La Scala has chosen a new artistic director. “Frenchman Stephane Lissner, of Paris’s Theatre de la Madeleine, has been given a four-and-a-half year contract. Musical director Riccardo Muti quit on April 2, citing the “hostility” of fellow employees after a series of rows. His post has yet to be filled. The president of the orchestra quit last week, giving no explanation. Mr Lissner’s appointment was welcomed both by the musical establishment and unions representing the opera’s 800-strong workforce.”