On 17 February at the Latvian National Opera, under the musical direction of Mārtiņš Ozoliņš and in a production by Aik Karapetian, the premiere of a new staging of Pietro Mascagni’s opera Cavalleria rusticana and the revival of Ruggero Leoncavallo’s opera Pagliacci will take place. The creative team also includes set and lighting designer A.J. Weissbard, costume designer Kristīne Pasternaka, choreographer Liene Grava, and video artist Artis Dzērve.

In the first performances of Cavalleria rusticana, the principal roles will be performed by Tatjana Trenogina, Irma Pavāre, Raimonds Bramanis, Artjoms Safronovs, Jānis Apeinis, and Daniils Pogoriless. In Pagliacci, the leading roles will be interpreted by Aleksandrs Antoņenko, Andris Ludvigs, Artjoms Safronovs, Inna Kločko, Dana Bramane, Jānis Apeinis, and Rinalds Kandalincevs.

The new production of Cavalleria rusticana revives the idyllic life of a Sicilian village – just as it becomes tainted by betrayal and jealousy. The peasant girl Santuzza has her heart broken by her fiancé, Turiddu, who is infatuated with Lola, the beautiful wife of the wealthy Alfio. In her despair, Santuzza reveals the affair to Alfio, setting the stage for his inevitable revenge. Pietro Mascagni composed the opera in record time in order to submit it to an opera competition. It premiered in Rome in 1890 and immediately became immensely popular. At the Latvian National Opera building, Cavalleria rusticana was performed in 1904 under the composer’s own musical direction when Mascagni visited the Riga City Theatre.

Pagliacci, was brought to the Latvian National Opera stage by Karapetian in 2019. In this opera, love and betrayal weave through the public and private lives of a travelling commedia dell'arte troupe. The tension builds to a devastating climax when Canio, the troupe’s leader, discovers his wife Nedda’s affair. His heartache cannot be contained by performance alone, leading to a tragic onstage reckoning, witnessed by an unsuspecting audience. Ruggero Leoncavallo composed Pagliacci in 1892.

“Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana and Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci are a well-known pairing on the world opera stage. Historically, these operas have regularly featured in the repertoire of the Latvian National Opera, most often presented together. Both works are bold examples of verismo – a style that demands raw, unvarnished emotion on stage. The stories revolve around infidelity that culminates in tragedy. This was a theme easily understood by audiences at the end of the 19th century, and it remains compelling to this day,” says the musical director of the new production, Mārtiņš Ozoliņš.

“My production of Pagliacci was already staged at the Latvian National Opera in 2019. Using this as a reference point, I am now staging Cavalleria rusticana and conceptually stepping back into the past. Set in the 1980s, the action of Pagliacci takes place in a care home, while Cavalleria rusticana reveals what had happened to these elderly residents in their youth. The opera is set in post-war Italy. I’ve drawn inspiration from Italian cinema, as this is a very effective key for helping the audience recognise the time and place, be convinced by the characters’ plight, experiencing their emotions with them,” explains director Aik Karapetian.

This season, the production will also be performed on February 18, March 1, 27 and 28, as well as June 10.

Tickets are available at the LNOB box office and online.