Lisa Chavez

Two operas, two betrayed husbands, two tragic ends. In Cavalleria rusticana the calm of a Sicilian Easter morning is broken by a betrayed lover who sets off a chain of events culminating in violent tragedy. In true theatrical tradition Pagliacci’s clown tries to go on with the show, but his real-life humiliation and despair lead to a grim climax. The violent passions and raw emotions of these two works changed the direction of Italian opera forever.