I Pagliacci: Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Bologna, Comunale Nouveau
About the Event
The young Leoncavallo, son of a judge, becomes deeply affected by a case of honor killing that he witnesses in the presence of a troupe of traveling actors. The impact of this real‐life experience is as powerful in Leoncavallo's work as it is in the literature of Verga and Zola. There is no attempt to fabricate the truth, as Verdi did, but rather a forceful integration of reality that does not ignore the artist's intellectual perspective. In fact, it is worth noting that just a year after the premiere of Pagliacci in 1893, Rachmaninov's Aleko, which shares many similarities with Leoncavallo's opera and is based on Pushkin's work, made its debut in Moscow. Leoncavallo crafts the libretto of Pagliacci using the ancient technique of a Prologue that introduces the story and enunciates the author's poetic vision. Tonio, a plebeian character driven by base instincts, has a significant role in this prologue. The truth is not idealized or ennobled but rather presented with its mask on, portrayed deliberately rough. This is not a lack of ambition; rather, it reflects the changing times—passionate melodies are interspersed with realistic and brutal expressions, contrasting musical styles, and sophisticated artistic intentions.
Cast / Production
Conductor: Daniel Oren
Director: Serena Sinigaglia
New production of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna
Orchestra, Choir and Technicians of the TCBO
Choirmaster:Gea Garatti Ansini
Characters and interpreters:
NEDDA / COLOMBINA: Mariangela Sicilia/Francesca Sassu
CANIO / IL PAGLIACCIO: Gregory Kunde/Mikheil Seshaberidze
TONIO / TADDEO: Roman Burdenko
BEPPE / ARLECCHINO: Paolo Antognetti
SILVIO: Mario Cassi/Marcello Rosiello
Address
Comunale Nouveau, Piazza della Costituzione 4, Bologna, Italy — Google Maps
