Dutch National Opera/Viotti - Ruggero Leoncavallo: Pagliacci, Pietro Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana

These two pinnacles of Italian opera, Pagliacci and Cavalleria rusticana have it all � love, infidelity, betrayal, jealousy and murder. Both are classic examples of verismo operas that dramatise the lives of ordinary people: Pagliacci fuelled by the tension between everyday life and the aesthetic world of the stage, Cavalleria rusticana juxtaposing unbridled passion with profound faith. Robert Carsen�s widely acclaimed 2019 production plays a masterful game of theatre-in-theatre, avoiding clich�s and calling into question the nature of reality.