Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci

Opera in Italian language with German surtitles.

Mascagni's sensational success Cavalleria rusticana is about the social customs of Sicily, to which Turridu falls victim. He is denied a marriage with Lola, whom he loves, so he has fun with Santuzza, who loves him, and gives her a promise of marriage. But Lola is not happy in her marriage with Alfio, so she starts an affair with Turridu. Santuzza learns of this and, hurt by this disgrace, hints to Alfio that Lola is unfaithful. Alfio immediately suspects who the adulterer is and provokes Turridu to a duel.
In Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, Canio's theater troupe announces an evening of comedy. But discord reigns within the group. Canio does not trust his young wife Nedda without reservation, a fact that the scheming Tonio, who has his eye on her, knows how to exploit. He discovers Canio that Nedda is actually cheating on him. While the troupe is now playing a comedy, the line between the role of the cuckolded Pagliaccio and the murderous Canio becomes blurred.