A Gripping Double

The Lyric Opera of Chicago presents a double programme of two absolute classics, with Pietro Mascagni's brilliant 1890 smorgasbord of scandal, revenge, and heartbreak, Cavalleria Rusticana sharing a bill with Ruggero Leoncavallo's operatic masterpiece Pagliacci! Led by Enrique Mazzola, don't miss this rip-roaring performance!

Cavalleria Rusticana

 Jealousy trumps love in a 1900 century Sicilian village when the local lothario Turiddu chases after his ex-paramour Lola, much to the dismay of Santuzza, the woman he seduced and later abandoned. Spurned, Santuzza tells Lola's husband Alfio that Turiddu has been pursuing his wife, and Alfio swears bloody vengeance. Things come to a head when Turiddu is challenged to a knife-fight by Alfio. Realising that he must now defend his honor, and that of Santuzza, he agrees and the pair leave the village to duel. A woman enters later screaming that Turiddu is dead, a heavy price borne by both Santuzza and her rival Lola.

Pagliacci

For centuries, the joy and comedy that clowns bring their audiences have often been fused with the dark underbelly of human emotions - despair, revenge, and rage. A truly dramatic tale of love and betrayal, Pagliacci revolves around the turbulent relationships between members of a Commedia del Arte troupe. As they perform for a rural Italian village, the lines between their show and their real lives become increasingly blurred, and a whirlwind of comedy and tragedy ensues.