The tragic masterpiece by Luigi Cherubini, inspired by Euripides and Corneille and presented for the first time in the form of an opéra-comique in Paris in 1797 with spoken recitative, enjoyed enduring success in the nineteenth century. However, the opera most familiar to modern audiences is the Italian version of 1909 with the spurious recitatives of Franz Lachner, most notably exalted in the spectacular interpretation by Maria Callas, who triumphed on Piermarini’s stage in 1953 under Leonard Bernstein and in 1961 with Thomas Schippers. La Scala returns for the first time to the French version in a new production by Damiano Michieletto that focuses attention on the children of the sorceress, victims of her blind fury. On the podium is Michele Gamba, who returns to La Scala after the success of the new Rigoletto directed by Mario Martone, and his acclaim at the Metropolitan.