CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA
PRELUDE
It consists of music from the opera except for the serenade, which Turiddu sings behind the closed curtains. It is to Lola, Alfio’s wife, and heralds the tragedy.
Synopsis
The action takes place in a Sicilian village on Easter morning about 1880.
The village square. On one side is the church, on the other Mamma Lucia’s wineshop and home. The day is just beginning.
The villagers sing of spring, the season of love.
Santuzza asks Mamma Lucia: “Dov’ Turiddu” (where is Turiddu)? Mamma Lucia nervously claims that she doesn’t know. I don‘t want any trouble, she insists. Finally she states that Turiddu has gone to a neighboring town to buy wine. Santuzza denies it. He has been seen in the village. Lucia is startled. She asks Santuzza into her house, but Santuzza refuses: “Sono scomunicata” (I am excommunicated [and she must not enter by local moral law]). Mamma Lucia suspects the reason.
At this moment Alfio drives in. Alfio is a carter. His aria describes his life, the horse, the harness bells and home after hard work. The villagers envy him his freedom and travel.
Alfio asks Mamma Lucia for a special wine. She says that Turiddu has gone to buy more at the neighboring town.
Not so, says Alfio, for he just saw Turiddu by his own house. Alfio goes off leaving Mamma Lucia upset.
The villagers sing an Easter hymn, the refrain of which is “Il Signor non morto” (the Lord is not dead). “Alleluia.”
Mamma Lucia questions Santuzza about Turiddu, and Santuzza reminds her, “Voi lo sapete” (you know it).
Turiddu and Lola were once engaged, but when he returned from the army, Lola was married and he turned to Santuzza.
Passionately she bursts out, “L’amai” (I love him). Then Lola lured him back, leaving Santuzza without love or honor; “Io piango” (I weep). Mamma Lucia is horrified and would rather not listen. In despair Santuzza wails, “Io son dannata” (I am damned). She begs Mamma to pray for her at the service.
Turiddu asks Santuzza if she isn’t going to church. She ignores the question and says that she has something to tell him. She tries to warn him that Alfio will get suspicious, but her warning strikes him as a jealous tirade, and he accuses her of spying on him. “Lasciami” (leave me), he spurns her. She insists that he loves Lola: “L’ami” (you love her). He denies it.
Coldly he tells her to pull herself together. With anguish she pleads that she can’t help herself: she loves him. They stop abruptly as they hear Lola in the distance.
Lola sings a light, suggestive aria. She stops when she sees them. She asks after Alfio and, when she discovers that he’s not around, she asks Turiddu to go to church with her. Turiddu is confused and nervous. Santuzza begs him to stay. Lola enters the church alone with an amused shrug.
Angrily Turiddu turns on Santuzza: “Va” (go). She begs him to stay: “Rimani, rimani ancora” (stay, stay yet). He accuses her again of spying on him – even at the church door. Furious now, she threatens him: “Bada” (enough). He throws her to the ground, and she curses him. He runs into the church after Lola.
Alfio enters looking for Lola to go to church. Violently Santuzza tells him that Lola has gone in with Turriddu and that the two have been deceiving him. Alfio at first is incredulous but then believes her and swears vengeance on the lovers.
INTERMEZZO
The service is over and the villagers sing of going home – “A casa” (to home).
Turiddu starts a drinking song – Brindisi – and the villagers join him. It is Easter, a holiday.
Turiddu offers Alfio a glass. Alfio refuses because, as he says loudly, it might be poisoned. The women hurry Lola away. The challenge is implicit. Alfio merely asks if Turiddu is ready – “or ora” (now)? – and Turiddu replies instantly, “or ora,” and as Sicilian custom requires, bites Alfio on the right ear – confirming his readiness for a fight.
Regretfully he wonders for a moment what will happen to Santuzza. Then he forgets her and snarls at Alfio, who goes off coldly remarking that he is waiting.
Filled with dark premonitions, Turiddu calls Mamma Lucia. The wine, he says is a little strong. He is going out for a walk. But if he doesn‘t return, she must be a mother to Santuzza, whom he promised to marry.
Lucia can’t understand why he speaks so strangely. Again he blames the wine. He asks for a kiss – “un bacio, un altro bacio” (a kiss, another kiss). She must look after Santuzza, he insists. He runs off calling “addio” (farewell).
Lucia begins to suspect the truth. Santuzza rushes in. Offstage a woman screams that Turiddu has been killed.
Alfio has taken his revenge for his honor.
(George Martin, The Opera Companion)
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I PAGLIACCI
Opera in prologue and two acts
Music and libretto by R. Leoncavallo
First performed at the Teatro dal Venue in Milan on May 21, 1892.
Contents
The action takes place in Calabria, near Montalvo, on the feast day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, around 1870.
PROLOGUE
After a brief orchestral introduction, Tonio goes before the curtain and performs his aria ("Si puo"). He explains that he is there because the author, who likes to have a prologue, has put it there. But that does not mean that the actors' tears are not real; oh no, tonight the story is real and the audience must know that the actors get angry and cry like all people. "Andiam" (let's go), he calls from behind the scenes. "Incomminciate" (begin).
ACT ONE At the edge of the town.
SCENE ONE
The citizens are impatient, jostling, applauding the actors and for a while refusing to let Canio speak. "Un grande spectacolò", he announces. "You will see the rage of the jealous Clown and the foiling of Taddeo's plot. It begins at eleven o'clock sharp." The people repeat the time and help the actors get off the cart. They invite the men to the tavern for a drink and then laugh at Canio for pushing Tonio away from Neda. They joke that perhaps Tonio would like to make love to Neda. Canio takes this banter too seriously and warns them not to think that if he laughs in the play about Colombine's infidelity, he will laugh in real life. The bell for vespers rings and everyone returns to the city. Neda stays. Tonio, who has been feeding the donkey, stays too.
SCENE TWO
Neda wonders why Canio is upset by the joke. Does he suspect her? ("Qual fiamma avea nel guardo") Tonio admires her song. She laughs scornfully, and he begs her not to make fun of him. Then he tells her how much he loves her, how everyone jokes about his ugliness, but he loves her nonetheless. Sarcastically, she suggests that he save his speech for the play, and Tonio becomes more insistent and tries to kiss her. She lashes him with a whip, and he swears that he will take revenge on her.
SCENE THREE
The young peasant Silvio jumps over a wall in the back. He first calms her down from her quarrel with Tonio, then urges her to stay in the village with him or, better yet, to run away together. She hesitates, and he urges her, accusing her of not loving him. But she insists that she does. Silvio begins to court her again, and the conversation between them is one of the beautiful operatic duets ("Tutto scordiam"), which ends with their decision to run away that night.
SCENE FOUR
Canio has overheard the end of Neda and Silvio's conversation and chases Silvio over the wall. "Bravo," Neda taunts Tonio. Canio returns after losing Silvio in the woods. He demands to know his name. Neda refuses. Canio threatens her with a knife, but Beppe holds him back and convinces Neda to go and dress for the play. Tonio whispers calculatingly to Canio that he will continue to watch. Then he goes to beat the drum for the performance. Left alone, Canio desperately pours out his pain in a dramatic aria ("Recitar").
ACT TWO
The scene is the same, later that evening. The intermezzo introduces the action. SCENE ONE
The citizens gather for the performance. Tonio sends them to their seats with drums. Beppe settles the disputes over seats, and Neda collects the money. When she reaches Silvio, he whispers that he will wait for her, and she warns him to be careful. The play begins.
SCENE TWO
The comedy unfolds. In it, Colombina (Neda) sits alone at home. She looks out the window, waiting for her beloved Arlecchino (Beppe). The Clown (Canio), her husband, will not return until late in the evening. Taddeo (Tonio), her foolish servant, has not yet returned with the groceries for the dinner before the meeting. Harlecchino sings a serenade. Excited, Colombina goes to the window, makes sure it is him, and then waits a moment before signaling for him to come in. Taddeo arrives with the food. He is madly in love with his mistress and thinks that when he delivers the chicken, it will be a good time to tell her. She ignores him and signals for Harlecchino, who jumps out the window. He expels Taddeo, who apologizes for intruding on the lovers. The lovers are happy together, but decide to eat first. Arlecchino gives her an ampoule of sleeping pills for Pagliaccio. Taddeo pokes his head out to warn them that Pagliaccio is returning, very angry and looking for a weapon. Arlecchino quickly jumps out the window, telling Colombina to put the medicine in Pagliaccio's drink. Pagliaccio enters, furious and suspicious. Colombina explains that the table set for two was for Taddeo. Taddeo confirms that the dinner was for him. In Taddeo's confession to Colombina, Canio (Pagliaccio) hears Colombina's farewell to Arlecchino, delivered in the same words and music as Neda's farewell to Silvio that afternoon. He forces himself to continue with the play. Colombina cannot lie. The audience's laughter disturbs Canio, who demands the name of her lover. Neda tries to joke by saying his name - Pagliaccio, but he vents his anger in a furious aria ("No, Pagliaccio non son"), in which he reveals his jealousy and passionate love for Neda. She tries to continue with the play. He insists on the name of his rival.
