Don Quixote Milan

Don Quixote at Teatro alla Scala – May and June 2027

Jules Massenet’s Don Quichotte — known in English as Don Quixote — comes to the Teatro alla Scala in a new production running from 23 May to 14 June 2027. Six performances bring one of French opera’s most poetic and moving works to one of the world’s most prestigious opera houses.

A Late Masterpiece by Massenet

Don Quichotte is an opera in five acts with a libretto by Henri Caïn, drawn from the figure created by Miguel de Cervantes. It was premiered in Monte Carlo in 1910, near the end of Massenet’s life, and it presents a deeply human portrait of the idealistic dreamer: noble, fragile, romantic and increasingly isolated from the world around him.

The score combines expressive French vocal writing with refined orchestration, and the story turns on love, loyalty, memory and lost illusions. The final act, in which the knight dies with Sancho at his side, is among the most affecting scenes Massenet wrote.

The Story of Don Quichotte

The opera opens on a Spanish square during a festival, where Dulcinée is surrounded by admirers. Don Quichotte arrives with Sancho, serenades her, and is challenged to a duel by the jealous Juan — until Dulcinée interrupts and sends the knight off on a quest: to recover a necklace stolen by bandits.

In the second act, at dawn in open country, Sancho delivers his sardonic tirade against women while his master composes verses. Then the windmills appear on the horizon, Don Quichotte takes them for giants, and charges. In the third he confronts the bandits alone and is captured; his dignity and his prayer move their leader so completely that the necklace is handed back.

He returns it in triumph at Dulcinée’s house and asks for her hand. She refuses him gently, and the crowd laughs — until Sancho turns on them. The last act is a wood at night, where the knight dies with Sancho beside him, promising his squire the island of dreams.

A New La Scala Production for 2027

This 2027 staging is directed by Damiano Michieletto, with sets by Paolo Fantin, costumes by Agostino Cavalca, lighting by Alessandro Carletti and video by Roland Horvath. Michieletto’s reading presents Don Quixote as a man surrounded by memories, obsessions and dreams, moving through different moments of his life until his final encounter with reality.

Conductor and Cast

The performances are conducted by Bertrand de Billy, leading the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala. Alex Esposito sings Don Quichotte, Gaëlle Arquez is Dulcinée and Giulio Mastrototaro takes the role of Sancho Pança.

A Rare Title in the 2027 Season

Massenet’s opera is performed far less often than the Italian repertoire that dominates most seasons, so a new production at La Scala is an unusual occasion. For anyone visiting Milan in late spring 2027, it offers something distinct from the titles that appear year after year — French lyric opera, staged by one of the most discussed directors working in Italy today, in the house that has shaped opera for two and a half centuries.

Don Quixote Opera Milan 2027 Dates

Six performances are scheduled at the Teatro alla Scala: 23 and 29 May, and 4, 9, 11 and 14 June 2027. Evening performances begin at 20:00 Milan time. Choose a date above to see what is available for that performance.