The Opera Collective

Cavalleria rusticana

November 04, 2025

Description

The Opera Collective presents a double-bill performance of Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Ruggiero Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci. This iconic pairing captures all the gripping drama and “edge-of-your-seat” excitement that defines Verismo (Realism) opera. Though these are two distinct works, they were first performed together as a double bill by the Metropolitan Opera in 1893—a tradition that has become a classic ever since.

Both stories unfold in rural southern Italy at the end of the 19th century: Cavalleria Rusticana  is set on Easter morning in a Sicilian village, while I Pagliacci takes place during the Feast of the Assumption in a small Calabrian town.  

 At the heart of both operas is a passionate and deadly love triangle, as each explores the powerful themes of love, jealousy, and murder.