Ruggero Leoncavallo
“Pagliacci”
(opera)

Conductor: Ivan Eminovikj
Director: Dejan Proshev
Set design: Ilina Angelovska
Costume design: Nikola Buleski
Choreographer: Olga Pango
Assistant conductor: Katerina Stojkovska
Assistant director: Trajko Jordanovski, Ljupka Jakimovska
Concert Master: Verica Lambevska
Choir master: Jasmina Gjorgjeska
Light design: Milcho Alexandrov
Piano accompanist: Elena Siljanoska, Janinka Nevcheva, Andreja Naunov

SOLOISTS

Canio / Pagliaccio: Zoran Sotirov
Nedda / Colombina: Biljana Josifov
Tonio / Taddeo: Boris Trajanov
Peppe / Arlecchino: Dejan Stoev
Silvio: Dragan Ampov

Ballet: Andrew Cook (England), Agim Baftii and Melanija Gocevska

The choir and orchestra of the National Opera and Ballet

Stage managers: Ljupcho Polizov, Dragan Kostadinovikj, Marko Pavlevski
Prompters: Nevena Georgieva

Pagliacci

(synopsis)

Prologue

In front of the curtain.

Traveling actor Tonio tells viewers that the drama that will be played is filled with the true feelings and sufferings of her heroes. Ordinary comedians also have a soul that they will now open to the audience …

First act

The traveling troupe consisting of the Canio boss and the main actor, his wife Nedda and the actors Tonio and Peppe arrives in the Italian village. The villagers, in anticipation of a good party, greet them and invite them to a tavern.

Tonio declined the invitation. The villagers laugh: surely he wants to be alone with the beautiful Nedda, while her husband is feasting. But Canio interrupts them: he sincerely loves his wife and trusts her, but in case of infidelity he will be terrible in his revenge

Nedda is left alone. She has mixed feelings. In this village, her beloved young villager Silvio is waiting for her. Struggling with bad feelings, Nedda sings about birds free to fly everywhere …

Nedda’s singing captivates Tonio. He finds the strength to finally reveal his feelings to her, but the proud beauty mocks the ugly clown. Tonio begs her to be taken seriously, but the whip brings her back to reality. Offended and indignant, he vows revenge.

Silvio appears and begs Nedda to leave her husband and go with him. Tonio hidden rejoices. His anger begins to take revenge. . .

The lovers gently separate, when the enraged Canio unexpectedly appears (Tonio managed to tell him about the infidelity) and attacks Silvio. He manages to escape and Kanyo turns to Nedda: who is her lover ?! When she refuses to answer, Canio pulls out a knife … Peppe stops him, and Tonio tries to calm him down: for sure, the stranger will show up at the evening show and expose himself. Everyone except Canio is in a hurry. The audience is waiting! Canio is broken. The scariest thing is that he should put on clown’s suit and entertain the audience, hiding his pain: “Laugh, clown, at your grief …”

Second act

The play has just begun. Visitors enter, including Silvio. Nedda, collecting money, warns him of the danger. The audience is impatient, but, finally, the curtain rises …

The stage is set as a small room. Colombina (Nedda) dreams of Arlecchino, while her husband, Pagliaccio, is not at home. Arlecchin’s serenade can be heard in the distance. Servant Tadeo (Tonio) enters. Columbine is alone. He dares to tell her about his love, supporting the confession with a food basket …

Arlecchino appears in the window. He throws out the Columbine fan, but still entrusts him with guarding. The lovers start with the dinner, but the frightened servant announces the enraged Clown (Canio) who enters, looking for his wife’s lover …

Pagliaccio‘s rage is no longer an acting game. The words with which Columbine sent Arlecchino are almost the same as those of Nedda during the parting with the unknown … Canio, obsessed with jealousy, asks Nedda to say her lover’s name. Nedda is still trying to save the play and makes fun of Pagliaccio through play. Canio swears that he will wash away the shame with blood – the audience applauds enthusiastically. He asks for the name for the last time, but Nedda is proudly silent. Viewers notice that something is wrong – but Nedda has already been stabbed. Silvio runs to the stage trying to save her, but he is also stabbed … People are horrified. The frantic Canio in tears and pain throws the knife shouting – “The Comedy is over.”