TWO OF OPERA'S DARKEST TALES

First premiering in 2015, this double programme enjoys a new revival for the 2017 season at the Royal Opera House. Each disturbing work demonstating what happens when passionate love sours into violent jealousy. Both prime examples of verismo opera, each work features music that gives a strong sense of their setting in a southern-Italian poverty-stricken village and the characters within it. The settings have also been updated to reflect Italian poverty in the late 20th century.

Daniel Oren conducts a world-class cast including ElIna GaranCa, Bryan Hymel, Fabio Sartori, Simon Keenlyside and Carmen Giannattasio in these two works, updated by Damiano Michieletto. Mascagni's disturbing Cavalleria rusticana includes the stirring Easter Hymn and Intermezzo whilst Pagliacci features one of the greatest of all tenor arias, Vesti la giubba, in which the clown Canio has just learnt that his wife is having an affair.