Murder at the Opera: “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “I Pagliacci”

Abstract

Pietro Mascagni's “Cavalleria Rusticana” and Ruggero Leoncavallo's “I Pagliacci” are the most important operas of the Italian Risorgimento period. These two operas complete each other, both chronologically and subject matters as works reflecting the social, political and cultural changes arisen after the unification of Italy. While the opera of Mascagni in 1890 and Leoncavallo’s opera in 1892 indicate a turning point in the Italian opera and also represent the birth of a new theater and artistic heritage: verismo and verist opera. “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “I Pagliacci” as the pioneers of verist opera have an important place in both theater and literary history of Italy as a rule-makers. The main aim of this work is to examine the operas “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “I Pagliacci” as the reflection of the Risorgimento era’s verist operas and to explore the relation between opera and literature, and to evaluate the reinterpretations of emotions through opera