Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci [Blu-ray]

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" These two short Italian operas are brought together in a new staging by award-winning director Damiano Michieletto, who sets both operas in a poverty stricken village in 1980s southern Italy, where the Mafia has a hold. The Royal Opera's Music Director Antonio Pappano conducts a cast that includes charismatic Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek, exciting Italian soprano Carmen Giannattasio and the thrilling Latvian tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko. Press Reviews "A triumphant evening, supported by superb work by adult and junior choruses, and by orchestral playing under Antonio Pappano which faithfully reflects the brilliant colouring of these verismo classics. And if Mascagni's opera emerges in its full pathos and purity, Leoncavallo's becomes the occasion for a directorial tour de force. Here Antonenko is the cuckolded Canio, and Platanias the bitterly insidious Tonio, with both giving charismatic performances; Benjamin Hulett makes a predictably sweet-toned Beppe, while Carmen Giannattasio's ravishing singing as Nedda literally charms the birds off the trees." (The Independent ★★★★) "Damiano Michieletto has surely won new fans with this intelligent updating... The Royal Opera orchestra was on magnetic form for both operas, with Pappano holding all in tight rein yet letting the music breathe... the Greek baritone Dimitri Platanias came into his own as the hideous, rapacious Tonio, with Antonenko expansive and pathetic as the maniacally jealous clown Canio. His famous aria Vesti la giubba when he puts on his motley to act out his own destiny had the right balance of chill and misery, helped by Michieletto's clever staging. The audience roared approval, for Damiano Michieletto and his team too." (The Guardian) "Carmen Giannattasio's Nedda made us feel the longing for freedom behind her illicit desire for Silvio (the ardent Dionysios Sourbis). Antonio Pappano has spoken of the way this music runs through his southern Italian veins and it certainly throbbed with authentic passion. If he responded faithfully enough to the shameless vulgarity of the two scores, he was also sensitive to their generosity of lyricism and subtleties of orchestration. " (The Evening Standard ★★★★) "Antonio Pappano conducts: being of Campanian ancestry, this music is mother's milk to him, and he coaxed the orchestra into a lush, uninhibited reading of the scores, feeding the climaxes with plenty of whatever the Italian is for welly. Terrific triple fortissimi blasted from Renato Balsadonna's chorus too; and Cav's rapturous Easter Hymn was uplifting." (The Telegraph ★★★★) Cast Aleksandrs Antonenko (Turiddu/Canio) Dimitri Platanias (Alfio/Tonio) Eva-Maria Westbroek (Santuzza) Carmen Giannattasio (Nedda) Elena Zilio (Mamma Lucia) Martina Belli (Lola) Orchestra & Chorus of the Royal Opera House; Antonio Pappano Production Company: The Royal Opera Stage Director: Damiano Michieletto Designer: Paolo Fantin Disc Information Catalogue Number: OABD7200D Date of Performance: 2015 Running Time: 153 minutes Sound: LPCM 2.0, DTS Surround, Dolby Atmos Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Subtitles: EN/FR/DE/JP/KO Label: Opus Arte"