Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci in a Grand Production

The show is performed in Italian with Russian and Hebrew subtitles. The Vienna–Tel Aviv Vocal Connection and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra proudly present: Cavalleria Rusticana – Pagliacci, in a grand production with 150 participants: the singers of the Vienna–Tel Aviv Vocal Connection with stars from the world's leading opera houses, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and four choirs. Conductor: David Aronson of the Vienna State Opera. Director: Rosemarie Danziger. Choirmaster: Asaf Bnaraf. The Vienna–Tel Aviv Vocal Connection is one of Israel's important opera institutions. It is the only one that tours full-scale, internationally high-level opera productions throughout the country for the benefit of opera-loving audiences everywhere. Indeed, the applause of the audiences filling the halls testifies to the sweeping success of this important cultural enterprise. The pure enjoyment and warmth with which the operas 'The Marriage of Figaro' and 'Die Fledermaus' were received give those who work in this art form the strength and energy to keep treating this wonderful audience to more and more quality opera performances. In this production, two short operas will be performed: Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni, and I Pagliacci (Pagliacci) by Ruggero Leoncavallo. Both operas are among the most beloved gems of Italian opera among opera-loving audiences. It is customary for this pair of operas to be performed on a single evening, with each opera lasting about an hour and each divided into two parts by an instrumental intermezzo; both belong to the genre known as verismo, characterized by sharp realism, presenting human emotion in the deepest way through total musical and dramatic means. Casting verismo operas requires singers with big, powerful dramatic voices capable of conveying emotions erupting from the depths of the soul. For this Vienna–Tel Aviv Vocal Connection production, international singers who have performed these demanding roles at major opera houses around the world were chosen for the leading parts. Maestro David Aronson of the Vienna State Opera and international director Rosemarie Danziger will lead the soloists, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and four choirs (including a children's choir) into the eye of the storm of these masterpieces. Verismo, as a literary and operatic genre — its brutal realism speaks to the viewer's raw sensitivity, placing the storm of human emotion before them without embellishment. The viewer is swept along together with the tragic hero, understanding him but also horrified by that very understanding. Love and passion sweep the protagonists along and lead them down uncontrollable paths. The events of both operas take place within a realistic world, within society, within its fixed customs; such as the religious rite, the Easter procession in Cavalleria Rusticana, and a wedding ceremony in a church (in this version). The world goes on as usual, and within it interpersonal dramas unfold that spill over into the public space. In both operas, the public/communal space is expressed through the extensive use of divided choruses, representing different groups in society — whether the men and women returning from work in the fields, the community members watching the Easter procession, or the worshippers in church. In this production, the four accompanying choirs are entrusted to the capable hands of Maestro Asaf Bnaraf, who has conducted opera choruses around the world and at the Israeli Opera. The rich orchestration underscores the sharpness of the plot while at the same time wrapping it in an aesthetic envelope. This contrast contributes its part to the meeting between the storm of emotions and the reality surrounding it. Already in the ancient world, philosophers discussed catharsis, which occurs both in the viewer and in the performer when watching a tragedy or performing the tragic role. Aristotle, in the Poetics, speaks of the fear and pity that arise in the viewer and the tragic performer. This involves a kind of processing of the evil inherent in humankind, transforming it into compassion, while drawing ethical and moral conclusions. Catharsis is the purification of the soul. The opera Cavalleria Rusticana (libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, based on the novella of the same name by Giovanni Verga) tells a tragic story set in a Sicilian village. Turiddu returns to his village after his military service and discovers that his fiancée Lola has married Alfio, the village's wealthy man. In his despair, he promises marriage to Santuzza, a simple village girl. But he cannot resist temptation and returns to the arms of the now-married Lola. Santuzza, following the lovers' meeting between Lola and Turiddu, tells Alfio about the affair between her fiancé and his wife. Alfio challenges Turiddu to a duel that ends in Turiddu's death. The opera Pagliacci, by Ruggero Leoncavallo, who also wrote the libretto, is based on a real case tried in a court where the judge was the composer's father. The opera tells the story of a traveling theater troupe touring the villages of Calabria, performing traditional Commedia dell'arte. Nedda, the wife of the clown Canio, is unfaithful to him with a lover she meets in the village, while rejecting the advances of Tonio, a member of the troupe. The evening's performance becomes a performance of real life. Canio, in his jealousy, murders his wife and her lover, who is hiding among the audience, in front of everyone. The singers: Santuzza/Nedda: Eugenia Dushina – soprano, Teatro Real Madrid; La Monnaie Royal Opera House, Brussels; Vilnius Opera House; Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris; Solothurn Opera House, Switzerland; Mörbisch International Operetta Festival. Turiddu/Canio: Zurab Zurabishvili – tenor, Deutsche Oper Berlin; Aalto Theater Essen; Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf; Flemish Opera, Antwerp; Royal Danish Opera, Copenhagen; Zurich Opera House; Israeli Opera. Alfio/Tonio: Pedro Carillo Perera – baritone, Teresa Carreño Theater, Caracas, Venezuela; Odessa National Opera House; Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago, Italy; National Opera of Moldova; Teatro Politeama Greco, Lecce, Italy. Mamma Lucia: Rona Sherira – alto, Israeli Opera. Lola: Avigail Gortler Har-Tov – soprano, Israeli Opera. Silvio: Oleg Lebedyev – baritone, Semperoper Dresden; Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf; Cologne Opera House; Aalto Theater Essen; Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, Valencia, Spain; Glyndebourne Festival, UK. Arlecchino: Doron Florentin – tenor, Israeli Opera. A cappella: Kolei Jerusalem Ensemble; Musical Director Asaf Bnaraf. Jerusalem Chamber Choir; Musical Director Tam Karni. Shachar Rehovot Choir; Musical Director Gila Bril. Ankor Children's Choir, Jerusalem; Musical Director Dafna Ben Yochanan.