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Giancarlo del Monaco's acclaimed new production elegantly intertwines Mascagni's and Leoncavallo's well-loved operas, masterpieces which brought new levels of realism into opera through their so-called verismo style. Jesús López Cobos directs a double cast of outstanding talent in a recording filmed with High Definition cameras and with true surround sound.



CAST
Canio – Vladimir Galouzine
Nedda – María Bayo
Tonio – Carlo Guelfi
Beppe – Antonio Gandía
Silvio – Ángel Ódena

Giancarlo del Monaco, stage director

REVIEW
FANFARE: Andrew Quint

Stage Director Giancarlo del Monaco (the son of the famed dramatic tenor, Mario) flat-out rejects the notion that Cavalleria rusticana or Pagliacci should be performed with anything except each other. In an interview included on this Opus Arte Blu-ray release, del Monaco emphatically notes that these operas represent “the fundamental diptych of realist theater;” that they are “two sides of the same coin.” As with many other productions, del Monaco presents Pagliacci ’s Prologue before the Mascagni work, Tonio appearing in the midst of the audience to underscore that the verismo evening ahead is meant to connect to everyone’s real-world experience. A seamless integration of the two dramas is further highlighted when Turridu’s lifeless body is driven off the stage just as the first chords of Pagliacci are sounding.

The two operas have very different looks, however. The model for Cavalleria is Greek tragedy, with an abstract, brilliantly lit, all-white set and a static chorus dressed in black, as are all the principals. Pagliacci , set sometime in the 1950s, is constantly in motion and much more richly decorated, the centerpiece on stage a decrepit old truck that serves as the theater troupe’s performance venue. The casts don’t overlap at all, and though the Mascagni doesn’t disappoint, Pagliacci is the more memorable performance, thanks to the alluring—vocally and physically—Nedda of Maria Bayo and Vladimir Galouzine’s ferocious, yet thoroughly sympathetic Canio. In Cavalleria, some stage business is occasionally a bit obvious—Turridu pulls out a mirror and comb so he can primp when he hears Lola approaching—and the scene between Santuzza and Mamma Lucia is pretty melodramatic. But if you can’t chew some scenery with Cav and Pag , when can you?

The Madrid orchestra plays wonderfully under the crisply articulated and affectively potent leadership of Jesús López-Cobos, who continues to impress with his affinity for a wide range of operatic repertoire. The sound is good, 48,000 kHz PCM for both stereo and 5.0 multichannel options. This is better than standard DVD (for the surround program) but not at all in SACD/DVD Audio territory, which is possible with Blu-ray’s specifications. Extras include the ubiquitous Cast Gallery as well as interviews with the director, conductor, and four of the principal singers. Subtitle choices include English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian.

Works on This Recording
1.
Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni
Performer: Viorica Cortez (Mezzo Soprano), Marco Di Felice (Baritone), Vincenzo La Scola (Tenor), Violeta Urmana (Soprano), Dragana Jugovic (Voice)
Conductor: Jesús Lopez-Cobos
Orchestra/Ensemble: Madrid Teatro Real Orchestra, Madrid Teatro Real Chorus
Period: Romantic
Written: 1890; Italy
2.
I Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo
Performer: Maria Bayo (Soprano), Vladimir Galouzine (Tenor), Antonio Gandía (Tenor), Carlo Guelfi (Baritone), Angel Odena (Baritone)
Conductor: Jesús Lopez-Cobos
Orchestra/Ensemble: Madrid Teatro Real Orchestra, Madrid Teatro Real Chorus
Period: Romantic
Written: 1892; Italy