Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci in a Grand Production

The show is performed in Italian with Russian and Hebrew subtitles. The Vienna–Tel Aviv Vocal Bridge and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra proudly present Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci in a grand production with 150 participants. Musical Director: David Aronson | Conductor: Peter Valentovich. Directing: Rosemary Danziger | Choir Conductor: Asaf Banaref. The Vienna–Tel Aviv Vocal Bridge is one of the important opera institutions in Israel. It is the only one that brings full opera productions of a high international standard to audiences across the country, for opera lovers wherever they are. And indeed, the applause of the audiences filling the halls attests 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 create this art 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 presented: "Pagliacci" (I pagliacci) by Ruggero Leoncavallo, and "Cavalleria Rusticana" (Cavalleria rusticana) by Pietro Mascagni. 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 and 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 the Vienna–Tel Aviv Vocal Bridge production, international singers who have sung 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 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 speaks to the audience's raw, exposed emotion, presenting the storm of human feeling before them without embellishment. The viewer is swept along with the tragic hero, understanding him but also horrified by that very understanding. Love and passion sweep the characters away and carry them down uncontrollable paths. The events of both operas take place within a realistic world, within society, within its established customs; such as the religious rite, the Easter procession in Cavalleria Rusticana, and a church wedding ceremony (in this version). The world carries on as it always has, 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 women and men returning from work in the fields, community members watching the Easter procession, or worshippers in church. In this production, the three participating choirs are in the trusted hands of Maestro Asaf Banaref, who has conducted 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 emotion 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 tragedy. 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, turning it into compassion, while drawing ethical and moral conclusions. Catharsis is the purification of the soul. The opera "Pagliacci," by Ruggero Leoncavallo, who also wrote the libretto, is based on a real case tried in court, in which the judge was the composer's father. The opera tells the story of a traveling theater troupe wandering among the villages of Calabria, performing traditional Commedia dell'arte. Nedda, the 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 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 opera "Cavalleria Rusticana" (libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, based on a 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 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 that ends in Turiddu's death. The singers: Santuzza/Nedda: Eugenia Dushina, soprano: (Teatro Real, Madrid; La Monnaie Royal Opera House, Brussels; Lithuanian National Opera, Vilnius; 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, 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; Queen Sofía Palace of the Arts, Valencia, Spain; Glyndebourne Festival, UK. Arlecchino: Doron Florentin (tenor), Israeli Opera. Choirs: Kolei Jerusalem A-Cappella Ensemble; Musical Director Asaf Banaref. Jerusalem Chamber Choir; Musical Director Tam Karni. Shachar Rehovot Choir; Musical Director Gila Briel.