Kostulas_A1
Kostulas_A1
Ruggero Leoncavallo is an italian opera composer who has composed several works of art. Pagliacci is an Italian opera with two acts, containing music and libretto by Leoncavallo. Pagliacci is the last Leoncavallo opera that is still performed throughout the world. Pagliacci translates to The Clowns and was published in 1892, as a two act performance. I thought it was a brilliant show because it was based off of a true story. This story goes back and forth with reality and fantasy, which was Leoncavallo’s whole message, realism. Leoncavallo's father was a judge, taught his son about this murder case so he took the true story and made it into a story. The only issue there was, the story got taken to the next level affecting his real life with the story.
Once the curtain rises, Tonio, who is the fool, explains to the audience about having an open mind about clowns. He explains about their apperance and yet they have real feelings like us humans too. The opera takes place in a small village in Calabria. The first act consists of four actors out at the tavern having a good time except for their friend Tonio. Canio has a wife, Nedda, who is cheating on him with Tonio. Nedda feels so guilty due to her unfaithfulness to her husband which leaves her in remorse. Her affair with Tonio has been going on for awhile, and tries to set herself free while singing a song with a bird. The bird symbolizes Nedda’s freedom which she doesn’t quite have with Silvio. Canio hears her singing about her passion of another lover and threatens her with a dagger but it is time to perform so they get ready instead.
Act Two is when the play really begins with their actual character names. The play mirrors what is going on in real life and what is happening in the play. Nedda's character plays as Colombina and her husband is Pagliacci. When she cheats on Pagliacci, he senses it and becomes suspicious. This relates to real life events because so many people have gotten cheated on with their spouse and don’t know right away or never even figure it out. The audience really gets a feel for Canio’s pain, by seeing his white paint on his face, that is not paint but the feeling of emptiness and suffering. The crowd was severely moved by this scene and saw the real life connections between these people. The audience also realizes that it isn’t just a play, its real life events. Canio stabs Nedda’s and her lover Silvio. At the end all the audience hears is is Canio saying, “The comedy is over.” This gives the crowd chills. This in fact was one of the most remarkable chilling lines in Opera to this this day. It is ironic because clowns are seen as funny and joyful in society but behind their mask they are pale and emotionless. Sometimes painting a picture on your face of you smiling is a way to just get by, but inside you’re dying. The clowns face is white not by makeup but by the way he was neglected and tore apart to feel no emotion. The end is evident in the static musical symbols for clowns: Canio's motive of doubt and the motive representing the love of Nedda and Silvio. In this opera I discovered the act of betrayal, irony, jealousy, and freedom.
The music in this opera contains a series of multiple of instruments being played, some include; The orchestra consists of flutes, trumpets, clarinets, trombones, harps and more. The music is very beautiful and shapes the scene as well as connects with the audience.
The questions comes into play, could this be a video game? I would have to disagree to it not being one to a certain extent. Of course in a video game there will and can be extreme violence and murders, but not always do people gain a video games characters true and real connection to them. Most likely while someone's playing a video game their in competition trying to win but they don't experience real emotions as humans. People that do like violent games could enjoy this as a video game if they like comedy, romance and murdering.
The opera was heart touching and remarkable. It was the first opera to ever be recorded and took significant amount of fame as well as fans. It was an opera performed world wide which people enjoyed to go see, like it was a big deal. The fact of it being a true story really lets the audience understand and connect with the feelings of the real life character.
This opera was a very heart touching show. The characters played their roles portraying true human emotions. The clown did an excellent job with his act connecting to the audience his feelings as a "happy clown." This opera is still being performed and throughout the years it has always been an opera people have died to see.
Work Cited:
https://www.thoughtco.com/pagliacci-synopsis-724280
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