Ever since performing in the chorus in 2008 for both these operas I have always loved Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. Both have amazing music, with Cavalleria's music especially beautiful and lyrical, and while I consider Pagliacci to have the stronger story Cavalleria Rusticana is growing on me more every time I see or hear the opera. This Met production, hosted interestingly by Tony Randall(I have written individual reviews on both productions but wanted to compare the two and go into more detail here) is very good. I don't consider it my favourite Cav/Pag, that is between the 1982 Zeffirelli films and the 1970/1968 productions with Cossotto, Vickers and Karajan conducting. All three are much better than the disappointing 2010 Zurich performance.
Of the two productions, Pagliacci has the stronger cast with some memorable "little things"(Milnes taking his wig off during the prologue, Domingo ripping open the front of his costume in the final scene and Stratas taking revenge on the chair that caused Domingo's fall and throwing it off the stage), but I just give the slight edge to Cavalleria. The main reason is the production values, while not as stunning as the 1982 Zeffirelli or the 1970 version it does look good and is not too dark or gloomy, which was the Zurich production's main problem. The picture quality and sound I found were better in Cavalleria, which are sharp in both respects, whereas Pagliacci was sometimes grainy in the picture and muffled in the sound(not all the time though).
The chorus are stronger as well in Cavalleria vocally. Dramatically in the play scene they are great in Pagliacci, but they perform Masagni's lyrical music in Cavalleria with beautiful balance and effortless legato. In the 2nd act chorus of Pagliacci especially, the sound made them sound quiet and late, also in the case of Domingo's two gracias in the first chorus which were inaudible. I can't fault the orchestra though, throughout they are superb, with their best moments being the Cavalleria Rusticana Intermezzo and Pagliacci's Non Pagliaccio Non Son. James Levine's reading of the two scores are efficient and sympathetic.
Both casts are truly impressive. The obvious plus is Placido Domingo, whose burnished tenor sound, youthful handsomeness, great musicality and ability to become the characters is evident as both Turridu and Canio. As Turridu, he is wonderful. In his big scene with Troyanos' Santuzza, you can actually feel his anger and intensity, while his Mama E Quel Vino Generoso was so poignant I actually had to stop the DVD to sort out my face from crying. As Canio however, even with the chair trip he had, he is magnificent. I love his Turridu, but alongside Otello, Don Jose and Caveradossi I consider Canio one of his best roles. He shows Canio's conflict of grief and anger better than any other tenor, with only Vickers and Corelli in my opinion matching him, and he is also brutish and terrifying. Vesti La Guibba is outstanding, both powerful and heart-wrenching.
He is supported brilliantly, but I was impressed most by three people. One was Tatiana Troyanos(RIP). Before watching initially, I worried that the role of Santuzza was too big for her voice, but I forgot about that hearing and seeing her here. Cossotto may have had the bigger voice and the more thrilling high register, but Troyanos' voice I find a little more beautiful and even. It is a very mellow and beautiful voice, and her Santuzza is impassioned and moving, especially in the Easter Hymn and in her duet with Kraft's Mama Lucia. Only her uttering of the curse disappoints, it comes across as a tad too shrill for my tastes. Another is Teresa Stratas as Nedda, whose singing is musical and expressive. The interpretation is both vulnerable and bitchy, with her scene with Silvio delicate, her chemistry with Milnes' Tonio in the play scene sparkling and Stratas also excels in showing an increasing sense of panic matched only by Raina Kabaivanska.
Best of all is Sherrill Milnes, whose Tonio is superb. It is perhaps not a flawless performance, with some strained notes in the passaggio especially in the over-covered F in his and Stratas's duet in act 1 where she mocks him and he loses it. However, his Si Puo is a revelation, Merrill's perhaps has more pathos and some of his vowel singing is a tad too thick, but there is a lot of excitement and nuances in the singing, and while his singing, having darkened in tone, is not as beautiful as it was like say 5 years earlier it more than makes up for it for being more exciting and driven. And if there is a more thrilling high A flat from any other baritone for this piece than Milnes here, I have not heard it. He is an amazing actor as well, subtlety is not a strong suit, but he was a conscientious artist and really gives his all to the role, especially in his Taddeo guise where he is hilarious.
Allan Monk's sympathetic Silvio contrasts well with Domingo's brutish Canio, Isola Jones is a flirtatious and kitten-like Lola, James Atherton is a solid Beppe and Jean Kraft is a poignant and sincere Mama Lucia. Vern Shinall is fine generally as Alfio, the voice is rich and the acting is good, though he sounded as though he was behind in the his duet with Troyanos, couldn't tell whether he was him or whether Levine just suddenly quickened the pace there. Lastly, Zeffirelli, who deserves credit not just for making the drama of both operas compelling but also making the characters human, especially the still existing love of Turridu and Santuzza, the compassion of Mama Lucia and Nedda's pain for preparing to leave Canio.
Overall, a very good if not quite perfect production. 8/10 Bethany Cox
Of the two productions, Pagliacci has the stronger cast with some memorable "little things"(Milnes taking his wig off during the prologue, Domingo ripping open the front of his costume in the final scene and Stratas taking revenge on the chair that caused Domingo's fall and throwing it off the stage), but I just give the slight edge to Cavalleria. The main reason is the production values, while not as stunning as the 1982 Zeffirelli or the 1970 version it does look good and is not too dark or gloomy, which was the Zurich production's main problem. The picture quality and sound I found were better in Cavalleria, which are sharp in both respects, whereas Pagliacci was sometimes grainy in the picture and muffled in the sound(not all the time though).
The chorus are stronger as well in Cavalleria vocally. Dramatically in the play scene they are great in Pagliacci, but they perform Masagni's lyrical music in Cavalleria with beautiful balance and effortless legato. In the 2nd act chorus of Pagliacci especially, the sound made them sound quiet and late, also in the case of Domingo's two gracias in the first chorus which were inaudible. I can't fault the orchestra though, throughout they are superb, with their best moments being the Cavalleria Rusticana Intermezzo and Pagliacci's Non Pagliaccio Non Son. James Levine's reading of the two scores are efficient and sympathetic.
Both casts are truly impressive. The obvious plus is Placido Domingo, whose burnished tenor sound, youthful handsomeness, great musicality and ability to become the characters is evident as both Turridu and Canio. As Turridu, he is wonderful. In his big scene with Troyanos' Santuzza, you can actually feel his anger and intensity, while his Mama E Quel Vino Generoso was so poignant I actually had to stop the DVD to sort out my face from crying. As Canio however, even with the chair trip he had, he is magnificent. I love his Turridu, but alongside Otello, Don Jose and Caveradossi I consider Canio one of his best roles. He shows Canio's conflict of grief and anger better than any other tenor, with only Vickers and Corelli in my opinion matching him, and he is also brutish and terrifying. Vesti La Guibba is outstanding, both powerful and heart-wrenching.
He is supported brilliantly, but I was impressed most by three people. One was Tatiana Troyanos(RIP). Before watching initially, I worried that the role of Santuzza was too big for her voice, but I forgot about that hearing and seeing her here. Cossotto may have had the bigger voice and the more thrilling high register, but Troyanos' voice I find a little more beautiful and even. It is a very mellow and beautiful voice, and her Santuzza is impassioned and moving, especially in the Easter Hymn and in her duet with Kraft's Mama Lucia. Only her uttering of the curse disappoints, it comes across as a tad too shrill for my tastes. Another is Teresa Stratas as Nedda, whose singing is musical and expressive. The interpretation is both vulnerable and bitchy, with her scene with Silvio delicate, her chemistry with Milnes' Tonio in the play scene sparkling and Stratas also excels in showing an increasing sense of panic matched only by Raina Kabaivanska.
Best of all is Sherrill Milnes, whose Tonio is superb. It is perhaps not a flawless performance, with some strained notes in the passaggio especially in the over-covered F in his and Stratas's duet in act 1 where she mocks him and he loses it. However, his Si Puo is a revelation, Merrill's perhaps has more pathos and some of his vowel singing is a tad too thick, but there is a lot of excitement and nuances in the singing, and while his singing, having darkened in tone, is not as beautiful as it was like say 5 years earlier it more than makes up for it for being more exciting and driven. And if there is a more thrilling high A flat from any other baritone for this piece than Milnes here, I have not heard it. He is an amazing actor as well, subtlety is not a strong suit, but he was a conscientious artist and really gives his all to the role, especially in his Taddeo guise where he is hilarious.
Allan Monk's sympathetic Silvio contrasts well with Domingo's brutish Canio, Isola Jones is a flirtatious and kitten-like Lola, James Atherton is a solid Beppe and Jean Kraft is a poignant and sincere Mama Lucia. Vern Shinall is fine generally as Alfio, the voice is rich and the acting is good, though he sounded as though he was behind in the his duet with Troyanos, couldn't tell whether he was him or whether Levine just suddenly quickened the pace there. Lastly, Zeffirelli, who deserves credit not just for making the drama of both operas compelling but also making the characters human, especially the still existing love of Turridu and Santuzza, the compassion of Mama Lucia and Nedda's pain for preparing to leave Canio.
Overall, a very good if not quite perfect production. 8/10 Bethany Cox
