If you want to hear something you may never hear again, the featured production on this week's World of Opera may be just the ticket.

On December 7, 2006, a spectacular new production of Verdi's Aida opened at Milan's La Scala, perhaps the world's most famous opera house. It was directed by Franco Zeffirelli and featured a star-studded cast, with soprano Violeta Urmana in the title role and tenor Roberto Alagna as Radames. All 11 scheduled performances were sold out almost instantly. On opening night, the audience was wildly enthusiastic, and there was a prolonged standing ovation when the curtain fell.

That performance was recorded, and we'll hear it on this week's World of Opera. And it's a good thing it was recorded, because there wasn't another one -- at least not with Roberto Alagna!

At the second performance there were some boos and hisses early on, after Alagna's performance of the famous number "Celeste Aida" in Act I. Alagna took offense, shook his fist at the offending members of the audience, and promptly marched off the stage. His understudy, wearing jeans, was rushed on and completed the production.

Subsquently, Alagana was fired by La Scala for breach of contract. Zeffirelli blasted the tenor in the press, calling him, "wildly and stupidly rude." Lawsuits were considered, and countersuits were threatened.

So, we've got a bit of operatic history on tap this week. It may be your one and only chance to hear Roberto Alagna in a complete performance of Verdi's Aida from La Scala, and judge for yourself -- depending, that is, on the outcome of those lawsuits.