Leoncavallo’s one-act verismo opera I Pagliacci is based on the true-life murder of a family servant by two jealous brothers infatuated with a village girl.
Opera in Cannes is rare. Occasionally, it appears in the grander Palais des Festivals.
Libéri Cantori was created in 2007 by a group of passionate opera lovers, aiming to plug this deficiency. They regularly perform operas and concerts in the Holy Trinity Church in Cannes. Despite a big concert at the Palais at the same time, the church was packed. This was the most insightful Pagliacci I have ever seen. It has great acoustics.
The skilled use of the large spaces was superb together with outstanding three singers and a wonderful conductor/pianist and inspired direction secured a memorable production, the likes of which I have never seen before.
A brilliant video is projected. It gives the audience the acting characters’ backstory. Canio and Tonio are brought up in poverty in the backstreets of Naples. They resort to petty crime, are imprisoned, released, ending up as trapeze artists in a circus. Canio finds Nedda as a little girl in rags, buys her with a dosh of cash from her grandmother. She joins the trapeze act. Canio, much older than Nedda, marries her. We follow the caravans of travellers, appearing in a different town every night. Canio falls off his trapeze, can no longer perform, and becomes the touring Commedia del Arte clown. Canio is jealous and violent, Tonio loves Nedda and is evil. Fiction clashes with reality – Nedda is trapped so when she and Silvio fall in love, they plan their escape. Canio finds out and murders Nedda and Silvio onstage during a performance. ‘La Commedia é finita’ Tonio declares, exultant.
During this immersive performance, characters appear from everywhere. Voices used to singing from the stage, with an orchestra in between, sound much louder here than one expects. French baritone Jean-Christophe Brun as Tonio starts his Prologue from the side, eventually dominating the stage. He is a huge man, with a wonderful big booming voice. Not someone to mess with. The legato in ‘un nido di memoria’ is stunningly beautiful.
64-year-old Italian tenor Luca Lombardo as Canio, holding a knife, bursts onto the stage. Insanely jealous, his eyes dart everywhere in suspicion. Lombardo is a truly dramatic tenor. His career was based in Europe, including La Scala, singing all the star roles – Hoffman, Roméo, Faust, Cavaradossi, Manrico, Alfredo. He is still at the top of his game – ‘un tal guoco, credetemi’ is exciting, but at the same time full of menace. We have no doubt he will use the knife if provoked. He is a violent brute. Top notch singing and a privilege to hear at close quarters.
Having sung Violetta and Tosca, French lyric soprano Cécilia Arbel as Nedda looks and sounds perfect. ‘Stridono lassù’, sung behind a backdrop of birds crossing the sky is heart-warming. She must escape from the two brutes dominating her. It is sung with such poignancy, one feels sorry for her, trapped in a cage. She has a generous warm voice with lovely phrasing and pianissimi. She is very slim. Happily, the fat lady rarely sings anymore!
French baritone Frédéric Cornille as Silvio has a light, attractive. ‘Decidi il mio destin’, and the following duet with Nedda are moving. Tonio overhears it, vindictively bringing Canio to confront Nedda.
Film at the back of the stage takes over showing Canio drinking heavily in his caravan, remembering his past with Nedda. This makes what follows more powerful than usual. Appearing from the audience, Lombardo sings a faultless and exciting ‘vesti la giubba’. As Canio sings ‘no, Pagliaccio non son’, Tonio evilly hands Canio the knife to murder Silvio and Nedda. La Commedia is definitely finita.
With such high-level singing and acting from the leading performers, this Pagliacci will return. Take the opportunity to see touring opera wherever you can. You will be rewarded.
Venue: Libéri Cantori (Cannes, France)
Music by Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857-1919)
Libretto Ruggero Leoncavallo
Conducted from the piano by Sergio Monterisi
Directed by Guy Bonfiglio
Video Jean-Charles Mourey
Photo Credit Jean-Marc Angelini
Cast includes Luca Lombardo, Cécilia Arbel, Jean-Christophe Brun, Frédéric Cornille, Jean-Charles Mourey
Running time 1 hour 20 minutes