South African soprano Vuvu Mpofu makes her Seattle Opera debut as Violetta in LA TRAVIATA. She concludes her big Act 1 scena with a kind of vocal duel with Alfredo (Dominick Chenes): although Violetta is trying to re-commit herself to a life of hedonism, pleasure, and shallow, meaningless sex, she can’t seem to get Alfredo’s love-cry out of her head, despite her high E-flat! Carlo Montanaro conducts the orchestra of Seattle Opera. Sunny Martini, photo.

VUVU MPOFU as Violetta

Diego Torre makes his Seattle Opera debut singing Canio in PAGLIACCI. The Mexican-born tenor lives in Sydney, Australia, where he often sings at Opera Australia. At the strange performance of the show-within-a-show that concludes PAGLIACCI, the audience cheers his speech guilt-tripping his wife for cheating on him; they don’t realize that he isn’t acting. “Love so blinded me, I hoped that if you didn’t love me, at least you could take pity. I demanded of myself every sacrifice. I believed in you more than I believed in God! But your soul is rotten at the core. You have no heart—only a body, burning with lust. You are not worth this pain. You’re nothing but vulgar trash.” “Bravo!” Carlo Montanaro conducts Diego Torre, Monica Conesa, and the chorus and orchestra of Seattle Opera. Photo by Philip Newton.

DIEGO TORRE as Canio

Tenor John Marzano returns to Seattle Opera to sing Beppe/Harlequin in PAGLIACCI. As the likeable clown Harlequin, Marzano sings a pretty little serenade to Colombina in the show-within-a-show, pizzicato strings standing in for the sound of his prop lute, before that show-within-a-show goes completely off the rails. Carlo Montanaro conducts the orchestra of Seattle Opera. Photo by Sunny Martini.

JOHN MARZANO as Harlequin

Monica Conesa as Nedda and Michael J. Hawk as Silvio blend their voices in the supremely steamy love duet at the center of PAGLIACCI. The two are at pains to figure out where their relationship is going: Silvio wants Nedda to leave her husband, the jealous and violent Canio, and start a new life with him. But she is unsure what to do. Carlo Montanaro conducts the orchestra of Seattle Opera. Photo by Sunny Martini.

PAGLIACCI Love Duet

Baritone Michael Chioldi returns to Seattle to sing Prologue/Tonio/Taddeo in PAGLIACCI.  As Tonio he declares his love for Nedda (while her husband is at the bar), saying that “Even though everyone thinks I’m ugly and ridiculous I have a loving heart, I desire love the same as everyone else.” When she rejects him with mocking laughter, love turns into hate—and the horrifying conclusion becomes inevitable. Carlo Montanaro conducts the orchestra of Seattle Opera. Photo by Sunny Martini.

MICHAEL CHIOLDI as Tonio

Fresh off his Seattle Opera debut (as Fiorello in THE BARBER OF SILVIO) baritone Michael J. Hawk sings Silvio in PAGLIACCI. This hot young village stud romances Nedda, wife of Canio, when she returns to his village: "Why did you bewitch me only to abandon me without mercy? Why give me your kiss with such scorching passion? Even if you’ve forgotten what happened between us, I can’t, I want to experience such love again." Carlo Montanaro conducts the orchestra of Seattle Opera. Photo by Philip Newton

MICHAEL J. HAWK as Silvio

Soprano Monica Conesa makes her US and Seattle debuts as Nedda in PAGLIACCI. In the wild love duet from Act One she reassures Silvio that she hasn't forgotten him: "The love in your eyes still captivates me. I want to see that look always, that look that binds me to you. I give myself to you, you alone rule over me. I take all of you, and abandon myself…" Carlo Montanaro conducts the orchestra of Seattle Opera. Photo by Philip Newton.

Monica Conesa as Nedda

Soprano Monica Conesa, a native of Florida, makes her US and Seattle debuts as Nedda in PAGLIACCI. Trapped in a marriage to a man she does not love, Nedda in the aria “Stridono lassù” idealizes the freedom of the birds, who can “wander the roads of heaven, follow a fantasy, and disappear amid golden clouds.” Carlo Montanaro conducts the orchestra of Seattle Opera. Photo by Philip Newton.

MONICA CONESA sings Nedda's aria

Diego Torre makes his Seattle Opera debut singing Canio in PAGLIACCI. At the center of the show he sings one of the most affecting arias ever written, the cry of a clown whose heart is breaking: “Put on your costume and white-face; the people paid, they want to laugh. And if Harlequin steals your Columbina, laugh, Pagliaccio, and everyone will applaud. Turn your anguish and tears into jokes; into a silly face your heartbreak and sorrow. Laugh, Pagliaccio, laugh at your shattered life. Laugh at the misery which is poisoning your heart.” Carlo Montanaro conducts the orchestra of Seattle Opera. Photo by Philip Newton.

DIEGO TORRE sings “Vesti la giubba”

The audience for the show-within-a-show, in Act 2 of PAGLIACCI, grows rowdy and impatient waiting for the curtain to go up. When a performer rings a bell to indicate it’s (finally) time to begin, the audience all scream “Silenzio!” (Silence) at each other, seemingly reluctant to follow their own advice. Carlo Montanaro conducts the orchestra of Seattle Opera. Photo by Philip Newton.

PAGLIACCI: “On with the show!”

Founded in 1963, Seattle Opera is a leading American opera company. The company presents the classics of the European repertoire as well as new works of American opera. Frequent productions of Wagner's RING, beginning in 1975, established the company's worldwide reputation. Seattle Opera usually presents five opera productions each year.

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