MILAN (Reuters) - Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi's Don Carlo was being performed on Thursday at the traditional gala night to mark the opening of the new season at Milan's La Scala opera house.
Based on a play by German writer Friedrich Schiller, the opera tells the story of Philip II, 16th century king of Spain, and his son Don Carlo who both want to marry the same woman -- Elisabeth of Valois.
The three-hour opera also takes place against the backdrop of the oppression of the Netherlands by the Catholic Philip II, and its Spanish director Lluis Pasqual draws parallels with modern times.
"Human beings invented two horrible things: religion and nationalism," said Pasqual.
The opening night is a highlight of the calendar for the country's business and political elite, coinciding with the city's Feast of St. Ambrose holiday.
It comes the day after Italian opera singing was honoured by being added to the United Nations' cultural heritage list.
However, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who usually attends the first night, will not be at the theatre.
"He promised me he will not miss next year," artistic director Dominique Meyer said last week. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will also skip the event after going last year shortly after taking office.
Meyer's future will be decided in the next few months, with his contract up in 2025.
"I'm at La Scala's disposal, I love this theatre and I believe we have done a good job, so fingers crossed," the Frenchman told journalists when asked if he wanted to stay on.
Conductor Riccardo Chailly has chosen a version of Verdi's work expressly composed for La Scala in 1884.
Italian bass Michele Pertusi plays Philip II, Russian soprano Anna Netrebko takes the role of his wife, Elisabeth of Valois, while tenor Francesco Meli stars as the king's son. "Don Carlo is Verdi's Holy Bible," said Chailly describing the work as the most important in the composer's life.