ПАЛЈАЧИ – РУЏЕРО ЛЕОНКАВАЛО

Ruggero Leoncavallo
“Pagliacci”
(opera)
7.2.2024,

Conductor: Bisera Chadlovska
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:

Choir Master: Gjurgjica Dashikj, Jasmina Gjorgjeska

Light design: Milcho Alexandrov

Piano accompanist: Elena Siljanoska, Janinka Nevcheva, Andreja Naunov,

Jordan Petrushevski

Stage Managers: Ljupcho Polizov, Dragan Kostadinovikj, Marko Pavlevski

Prompters: Nevena Georgieva

SOLOISTS

Canio / Pagliaccio: Zoran Sotirov

Nedda / Colombina: Dashira Ameti Krliu / Nade Talevska

Tonio / Taddeo: Marjan Jovanoski
Peppe / Arlecchino: Dejan Stoev
Silvio: Vasko Zdravkov

The choir and orchestra of the National Opera and Ballet

(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.”