Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana 馬斯康尼：鄉村騎士 / Leoncavallo: Pagliacci 利安卡法洛：丑角

Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana                                 71’
Santuzza: Renata Scotto (s)
Turiddu: Plácido Domingo (t)
Alfio: Pablo Elvira (br)
Ambrosian Opera Cho.
Nat. Phil. Orch. / James Levine

馬斯康尼：鄉村騎士
珊杜莎：史葛圖（女高音）
杜列朵：杜鳴高（男高音）
艾菲奧：艾菲拿（男中音）
亞布斯安歌劇合唱團、國家管弦樂團 / 占士•利雲

Leoncavallo: Pagliacci                                                70’
Canio: Plácido Domingo (t)
Nedda: Teresa Stratas (s)
Tonio: Juan Pons (br)
Coro & Orch. del Teatro alla Scala / Georges Prêtre

利安卡法洛：丑角
卡利奧：杜鳴高（男高音）
妮達：史拉特斯（女高音）
東尼奧：璜．龐士（男中音）
史卡拉歌劇院樂團與合唱團 / 柏烈特

This week, we are presenting two of the most famous works of Italian verismo opera, Pietro Mascagni’s 'Cavalleria Rusticana' and Ruggero Leoncavallo’s 'Pagliacci'. Both operas portray ordinary people caught in powerful emotions, with stories of love, jealousy, betrayal and revenge. 

Mascagni’s 'Cavalleria Rusticana', first performed in 1890, tells the story of Santuzza, a young woman whose love for Turiddu is threatened when he returns to his former lover, Lola. As jealousy and betrayal unfold, a series of emotional confrontations leads to a tragic ending. The opera is particularly famous for its expressive melodies and the atmospheric orchestral Intermezzo. 

Leoncavallo’s 'Pagliacci', first performed in 1892, tells the story of Canio, the leader of a travelling theatre troupe, whose wife Nedda is secretly in love with another man. When Canio discovers her betrayal, the boundary between theatre and real life begins to disappear, leading to one of opera’s most powerful and tragic finales. The famous aria “Vesti la giubba” has become one of the best-known tenor arias in the repertoire. 

The featured recordings bring together two outstanding casts. 'Cavalleria Rusticana' features soprano Renata Scotto as Santuzza, tenor Plácido Domingo as Turiddu, and baritone Pablo Elvira as Alfio, with the Ambrosian Opera Chorus and National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by James Levine. 'Pagliacci' features Plácido Domingo again as Canio, soprano Teresa Stratas as Nedda, and baritone Juan Pons as Tonio, with the Chorus and Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala conducted by Georges Prêtre.

我今次為大家選播兩套意大利「真實主義歌劇」（verismo）的經典作品：馬斯康尼的《鄉村騎士》及利安卡法洛的《小丑》。兩齣歌劇都以平凡人物為主角，透過愛情、嫉妒、背叛與復仇等強烈情感，展現人性最直接的一面。 

馬斯康尼的《鄉村騎士》於1890年首演，講述珊杜莎深愛杜列朵，但杜列朵與昔日戀人羅拉舊情復熾，令珊杜莎陷入嫉妒與痛苦之中。隨着誤會與衝突逐步加深，故事最終走向悲劇。作品以充滿感情的旋律，以及著名的管弦樂〈間奏曲〉深受觀眾歡迎。 

利安卡法洛的《小丑》於1892年首演，講述流動劇團的團長卡利奧，發現妻子妮達背叛自己。舞台上的戲劇與現實變得糢糊，喜劇最終演變成悲劇。劇中著名的男高音詠嘆調〈穿上戲服〉（Vesti la giubba），更成為歌劇史上最膾炙人口的男高音曲目之一。 

今次選播的兩套錄音，匯聚一眾出色的歌唱家。《鄉村騎士》由女高音史葛圖（Renata Scotto）飾演珊杜莎，男高音杜鳴高（Plácido Domingo）飾演杜列朵，男中音艾菲拿（Pablo Elvira）飾演艾菲奧，並由占士．利雲（James Levine）指揮亞布斯安歌劇合唱團及國家管弦樂團。《小丑》則再次由杜鳴高飾演卡利奧，女高音史拉特斯（Teresa Stratas）飾演妮達，男中音璜．龐士（Juan Pons）飾演東尼奧，並由柏烈特（Georges Prêtre）指揮史卡拉歌劇院樂團與合唱團。