San Francisco Opera - Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci

Secret love - fateful consequences

The legendary 'Cav and Pag' double bill returns to the San Francisco Opera for the first time in 15 years. A smorgasbord of scandal, revenge, and heartbreak, both concern a passionate affair where all parties are slowly consumed by jealousy, leading to tragic consequences. Stitched together since 1893, they provide a thrilling night in the opera house, with unmatched drama and passion playing out against incredible scores.

Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni
In rural Sicily a man returns home from the war to find his fiance wed to another. Seething, he seduces another woman, making the first irrepressibly jealous, leading her back to his arms. When her new husband discovers the secret cutesy of the scorned lover, a dance of death begins.

Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo
Betryal runs deep in a comedy troupe touring their show in Southern Italy. The leader, Canio threatens any man who makes advances to his wife Nedda. Under his nose she has taken a lover called Silvio. When the truth comes out during a performance, life imitates art as Canio has his final revenge.