Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci: The Story of the Operas

52nd Season
2007–2008

Cavalleria rusticana
Pietro Mascagni

Pagliacci
Ruggero Leoncavallo

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The Story of the Operas

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Cavalleria rusticana

In a remote Sicilian village, Turiddu loved Lola, but while he was in the army she married the handsome and successful Alfio. Heartbroken, Turiddu sought solace in Santuzza, and eventually left her pregnant. Santuzza was shunned and excommunicated. As the opera opens, on Easter Day, Santuzza goes looking for Turiddu at his mother’s inn. Coldly, Lucia tells her that Turiddu, her son, has gone to Francofonte to buy some wine. But Santuzza knows better. He’s been seen near Lola’s house late at night. Their conversation is interrupted by Alfio’s arrival. He too has seen Turiddu near his house, but is not yet aware that Lola and Turiddu are having an affair. Lucia realizes that Turiddu is in trouble. Santuzza confronts Turiddu before mass. He refuses to acknowledge his affair with Lola. Their conversation is interrupted by Lola, on her way to mass. Tension mounts between the two women, and Santuzza reminds Lola that only those who now they have not sinned can go into Easter mass. Lola goes on to church and Santuzza and Turiddu have a heated argument. She finally begs him not to abandon her. When he rejects her, she curses him, then runs to Alfio and tells him about his wife’s affair with Turiddu. Alfio swears he’ll have revenge before sundown. Alfio confronts Turiddu in the town square as people are leaving Easter mass. The two embrace and Turiddu bites Alfio’s ear, a ritual of the Sicilian code of honor that signifies a fight to the death. Fearing the worst, Turiddu asks for Lucia’s blessing, begs her to treat Santuzza like her own daughter and rushes off. Moments later a terrified woman runs through the town screaming: someone has killed Turiddu.

Pagliacci

A traveling troupe of clowns is performing in a small southern Italian town. Canio loves his wife Nedda, but she is restless. Canio goes into town to drink with the villagers. Left alone, Nedda sings about the birds in the sky, in a reverie that reveals her soul’s desire to be free. She is then accosted by Tonio, the hunchback, one of the troupe, who is infatuated with her. She laughs off his declaration of love. Enraged, he tries to have his way with her, but she whips him in the face. He swears revenge. She then is visited by Silvio, a villager with whom she is having an affair. He pleads with her and eventually convinces her to leave Canio and flee with him that night after the performance. Tonio sneaks up on the lovers and runs to tell Canio. Canio confronts Nedda and demands to know the name of her lover, but she refuses to say. That night the clowns perform their commedia dell’arte farce, which is also about marital infidelity. The performance takes an eerie turn when Canio again confronts Nedda and demands the name of her lover. Nedda attempts to continue playing the farce, but Canio flies into a blind rage, demanding her lover’s name and eventually stabbing her onstage, in front of the bewildered audience. As Silvio, also in the audience, rushes to help her, he too is killed by Canio, who then declares that the farce is over.