Discovering Opera: Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci
Discovering Opera: Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci
Discovering Opera: Cavalleria Rusticana & I Pagliacci
Two of the most viscerally compelling works in the operatic repertoire, presented together on a single disc from the acclaimed Discovering Opera series. Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana (1890) and Ruggero Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci (1892) are the twin pillars of the verismo movement — a school of opera that traded mythological grandeur for raw, working-class passion and tragedy. Performed together so frequently that they are known simply as Cav & Pag, these one-act dramas deliver some of the most emotionally charged music ever written for the operatic stage.
Cavalleria Rusticana unfolds in a Sicilian village on Easter Sunday, its famous Intermezzo offering a moment of sublime calm before jealousy erupts into violence. I Pagliacci follows a troupe of travelling players whose offstage drama mirrors the tragedy they perform — culminating in the immortal aria Vesti la giubba.
An ideal introduction for newcomers to opera and a rewarding listen for seasoned enthusiasts alike.
Format & Dimensions
Standard jewel-case CD. Dimensions: 142 × 125 × 10 mm (5.6 × 4.9 × 0.4 in). Weight: approximately 100 g (3.5 oz).