17 Pagliacci / Cavalleria rusticana Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857–1919) / Pietro Mascagni (1863 –1945) “ A resounding hit. Passion, treachery, jealousy and murder” Trouw Revival Sung in Italian Musical direction Andrea Battistoni Stage direction Robert Carsen Set design Radu Boruzescu Costume design Annemarie Woods Lighting design Peter van Praet Choreography Marco Berriel Dramaturgy Ian Burton Pagliacci Drama in two acts Libretto: Ruggero Leoncavallo Nedda Corinne Winters Canio Riccardo Massi Tonio Roman Burdenko Silvio Hubert Zapiór Cavalleria rusticana Melodrama in one act Libretto: Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci Santuzza Raehann Bryce-Davis Turiddu SeokJong Baek Lucia Enkelejda Shkoza Alfio Roman Burdenko Lola Maria Warenberg Netherlands Philharmonic Chorus of Dutch National Opera Chorus master Edward Ananian-Cooper Nieuw Amsterdams Children’s Chorus (part of Nieuw Vocaal Amsterdam) Premiere 5/9/2026 Subsequent performances: 8, 11, 14, 17, 20*, 23 September 2026 | Curtain-up: 19:30 / *14:00 | Ticket sales start on: 7 May 2026 | Price Category: B | Location: Main Stage, Dutch National Opera & Ballet Photo: Petrovsky & Ramone Infidelity, treachery and murder are the ingredients of the most famous diptych in Italian opera history: Pagliacci and Cavalleria rusticana. In these two short operas, obsessive love and jealousy drive the characters to extremes, with emotions running high. In both Pagliacci (1892) and Cavalleria rusticana (1890) the stage is inhabited by characters of striking realism. Theatre and reality In his gripping 2019 production, celebrated director Robert Carsen reverses the traditional sequence of the operas and focuses on the contrast between theatre and reality. He opens with Pagliacci, in which the clown Canio discovers that his wife is cheating on him, not only in the farces they perform with their theatre company, but also in real life. Carsen also sets Cavalleria rusticana in the theatre world. This opera is about the destructive power of jealousy within a village community, but he relocates it to the dressing room of an opera chorus. Musical ardour Pagliacci / Cavalleria rusticana is a stylish opener for the season, with the Chorus of Dutch National Opera in full force. Andrea Battistoni is one of the leading Italian conductors of today. He will take the helm of these two gems of verismo, with its focus on everyday life and raw emotion. The leading roles are performed by world-class soloists. Soprano Corinne Winters is the winner of the 2025 Oper! Award for Best Female Singer. She takes on the role of Nedda, appearing with Dutch National Opera for the first time. Two sought-after tenors, Riccardo Massi (Canio) and SeokJong Baek (Turiddu), also make their Amsterdam debuts. Audience favourite Raehann Bryce-Davis returns to sing Santuzza, marking her role debut.
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