'Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci' is cancelled due to Covid-19
A double bill of operas from members of Italy's giovane scuola (young school), which focused on the realities of turn-of-the-century rural Italian life. Composer Mascagni's work handles themes of violent jealousy in a richly melodic setting: themes continued in his successor Leoncavallo's own work. Italian director Damiano Michieletto's Olivier Award-winning 2015 Royal Opera House production sets both works in late 20th century southern Italy, in a poverty stricken rural village.