Two timeless stories of love, honour, justice and violence – a highlight for every opera lover. Pietro Mascagni‘s Cavalleria rusticana and Ruggero Leoncavallo‘s Pagliacci speak to one’s heart and soul. They are regarded as the most absorbing tragedies of Italian music theatre. Adultery, jealousy and betrayal lead to passionate conflicts that jointly connect both operas.

The impressively embellished stage waives exaggerated decoration to underline the unflattering realistic brutality. Both operas are supported by a musical variety of great arias, short duets and amazing choir passages that add to the unveiled expression of feelings.

Argentinian star tenor José Cura stands out with his fascinating singing and acting performance. Besides him soprano Paoletta Marrocu with her expressive interpretation of Santuzza, Carlo Guelfi as Tonio and Fiorenza Cedolins as Nedda convince the audience with their great voices.

These atmospheric performances, directed by Grischa Asagaroff and conducted by Stefano Ranzani, are capable of fascinating every opera lover.

Stage Director: Grischa Asagaroff

Live from Zurich Opera House, 2009

Bonus Feature: more than 120 minutes of highlights from over 40 critically acclaimed opera, ballet, concert & documentary productions on Blu-ray Disc.

Sound Formats: PCM Stereo, dts-HD Master Audio 7.1
Picture Format: 16:9
Original Language: IT
Subtitles: IT, GB, DE, FR, ES, KOR, JP
Blu-ray Disc 50 GB (Dual Layer)
Resolution: 1080i High Definition
Running Time: 151 mins (Opera) + ca. 120 mins (Bonus)
FSK: 0
Available worldwide