Pagliacci

It’s opera time in Mérida: at the beautiful José Peón Contreras Theater the curtain will rise on “Pagliacci” with the Symphony Orchestra of Yucatán, conducted by Juan Carlos Lomónaco. This opera tells the tragic story about a very jealous husband in a theatrical company; it was written by the composer Ruggero Leoncavallo and first performed in 1892 at the Dal Verme Theater in Milan.

The cast in the Mérida performance will include: the tenor Rodrigo Garcíarroyo who will play the lead role of Canio (Pagliaccio); the soprano Marcale Chacón as his wife Nedda (Colombina); the baritone Guillermo Ruíz as Tonio (Taddeo); the tenor Miguel Ángel Mena as Peppe (Arlecchino) and as Silvio, the baritone Enrique Ángeles.

“Pagliacci” is one of the most performed operas in the world, whose dramatic end moves every attendee with its famous circus scene inside the same theatrical play, one of the most ingenious moments in this genre. The role of Canio (Pagliaccio), the main character in the opera, has been played by various renowned tenors including Enrico Caruso, Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti.

-Vesti la giubba-
Ridi, Pagliaccio,
sul tuo amore infranto!
Ridi del duol, che t’avvelena il cor!

The most famous aria from the opera is “Vesti la giubba” (Put on your costume), at the end of the first act, where the clown Canio discovers his wife’s infidelity; but he must go on stage, the show must go on! It is so famous that it has been part of several different movies and TV shows, even in cartoons such as The Simpsons. The musical group Queen uses a piece of this aria in their song “It’s a hard life.”

If you want to know why this opera is so famous, come to one of the performances in Mérida; the dates are June 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24, at 8 pm in the home of the Symphony Orchestra, the José Peón Contreras Theater (at the corner of Calle 60 and Calle 57, Centro). Enjoy!

For more info:
Orquesta Sinfónica de Yucatán
www.sinfonicadeyucatan.com.mx
FB: Orquesta Sinfónica de Yucatán

By Natalia Bejarano Calero