La Scala Opera House to Increase Streaming Offerings with More Live Performances, Concerts

One of the most prestigious and historic opera houses in the world is attempting to step into the 21st Century. La Scala — the famed opera house in Milan, Italy — is working hard to build out its streaming offerings so that fans the world over can watch performances without having to find a scalper to get tickets.

Fans can see these performances on LaScalaTV, which is available in the United States and other countries around the world. Live streams of operas, concerts, ballets, and more are now on the platform, as well as free stage shows for kids. Fans can either pay to watch the performances live for around $13 each, or rent them and watch on-demand.

Audiences can choose to watch performances in Ultra-High-Definition 4K, or in standard high definition. To rent an on-demand performance in 4K costs around $7.60 USD, and in HD the cost is around $5.40. La Scala’s chief executive and artistic director Dominique Meyer told the New York Times that things have certainly changed from a technical standpoint in the past decade, which has allowed the opera house to expand its audience.

“It is a real leap,” Meyer said. “Most people have a faster internet connection, which is extremely important when viewers want to watch a stream in 4K.”

Advancements in the types of equipment available have made it much easier for theater directors to bring their performances to streaming. New cameras that can operate without the necessity of light changes and better microphones allow shows to be captured on film without disturbing the audience who came to see it in person. Still, Meyer says, figuring out how to precisely position cameras to optimize the streaming viewer’s experience can be difficult.

“If you come too close, it looks like the dancer’s head is about to hit the top of the screen,” he said. “A principle of the whole project was that there would not be too many cuts, and that the viewer would have the liberty to focus where he or she pleases.”

During intermissions, LaScalaTV will offer a video tour of the theater’s museum, or give historical facts about performances at La Scala. The service is planning to build out its programming, with rehearsals, costume and set workshops, and more behind-the-scenes content coming to the platform soon. For Meyer, it’s all about bringing theater to a new generation and expanding the audience of opera in general.

“We of course can’t create more seats,” Meyer told the Times. “This technology allows us to expand our audience, also to children.”

LaScalaTV does not require a credit card to sign up, only a valid username and password. With those you can start watching its free kids content immediately, though to rent an opera, ballet, or concert performance you will need a valid payment method.