PHOTO: © Geoffroy Schied

CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI

Name: CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI
Start: 2025-06-01T18:00+0200
End: 2025-06-01T21:15+0200
Location: Nationaltheater München - Bayerische Staatsoper

Theater konzert klassik oper theatergenre

In the organizer's words:

Composer Pietro Mascagni / Ruggero Leoncavallo. libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci after the Scene popolari by Giovanni Verga/libretto by the composer.

recommended from 14 years

Melodramma in one act (1890) / Drama in one prologue and two acts (1892)

In Italian language. With German and English surtitles. New production.

Duration approx. 3 hours 05 minutes

STAGE:

"The artist is a human being and should write for human beings. (...) So you will see how people really love each other; you will see the sad fruits of hatred." In the prologue to Pagliacci, Tonio says what's happening in this opera: it brings the reality of life to the stage. This applies to both works, which are facing their first new production at the Bayerische Staatsoper since 1978 - 46 years ago: Cavalleria rusticana by Pietro Mascagni and Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo are together considered exemplary of verismo. The basic constellation: a relationship is shattered by social pressures and private entanglements; a betrayal is suspected and betrayed; and the supposed betrayer, incited by the traitor, takes bloody revenge.

In Cavalleria rusticana, Turiddu finds his former lover Lola again after a long absence as the wife of the carter Alfio and consoles himself with Santuzza. But the old love flares up again. Santuzza, disgraced and hurt, informs Alfio of her suspicions, who challenges Turiddu to a duel.

In Pagliacci, Nedda and her husband Canio, the director of a comedy troupe, take center stage. Nedda can no longer stand being at the side of the choleric Canio and turns to Silvio. Tonio, a member of the theater company, is in love with Nedda, but is rejected by her. During the performance, everyone plays themselves into a situation that is too similar to reality: Canio can no longer distinguish between play and seriousness and kills Nedda and Silvio in the open.

Francesco Micheli and his directing team have found a common thread for the two operas, which were created independently of each other but are often performed together: "We want to construct a single story: the story of a man who has lost his roots in Cavalleria rusticana and tries to restore his original ties in a new community in Pagliacci, but fails miserably in the process."

CAST:

Musical direction: Daniele Rustioni
(2025: May 22, 25, 29, Jun 01, 04, 08, 12)

Andrea Battistoni
(2025: Jul 09, 12)

Production: Francesco Micheli

Stage: Edoardo Sanchi

Costumes: Daniela Cernigliaro

Choreography: Mattia Agatiello

Lighting: Alessandro Carletti

Choir: Christoph Heil

Children's choir : Kamila Akhmedjanova

Dramaturgy:Alberto Mattioli, Malte Krasting

Cavalleria rusticana