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 are proud to present Cavalleria Rusticana/I Pagliacci in a grand production with 150 participants. Musical director: David Aronson | Conductor: Peter Valentovich. Director: Rosemary Danziger | Choir master: Asaf Benraf. The Vienna–Tel Aviv Vocal Connection is one of the most important opera institutions in Israel. It is the only one that brings full productions of opera at a high international level across the country, for the benefit of opera lovers 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 engaged in this art the strength and energy to keep treating this wonderful audience to more quality opera performances. In the production before us, two short operas will be presented: "I Pagliacci" by Ruggiero Leoncavallo and "Cavalleria rusticana" by Pietro Mascagni. Both operas are among the most beloved gems of Italian opera among opera fans. It is customary for this pair of operas to be performed on a single evening, with each opera lasting about an hour and divided into two parts by an instrumental intermezzo; both belong to the genre called "verismo," characterized by sharp realism and presenting human emotions in the deepest way through total musical and dramatic means. Casting verismo operas requires singers with large, powerful dramatic voices capable of conveying emotions erupting from the depths of the soul. For the Vienna–Tel Aviv Vocal Connection's production, international singers who have performed these demanding roles at major opera houses around the world were chosen for the lead roles. Maestro David Aronson of the Vienna State Opera, conductor Peter Valentovich — who has conducted both of these operas at major opera houses across Europe — and international director Rosemary Danziger will lead the soloists, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and the three choirs into the eye of the storm of these masterpieces. "Verismo" as a literary and operatic genre — its brutal realism turns toward the viewer's raw grief, placing the storm of human emotion before them without any embellishment. The viewer is tossed about together with the tragic hero, understanding him but also horrified by that very understanding. Love and passion sweep the heroes along, leading them down uncontrollable paths. The events in both operas take place within a realistic world, within society, within its fixed customs — such as the religious ceremony, the Easter procession in Cavalleria Rusticana, and a church wedding ceremony (in the version presented here). The world goes on as usual, and within it interpersonal dramas unfold that spill into the public space. In both operas, the public/communal space is expressed through extensive use of divided choruses, representing different groups in society — whether men and women returning from work in the fields, members of the community watching the Easter procession, or worshippers in the church. In this production, the three choirs are entrusted to the capable hands of Maestro Asaf Benraf, who has directed opera choirs around the world and at the Israeli Opera. The rich orchestration emphasizes the sharpness of the plot, while at the same time wrapping it in an aesthetic envelope. This contrast contributes to the encounter between the storm of emotions and the reality surrounding it. Already in the ancient world, philosophers discussed the catharsis that occurs both in the viewer and in the performer when watching or performing a 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 and its transformation into compassion, through ethical and moral conclusions. Catharsis is the purification of the soul. The opera "I Pagliacci" by Ruggiero Leoncavallo, who also wrote the libretto, is based on a true case tried in court, in which the judge was the composer's father. The opera tells the story of a traveling theater troupe among the villages of Calabria, performing traditional commedia dell'arte. Nedda, wife of the clown Canio, betrays him with a lover she meets in the village, while rejecting the advances of fellow troupe member Tonio. The evening's performance turns into real life. Canio, in his jealousy, murders his wife and her lover — who is hiding among the audience — in front of everyone. 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 village in Sicily. Turiddu returns to his village after military service and discovers that his fiancée Lola has married Alfio, the wealthy man of the village. 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, who follows the lovers' meeting between Lola and Turiddu, tells Alfio about the affair between her fiancé and his wife. Alfio challenges Turiddu to a duel, which ends in Turiddu's death. 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; Essen Opera House; 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; Odesa National Opera House; Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago, Italy; National Opera of Moldova; Politeama Greco Theater, 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; Essen Opera House; Queen Sofía Palace of the Arts, Valencia, Spain; Glyndebourne Festival, UK. Arlecchino: Doron Florentin (tenor), Israeli Opera. Choirs (a cappella): the Kolei Yerushalayim Ensemble, musical director Asaf Benraf; the Jerusalem Chamber Choir, musical director Tom Karni; the Shachar Rehovot Choir, musical director Gila Breil.