The Teatro Comunale opened in 1763 to a design by Antonio Galli Bibiena. The bell-shaped auditorium is the work of the Bolognese family of stage designers who set the European template for opera-house architecture in the eighteenth century. The acoustic is excellent; the seasons concentrate on opera and symphonic concerts.
The theatre has a strong contemporary programme alongside the standard nineteenth-century repertoire — Bologna has long been an experimental city musically and the Teatro Comunale runs commissions for new operas and adventurous co-productions. Tickets are easier to get than at La Scala, prices reasonable. The building also holds backstage tours by appointment.