Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci

Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni and Pagliacci by Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Conductor Daniel Oren, Director Damiano Michieletto

Cavallero Rusticana is described as a melodrama in its subtitle, and it could equally apply to Pagliacci. Coupled together since they were composed at the height of Italian ‘verismo’ opera in the late nineteenth century, they fling passion, love, religion, hatred and vengeful death at the audience. All of it is wrapped in the most melodious music that rivals Verdi or Puccini’s work. The difference is that neither Mascagni nor Leoncavallo ever rose to such heights again.

The Royal Opera house presents a production first seen in 2015. Cavalleria Rusticana is brilliantly staged in a southern Italian village where the bakery, the piazza and the church bring together scenes of joy and desperation. Shame and guilt is never far away, at least from the women’s point of view. Santuzza, excitingly and movingly sung by Aleksandra Kurzak, has been seduced by Turiddo, sung by the still charismatic Roberto Alagna. But Turiddu has returned to his old love, Lola, sung by American Rachael Wilson with seductive verve, who is now married to Alfio, a dangerous rival, sung by the larger than life Dimitri Platanias. The scene is set for disaster.

It is Easter Sunday and a procession of singing villagers, escort the Virgin Mary to church. Even she points her finger at SANTUZZA, the miserable sinner who dare not go into church. Her only hope for mercy comes from from Turiddo’s mother, Mama Lucie, sung with convincing desperation, by Italian Elena Zilio. In her unhappiness, Santuzza reveals to Alfio, sung by Dimitri Platanias, his wife’s love affair and from there, violence and death is only a dagger thrust away..
While this tragic story twists and turns to its fatal end, the ROH orchestra, conducted by Daniel Oren, continues to play the most glorious tunes, such as the Easter Hymn, including offstage church choir, or the drinking song ‘Viva il vino spumeggiante’ with Turrido and drinking companions, interspersed by Santuzza’s despairing aria and Lola’s provocative ‘Fior de giggiola’. You could listen with eyes closed, if the staging wasn’t so powerful.

‘Pagliacci’ is a more complicated plot, with the double story of a theatrical performance and a real life story not so dissimilar one from the other. At the climax the two come together and the terrified audience run for cover – on the stage of the ROH not the auditorium. We, the audience watching in 2023, are pinned to our seats by the drama. Nedda, our unfortunate heroine, sung and acted superbly by Anna Princeva, has been taken in as a destitute girl, by travelling actor and theatre manager, Canio (in the play Pagliacci). Sung by Jorge de Lion, he plays a man with anger problems even before he discovers Nedda has a lover. Once again, the stage or stages are set for vengeance and death. This time it includes Sylvio, Denna’s lover, sung by Andrze Filonczyk and blood flows even more freely.

Cav & Pag, as I first heard them referred to in familiar, and probably dismissive tones - although less patronising than a Daily Mail reviewer who in 1928 described them as ‘the ham and eggs’ of British opera - have been playing to full houses since the beginning of the last century. I remember wondering why I should want to see them again when other composers and later ones, such as Wagner dealt with passion in so much more imaginative and challenging ways. But the truth is that both Cavallera Rusticana and Pagliacci, short as they are, have all the power of an individual small town tragedy. This combined with the ROH’s definitive staging and superb orchestra makes it still a memorable evening.