"photo - In this undated photo provided by Alla Scala theater press office, Jonas Kaufmann, right, who plays Lohengrin, and Anja Harteros, playing Elsa, perform during rehersals of Richard Wagner's Lohengrin at the Milan La Scala opera house, Italy. The dual bicentennial of the births of composers Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner is turning into a dueling bicentennial. La Scala general manager Stephane Lissner on Monday, Dec. 3, 2012 dismissed as ""ridiculous"" criticism by the Italian media because the famed Milan opera house that was once Verdi's musical home is opening the celebratory season with Wagner's ""Lohengrin."" No less than Italy's respected President Giorgio Napolitano entered the fray. He wrote a letter to musical director Daniel Barenboim rejecting press rumors that he was snubbing the gala season opener on Friday. (AP Photo/Monika Rittershaus, La Scala)"
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