(Amadeus). Operas most enduring tragic double bill of verismo masterpieces; Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci share many common features; most noticeably their direct language; plot simplicity; common-folk characters; and themes of adultery; betrayal; revenge; and murder. Written within two years of each other; and both set in villages in southern Italy; they feature dramatic confrontations; turbulent emotions; and gritty realism. Cavalleria rusticana takes place on Easter in a Sicilian village; where Turiddu; after returning from the army to find his beloved Lola married to the carter Alfio; found solace with the peasant girl Santuzza but ultimately betrayed her and ruined her reputation. When Turiddu goes back to Lola; Santuzza seeks revenge; with tragic results. In Pagliacci ; a troupe of traveling commedia dellarte players is torn apart when its leader; Canio; discovers that his wife; Nedda; has taken a lover. In the ensuing "play within a play;" the actors struggle to go on with their performance as the line between theater and reality collapses; leading to an explosive climax.
#3011200 in eBooks 2015-12-17 2015-12-18File Name: B019IYLUJ8
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