Details

A short opera first performed in 1892 based on a Harlequin comedy. 'Clowns' - fun, laughter, entertainment, mirth. But offstage? In Leoncavallo's 1892 drama of jealousy and revenge the boundaries between the imaginary world of theatre and the real passions of a troupe of travelling players are broken down with violent results. Canio exacts revenge on his unfaithful wife Nedda and her lover Silvio in the unexpected climax of a play, while their audience realize only gradually the horror unfolding before them. It is an opera of emotional indulgence, from the joyful birdsong that inspires Nedda's 'Stridono lass?' to 'Vesti la giubba', Canio's famous heartrending outburst of self-pity. Sung in Italian with English surtitles.

Cast/Performers

Fabio Sartori (Canio), Simon Keenlyside (Tonio), Roberto Frontali (Tonio), Carmen Giannattasio (Nedda), Simona Mihai (Nedda), Andrzej Filonczyk (Silvio), Samuel Dale Johnson (Silvio), Luis Gomes (Beppe)

Creatives/Company

Author: Ruggiero Leoncavallo (1892)
Lyrics: Ruggero Leoncavallo
Producer: Royal Opera House
Conductor: Daniel Oren
Director: Damiano Michieletto
Design: Paolo Fantin
Costume: Carla Teti
Lighting: Alessandro Carletti
Company: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House