Post by B on Feb 24, 2021 1:08:22 GMT -5
“Pagliacci”: Classic tale of the tears of a clown
By Melinda Bargreen
Special to The Seattle Times
Originally published January 6, 2008 at 12:00 am Updated January 17, 2008
www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/pagliacci-classic-tale-of-the-tears-of-a-clown/
"Life and art are invariably intertwined, but seldom as closely as in the opera "Pagliacci" (Clowns).
Ruggero Leoncavallo's opera about fatal jealousies in a traveling troupe of actors."
----
"Life and art are invariably intertwined, but seldom as closely as in the opera “Pagliacci” (Clowns).
Ruggero Leoncavallo’s opera about fatal jealousies in a traveling troupe of actors was based on a real-life story:
a case encountered by Leoncavallo’s father, who was a police magistrate in Naples.
The incident — concerning a middle-aged actor who murdered his unfaithful actress wife onstage during a performance — clearly inspired the story of the opera.
Opera composers don’t often write their own libretto, but it looks like this case lit a creative spark in Leoncavallo.
His 1892 opera — short, gritty, and boasting one of the great tenor arias of all time (“Vesti la giubba”) — is a perennial audience favorite,
and it takes the stage at McCaw Hall on Saturday evening for an eight-performance Seattle Opera run that concludes Jan. 26.
“Pagliacci” is a big favorite among is a big favorite among tenors, too, who have built juicy careers around the central role of the clown who’s crying on the inside.
The fabled tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921) also found a close intersection between life and art. His 11-year relationship with Ada Giachetti, who bore him two children,
was almost as tempestuous as the plot of “Pagliacci”; Ada was unfaithful to Caruso, and she finally ran off with his chauffeur (the two of them later unsuccessfully
sued Caruso). The tenor once wrote that as he sang the role of Canio in “Pagliacci,” he wept genuine tears thinking of his own unfaithful lover.....
.....In “Pagliacci,” as the traveling troupe begins its play, Canio (the clown) is consumed with jealousy because he has overheard his wife, Nedda,
plan an assignation with a lover (Silvio), whose identity Canio doesn’t yet know.
The play they’ll perform, whose plot has a wife scheming to deceive her husband, is a bit too close to real life.
As Canio’s character demands to know the name of his wife’s lover, he stops acting and addresses her for real:
Canio sings of how he rescued Nedda as an orphan, cared for her, loved her, and now she has betrayed him.
The audience applauds this brilliant “performance,” not realizing that Canio isn’t acting.
Furious, he finally draws his dagger and stabs Nedda, demanding the name of her lover, and she calls on Silvio for help;
when Silvio rushes in, Canio stabs him, too. Shattered, he turns to the audience and proclaims: “La commedia è finita!” (The comedy is ended.)
It’s powerful stuff. Those two hours (including an intermission) will be over in a twinkling. Bring your hankies."
---------------------
Dave Davies: Death of a clown -live-
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jka8Suyp-5k
A song about a "run-away flea" from the flea circus (think of 'beetle')
In their appearance on Shindig or Hulabaloo, Dave Davies showed up wearing a dress,
suggesting that the 'flea' may have been disguised as a woman to make good his escape from the circus.
---------------
comment on "Paul iachi moe": The Rotten Apple series by iamaphoney mentions a signature of Paul McCartney which is - phonetically - a reversal of McCartney's
name, which comes out - when written - as "Ian Iachimoe" which is pretty close to I am iachimoe.
It made me think of "Paul Iachimoe" . Pagliacci is pronounced "Paulie ought chee"
Bit of a stretch, I suppose, but then.... Who knows?
By Melinda Bargreen
Special to The Seattle Times
Originally published January 6, 2008 at 12:00 am Updated January 17, 2008
www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/pagliacci-classic-tale-of-the-tears-of-a-clown/
"Life and art are invariably intertwined, but seldom as closely as in the opera "Pagliacci" (Clowns).
Ruggero Leoncavallo's opera about fatal jealousies in a traveling troupe of actors."
----
"Life and art are invariably intertwined, but seldom as closely as in the opera “Pagliacci” (Clowns).
Ruggero Leoncavallo’s opera about fatal jealousies in a traveling troupe of actors was based on a real-life story:
a case encountered by Leoncavallo’s father, who was a police magistrate in Naples.
The incident — concerning a middle-aged actor who murdered his unfaithful actress wife onstage during a performance — clearly inspired the story of the opera.
Opera composers don’t often write their own libretto, but it looks like this case lit a creative spark in Leoncavallo.
His 1892 opera — short, gritty, and boasting one of the great tenor arias of all time (“Vesti la giubba”) — is a perennial audience favorite,
and it takes the stage at McCaw Hall on Saturday evening for an eight-performance Seattle Opera run that concludes Jan. 26.
“Pagliacci” is a big favorite among is a big favorite among tenors, too, who have built juicy careers around the central role of the clown who’s crying on the inside.
The fabled tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921) also found a close intersection between life and art. His 11-year relationship with Ada Giachetti, who bore him two children,
was almost as tempestuous as the plot of “Pagliacci”; Ada was unfaithful to Caruso, and she finally ran off with his chauffeur (the two of them later unsuccessfully
sued Caruso). The tenor once wrote that as he sang the role of Canio in “Pagliacci,” he wept genuine tears thinking of his own unfaithful lover.....
.....In “Pagliacci,” as the traveling troupe begins its play, Canio (the clown) is consumed with jealousy because he has overheard his wife, Nedda,
plan an assignation with a lover (Silvio), whose identity Canio doesn’t yet know.
The play they’ll perform, whose plot has a wife scheming to deceive her husband, is a bit too close to real life.
As Canio’s character demands to know the name of his wife’s lover, he stops acting and addresses her for real:
Canio sings of how he rescued Nedda as an orphan, cared for her, loved her, and now she has betrayed him.
The audience applauds this brilliant “performance,” not realizing that Canio isn’t acting.
Furious, he finally draws his dagger and stabs Nedda, demanding the name of her lover, and she calls on Silvio for help;
when Silvio rushes in, Canio stabs him, too. Shattered, he turns to the audience and proclaims: “La commedia è finita!” (The comedy is ended.)
It’s powerful stuff. Those two hours (including an intermission) will be over in a twinkling. Bring your hankies."
---------------------
Dave Davies: Death of a clown -live-
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jka8Suyp-5k
A song about a "run-away flea" from the flea circus (think of 'beetle')
In their appearance on Shindig or Hulabaloo, Dave Davies showed up wearing a dress,
suggesting that the 'flea' may have been disguised as a woman to make good his escape from the circus.
---------------
comment on "Paul iachi moe": The Rotten Apple series by iamaphoney mentions a signature of Paul McCartney which is - phonetically - a reversal of McCartney's
name, which comes out - when written - as "Ian Iachimoe" which is pretty close to I am iachimoe.
It made me think of "Paul Iachimoe" . Pagliacci is pronounced "Paulie ought chee"
Bit of a stretch, I suppose, but then.... Who knows?