Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci
Pagliacci Prologue
Act 1 A crossroads near a village in Calabria near Monalto. A tent and other equipment of a travelling commedia troupe around it. A scorching August afternoon. A crowd of villagers is approaching: they welcome Pagliaccio, officially called Canio who is coming back for the Feast of Assumption together with his travelling troupe. “The Prince of Clowns” announces his show will be performed at 11 tonight. Tonio, the fool of the troupe rushes to the cart to help Canio’s wife Nedda to get off, but Canio pushes him aside violently. The crowd has a good laugh about the gallant’s fiasco. The locals invite Canio for a drink. Peppe joins them, but Tonio does not. “Watch out, Pagliaccio, he wants to be alone to woo your Nedda,” a villager teases him. Canio’s reply is ironic and blood-curdling at the same time: “I say, the stage is one thing and life itself another; and if up there Pagliaccio surprises his wife with a lover in her chamber, why, he delivers a comic lecture and thereupon calms down and submits to a thrashing – and the public applauds to see such sport! But if I surprised Nedda in real life – as sure as I am speaking to you – the story would have a different ending. It’s better not to play such games, believe me.” Pipes sound from the distance and churchbells sound vespers. The crowd leaves together with Canio and Peppe. Nedda is left alone. She contemplates Canio’s behaviour: did he read her most secret thoughts? Then she recalls a song her mother used to sing when she was a child: it was about birds that fly towards the land of their dreams they seek in vain... While she is singing, Tonio sneaks out of the tent to listen to Nedda in secret. Tonio tells Nedda he loves her, but she just laughs at the confession of love. He approaches her more and more ardously as he cannot control his desire. Eventually, the woman seizes a whip and lashes the fool across the face. Tonio swears by the Holy Virgin that Nedda will pay for this. Tonio leaves, followed soon by the arrival of Silvio, Nedda’s secret lover. Nedda warns him that Tonio is around, but Silvio is not afraid of him. “The half-wit is to be feared!” Nedda insists. Silvio begins to beg to her to elope with him. Nedda – although attracted by the promise of a happy future – rejects the crazy plan. “You love me no longer!” the desperate Silvio says. Nedda assures her that the love she feels to him will never die. Tonio overhears this profession of love, and, thirsty for revenge, rushes to Canio. The two lovers kiss passionately. Nedda surrenders and agrees to flee. Silvio is about to leave when Canio arrives, led by Tonio. The husband just catches his wife’s words: “Until tonight, and I’ll be yours forever.” Silvio runs away, followed by Canio. Nedda casts a hateful look at Tonio, who is happy to be taking revenge. Canio returns, having lost the lover’s trail. He grabs his dagger and is ready to cut the woman’s throat, but first he needs to know the lover’s name. Nedda refuses to tell him. Eventually, Peppe returns and unarms the raving husband. He warns him that the villagers are coming and they have to get ready for the show. The shattered Canio is left alone. “Put on the costume, the powder and the paint: the people pay and want to laugh. And if Harlequin steals your Columbine, laugh, Pagliaccio, and all will applaud you!”
Intermezzo
Act 2 The show is about to begin. The audience throng; Silvio arrives too. Peppe tries to calm down the audience, and Nedda, dressed up as Colombina, walks to the audience to collect the admission fees. When she gets to Silvio, they exchange some words hastily: Nedda whispers to the man that Canio did not see him, and Silvio reminds her of their plan. The show begins... Colombina’s husband Pagliaccio is expected home late at night. The woman waits for her servant Taddeo impatiently. But instead of him, Arclecchino’s voice can be heard: he is Colombina’s lover. Taddeo arrives at last: he has brought a chicken from the shop. Taddeo wants to confess his love to this beautiful and pure woman, but she is preoccupied with the price of the chicken and the window. Suddenly, Arlecchino jumps in through the window, takes Taddeo by the ear and throws him out. Taddeo backs out of the room, suddenly realising that the two are in love with each other. He leaves – and the audience applauds. They sit down and begin to have dinner. Arlecchino produces a small phial: “Take this drug and give it to Pagliaccio before he goes to sleep, and then we’ll run off together,” he says. “Yes, let me have it,” Colombina replies. Taddeo enters the room again: he announces loudly that Pagliaccio is coming and he knows everything! Taddeo hides, and Arlecchino jumps out of the window. Pagliaccio appears on the side of the stage. Colombina shouts through the window: “Till tonight, and I shall be yours forever!” Canio is shocked to hear exactly the same words again, but he continues to perform. Pagliaccio notices that the table has been set for two. Colombina lies that she had dinner with Taddeo, who has hidden in fear. “She is pure! Her pious lips abhor all falsehood!” Taddeo says from behind the door. The audience laughs – and Canio loses his temper. He demands that Nedda tell him the name of her lover, but Nedda does not fall out of character. Canio bursts out bitterly. Silvio can hardly contain himself, the audience is fascinated by Pagliaccio’s moving performance. Canio demands the name of her lover. Nedda tries to finish the play, but Canio’s look makes Colombina’s laugh freeze in her. Peppe wants to intervene, but Tonio does not let him do so. Canio stabs Nedda on the stage several times, still demanding her lover’s name. Nedda cries for help from Silvio, who rushes on the stage. Canio stabs him too. “La commedia è finita.”
Cavalleria rusticana
General cast
- Conductor
- Antonello Allemandi
- Turiddu
- Boldizsár László
- Santuzza
- Ildikó Komlósi
- Lucia
- Éva Balatoni
- Alfio
- Alexandru Agache
- Lola
- Zsófia Kálnay
Credits
- Libretto after the play of the same name by Giovanni Verga
- Guido Menasci / Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti
- Director
- Georges Delnon
- Set designer
- Madeleine Schleich
- Costume designer
- Prisca Baumann
- Hungarian surtitles
- Judit Kenesey
- English surtitles
- Arthur Roger Crane
- Head of the Children's Chorus
- Nikolett Hajzer
- Chorus director
- Gábor Csiki
- Premiere
- Sept. 13, 2014
Pagliacci
General cast
- Conductor
- Antonello Allemandi
- Canio
- Boldizsár László
- Nedda
- Gabriella Létay Kiss
- Tonio
- Zoltán Kelemen
- Peppe
- Tibor Szappanos
- Silvio
- Zsolt Haja
Credits
- Librettist
- Ruggero Leoncavallo
- Director
- Georges Delnon
- Set designer
- Madeleine Schleich
- Costume designer
- Prisca Baumann
- Hungarian surtitles
- Judit Kenesey
- English surtitles
- Arthur Roger Crane
- Head of the Children's Chorus
- Nikolett Hajzer
- Chorus director
- Gábor Csiki
- Premiere
- Sept. 13, 2014