Composer and Tubist of Italy's La Scala Opera House Brian R. Earl with the Melton BBb "Fafner" tuba and Timo Riihonen, singing the role of Fafner, on the set of "Das Rheingold", at the opening night of La Scala's new Ring Cycle, this spring. Wagner's four masterpiece operas are being directed by the celebrated pianist-conductor Daniel Barenboim, currently La Scala's principal director, and will produced individually over next two years, finishing with two cycles of the complete Ring in July 2013. Melton supplied Brian Earl with their "Fafner" instrument, designed for the Wagner's demanding contrabass tuba Ring parts, specially for this prestigious  series if productions.