A landmark of verismo opera, Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci will be performed on June 5 and 6 at the Dmitri Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre as part of the touring programme by the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. 

The opera tells the tragic story of Nedda, a beautiful woman pursued by three men: her jealous husband, a passionate lover, and a rejected admirer. The tale ends in heartbreak and death, with two characters killed and the lives of the others irreparably shattered. Leoncavallo based the libretto on a real criminal case involving a double murder driven by jealousy—his father had worked on the case as a judge. Pagliacci became a verismo manifesto, showcasing the intense emotions and everyday dramas of ordinary people.

The Russian premiere of the opera took place at the Mariinsky Theatre just a year after its world premiere—in November 1893. The Primorsky Stage production premiered on December 24, 2021. Directed and designed by Marat Gatsalov, a prominent figure in Russian dramatic theatre and a Golden Mask Award winner, the production is noted for its bold, experimental approach. Costume design is by Elena Turchaninova, a graduate of the Krasnoyarsk Art College and the Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinematography. A Golden Mask laureate herself, Turchaninova is a long-time collaborator with the Krasnoyarsk Pushkin Drama Theatre.

Notably, on June 5, the role of Nedda will be performed by soprano Aliona Diyanova, a soloist of the Primorsky Stage. Krasnoyarsk audiences remember her powerful portrayal of Princess Turandot in the February 2025 premiere of Puccini’s opera, a role she will reprise on June 20.

The tour of the Mariinsky Theatre’s Primorsky Stage has been made possible thanks to the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Krasnoyarsk Region and the federal Big Tours programme organized by ROSCONCERT under the Russian Touring and Concert Plan of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.

Tickets for Pagliacci are available at the theatre box office (phone 227-86-97, open daily from 10 AM to 8 PM), on Krasopera.ru, and via regional ticketing platforms.