Well Met in Sicily

By Maria Gregoriou

The Rialto theatre in Limassol will be screening two operas, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci as performed at the Metropolitan Opera, on Saturday.

Opera’s most enduring tragic double bill returns in this new production from Sir David McVicar, who sets the stories across two time periods but in the same Sicilian setting.

Marcelo Alvarez rises to the challenge of playing the dual tenor roles of Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana and Canio in Pagliacci. Rae Smith (who was also the set designer on War Horse) has designed the moodily atmospheric 1900 village square setting of Cavalleria Rusticana, which transforms to a 1948 truck stop for the doomed vaudeville troupe of Pagliacci.

The cast also includes Eva-Maria Westbroek and Patricia Racette as the unlucky heroines.

After a number of these opera screenings, we know full well that we are in for a night of entertainment and enlightenment, but just in case you had any doubt let the New York Times snuff that doubt out, as its review states “this double bill certainly has the right maestro on the podium: Fabio Luisi, the Met’s principal conductor. He draws clarity, colour and vigour from the inspired Met orchestra in both works.”

Cavalleria Rusticana/ Pagliacci
Screening of the operas performed at The Met. May 9. Rialto theatre, Limassol. 7.30pm. €18/13. Tel: 77-777745

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