Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci (The Metropolitan Opera) on AllMovie

The Metropolitan Opera mounted this April 5, 1978 production of two one-act operas, presented here back-to-back as halves of the same double bill: Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. The former stars Plácido Domingo as Turiddu, Tatiana Troyanos as Santuzza, Jean Kraft as Lucia, Vern Shinal as Alfio and Isola Jones as Lola. The latter stars Sherrill Milnes as Tonio, Domingo as Canio, Arthur Apy and Domenico Simeone as Villagers, Teresa Stratas as Nedda and James Atherton as Beppe. Both productions were created by Franco Zeffirelli, and feature symphonic accompaniment by The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, under the baton of James Levine and the choral direction of David Stivender. Zeffirelli designed the sets and costumes, and Fabrizio Melano directs for the stage