The remains of the Roman baths at Baia form the unique backdrop to this performance of Mascagni's opera, recorded live in 2007. Zhang Jiemin conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro di San Carlo, Naples, with performances from Ildikó Komlósi, Sung Kyu Park, Cinzia De Mola and Marco di Felice..
Pietro Mascagni's opera recorded in 2009. Conductor Stefano Ranzani leads the orchestra and chorus of the Zurich Opera House, with performances by Argentinian tenor Jose Cura and soprano Pauletta Marrocu..
Giancarlo del Monaco's acclaimed new production elegantly intertwines Mascagni's and Leoncavallo's well-loved operas, masterpieces which brought new levels of realism into opera through their so-called verismo style..
Streamed live on Sunday, February 9, 2020 at 3.30 PM (CET) from Teatro Municipale Valli di Reggio Emilia (Italy). CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA // Music by Pietro Mascagni Opera in one act Libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci adapted from a short story by Giovanni Verga PAGLIACCI // Music and libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo Opera in a prologue and two acts.
Opera's most popular double bill, fondly known as Cav and Pag, conducted by Herbert von Karajan. In 'Cavalleria rusticana', Turiddu returns from military service to find that his fiancée Lola had married the carter Alfio while he was away. In revenge, Turiddu seduces Santuzza, a young woman in the village. In 'Pagliacci', the drama unfolds as Canio (Pagliaccio) struggles with rage, despair, and desire on learning of his wife Nedda's intended infidelity with Silvio. Canio's tragic conflict increasingly mirrors the comedy of Pagliaccio..
As comparably short operas, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci are often billed together, but seldom is the lead tenor making his double role debut as Turiddu and Canio on the same evening. At the 2015 Salzburg Easter Festival, Jonas Kaufmann did just that to rapturous praise. Universally hailed as a coup for Kaufmann, the plaudits were also showered on Philipp Stölzl for his innovative staging which includes live video projections while referencing the era of black-and-white movies..
Plácido Domingo accomplishes the rare feat of singing both leads on the same night at the Met in 1978 on opera's most popular double-bill..
