



La Scala tightens its belt as it rolls out the 2013-14 season, streamlined under Italy's unflinching economic crisis, down from its usual 13 productions to 10, the Milan opera house also down 5 million euros in funding from the state.



Stars few and far, the idiosyncratic season bows (as always on December 7) with Daniele Gatti for a new Traviata, Damrau as Violetta and Beczala as Alfredo. Verdi gets two more slots: Trovatore (Daniele Rustioni conducting the Hugo De Ana production with Nucci's Conte) and Boccanegra split between Domingo and Nucci with Giannattasio and Harteros as Amelia.



There's that Zimmermann Met Opera Lucia with Grigolo as Edgardo, the Pelly Le Comte Ory with Florez, McVicar's Les Troyens with Pappano, Strauss' Elektra with Esa-Pekka (Herlitzius in the lead, Pape as Orest and Waltraud Meier as Klytämnestra) and Villazon as Ferrando in Guth's Così.



The recital season is slightly more appealing: Furlanetto, Kaufmann, Villazon, Harteros, Agresta, Terfel and Goerne.

Filarmonica della Scala announces its new season in a few weeks and maybe that's our 2013-14 salvation.