Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana / Leoncavallo: Pagliacci (Zeffirelli productions recorded in 1984 & 1985)

All Regions - Widescreen 16:9 - LPCM Stereo / Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround / DTS 5.1 Surround - Colour - NTSC - 140 mins

"The casts are strong but Pag gets my vote overall. This is largely because of the central heroine in each. Stratas looks and sounds perfect as Nedda, beautiful but vulnerable, just like the 'little birds' she sings of. Obraztsova tends to overact in the worst operatic tradition, and the voice has a hard, steely edge that grates after a while, especially when the vibrato widens on high notes. The men are excellent throughout, particularly Domingo. He's always good value, but is in exceptional voice in both operas. If he's more convincing as Canio it's because he truly inhabits the part of the pathetic, jealous clown, whereas he looks a bit too old and seems a shade self-conscious as Turridu. Pons is superb as Tonio, his 'Prologue' as good as you'll hear - perhaps Leonard Warren aside - and Bruson, such a seasoned singing actor, smoulders menacingly as Alfio."
(MusicWeb june 2005)

Based on a production of these two seemingly inseparable operas at La Scala Milan from 1981, both movies were taped in 1982. For 'Pagliacci', director Franco Zeffirelli was honoured with an Emmy as best director in the category of classical music programming in 1985. 'Cavalleria Rusticana' was filmed in the Sicilian village of Vizzini, the home
town of writer Giovanni Verga on whose original story the opera is based.

Both productions feature the brilliant Plácido Domingo at the very height of his vocal abilities - Teresa Stratas gives a captivating performance as his counterpart in 'Pagliacci'.

Two timeless stories of love, honour, justice and violence, captured on just one DVD - a highlight for every opera lover