chailly conducted “a magnificent orchestra and a sonorous choir” (NMZ) while Anna Netrebko had sung “phenomenally. She still has one of the most beautiful voices today.” (Deutschlandfunk) With “Francesco Meli, probably unsurpassable in this role at the moment: lyrically soft, and then again impressively expressive”, and Luca Salsi also “very convincing as the slick, power-conscious Scarpia” (BR Klassik), La Scala has engaged the highest-calibre partners imaginable.
Andrea Chénier
Andrea Chénier, which premiered at La Scala in 1896, was last performed here 32 years ago by Riccardo Chailly. “By choosing to work with director Mario Martone, known for his films as well as his work in opera and theatre, Chailly has given overall coherence to his cinematic vision. This production is beautifully crafted and full of grim period detail. Riccardo Chailly conducted with vitality and drive“ (Financial Times) and in the main roles Yusif Eyvazov “proved to be technically very skilled“ and Anna Netrebko´s “beautifully timbred and perfectly tuned voice“ (theoperacritic.com) made “the acoustic experience of the Milanese Chénier high-class“. (BR Klassik)