Review: Cavalleria rusticana and Aleko at The Lowry Theatre*

A scene from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and Aleko by Rachmaninov

[Ad-gifted] Last night we were back at The Lowry in Salford Quays for an Opera North double bill of Cavalleria rusticana by Mascagni and Aleko by Rachmaninov.

These two operas are both short and were written during the youth of Mascagni and Rachmaninov. They are both similarly telling the tale of jealous lovers and both end with the typically operatic tragedy and are performed with a lot of musical score from the orchestra and with a large ensemble cast. When two shorter Operas are performed in one evening, I always feel that this kind of production is the perfect introduction for newcomers to the opera.

Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and Aleko by Rachmaninov

What I thought of Opera Cavalleria rusticana and Aleko 

Opera North are renowned for their creativity and often modern approach in the reimagining of many of the operas they produce and last night was no different. Both operas starting with Cavalleria rusticana and ending with Aleko, were written by famous composers and both during the latter part of the last century (1890 and 1892 respectively), they were successful at their birth and when retold with bold and exciting costumes and sets, like last night, you are shown how with fresh eyes you can create a completely new look to these traditional operas.

Last night I was sat the farthest forward I have had the privilege to sit during my time reviewing at The Lowry. It was a magical experience being able to stand and look down at the orchestra, because there are plenty of times that you forget you are listening to live music when you normally can’t always see them! But let me tell you more about the first opera, Cavalleria rusticana composed/written by Mascagni who wrote it as a competition entry in 1890!

A scene from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and Aleko by Rachmaninov

Cavalleria rusticana; set in what seemed to be the 1970s, tells the story of Turiddù (Andrés Presno) who is married to Santuzza (Giselle Allen) and doted upon by his mother Lucia (Anne-Marie Owens). However, we learn of his lover Lola (Helen Évora), married to Alfio (Robert Hayward). Alfio eventually learns of his wife’s infidelity through the cunning and despairing wife of Turiddù, Santuzza, whose voice sent chills down my spine, especially when she dueted with Presno’s Turiddù.

Alfio becomes jealous and like with many an opera, once he finds out his envious rage leads to tragedy. It was a poignant story dramatically told and one of the things that stood out, was how Lucia, Turiddù’s mother stayed on stage throughout the whole opera. She was like the lingering mother who knew of all of her son’s misfortunes, bad decisions and infidelity – was ashamed by it but still too proud to confront him and continued to stand by him at all costs – her being kept on stage allowed the audience to interpret her emotions in this way and made her presence so significant and compelling.

A scene from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and Aleko by Rachmaninov

After the interval, we saw…

Aleko (composed by Rachmaninov), based on Gypsies a poem by Pushkin that has gone on to inspire a great number of operas over the years. Last night Aleko was interpreted into what could have been a time between the 1960s and 1990s – it was hard to distinguish with the mix of costumes and the idea of free that was portrayed. The ensemble cast definitely gave the feel of the culture you might find within nomadic communities that might host fairs or travelling markets etc. The lead character Aleko (Robert Hayward) is entering into this unusual community from the outside and is drawn to the mysterious woman Zemfira (Elin Pritchard) who feels free to love who she chooses and takes up a younger lover (Andrés Presno), however, Aleko is jealous and ultimately their fates do not end well.

Pritchard’s voice as Zemfira was so enchantingly beautiful. Her father’s character played by Matthew Stiff was new to the stage (due to not being in the first performance) whose voice rumbled across the room, truly stood out and was accompanied by much of the same cast as in Cavalleria rusticana, who were adorned by slightly different attire and in most cases longer hair!

A scene from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and Aleko by Rachmaninov

The whole night was amazing, but I write this review with a strange and contrary evaluation. Although I really enjoyed the evening overall, I was also left slightly confused. I loved the way Opera North used some effective set production for both performances with Cavalleria rusticana being strikingly simple and yet eerily effective using mainly beige and browns, and the effective addition of a little Fiat that took centre stage during part of the performance. In contrast, Aleko was detailed and busy, with chaos, creating immersive visuals that added so much depth to the performance beyond just the music/singing. It was filled with low hanging crazy lights all different, and one that was moon-shaped.

A scene from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and Aleko by Rachmaninov

However, both stories were supposed to be separate, written by two different composers and telling two different stories but once the first one-act opera of Cavalleria rusticana had finished we had a break and returned to Aleko, where some of the characters from Cavalleria rusticana featured in Aleko like they were appearing in the form of dreams of flashbacks. In some ways this could be seen as clever, imagining that the character Aleko comes from far away and is actually Alfio – renamed and reborn as Aleko.

I am not sure… but regardless these were both beautifully performed short operas and my friend (who accompanied me last night) and I had a wonderful time. We were also equally impressed by the ensemble that filled the room with enchanting music combined with the ultra-talented Opera North Orchestra.

A scene from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and Aleko by Rachmaninov

Cast and Creatives for both operas

by Mascagni
Cavalleria rusticana

Cast

Santuzza – Giselle Allen
Turiddù – Andrés Presno
Alfio – Robert Hayward
Lucia – Anne-Marie Owens
Lola – Helen Évora

A scene from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and Aleko by Rachmaninov

Creatives

Conductor – Antony Hermus & Harry Sever
Director – Karolina Sofulak
Set and Lighting Designer – Charles Edwards
Costume Designer – Gabrielle Dalton
Movement Director – Tim Claydon

A scene from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and Aleko by Rachmaninov

by Rachmaninov
Aleko

Cast

Aleko – Robert Hayward
Zemfira – Elin Pritchard
Young Lover – Andrés Presno
Baboushka – Anne-Marie Owens
Zemfira’s Father – Matthew Stiff

Creatives

Conductor Antony Hermus & Harry Sever
Director Karolina Sofulak
Set and Lighting Designer Charles Edwards
Costume Designer Gabrielle Dalton
Movement Director Tim Claydon

A scene from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and Aleko by Rachmaninov

How much are the tickets and how long is the show?

Tickets are priced from £23 to £72. Through the Try it ON scheme, newcomers to opera can also enjoy some of the best seats in the house with two tickets for £20 each at Leeds, Manchester and Nottingham. Under 30 or a full-time student? Tickets are only £10 with Opera North’s Under 30s membership.

Cavalleria rusticana will be sung in Italian with English titles with a running time of approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes while Aleko will be sung in Russian with English titles with a running time of approximately 1 hour.

How do I book tickets to watch these shows?

To book tickets please call The Lowry at 08432086000 or via their website here.

A scene from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and Aleko by Rachmaninov

What are the timings?

The show will be running on Wed, 20 March and Friday, 22 March 2024. Show will start at 7pm on both dates and there will be an Audio Described performance on the Friday.

Where will the performance be held?

The Lowry
The Lyric Theatre
Pier 8
The Quays
Salford
M50 3AZ
Manchester
Tel: 0843208 6000

A scene from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and Aleko by Rachmaninov

Notes:

• The Lowry welcomes all visitors regardless of their disability and strives to meet all individuals needs where possible.
• They welcome assistance dogs.
• The Lowry website is fully accessible and features BrowseAloud.  Browsealoud adds speech, reading and translation support, facilitating access and participation for those people who need support reading print, dyslexia, low literacy, mild visual impairments and those with English as a second language. To use this feature, simply click on the grey ear logo located in the footer.
• If you are driving to the show, we would recommend for you to park at The Lowry Outlet which is opposite the theatre, but be aware as there is lack of signage from the car park area to the theatre, so best to ask someone or use google maps to find your way.

  Pre paid car parking tickets can be purchased up to 24 hours prior to your performance. Please note they are unable to sell pre paid tickets on your performance date, and you will need to pay at the ticket machines in the car park. The tickets can be booked at the same time as your seats via their website, or over the phone on freephone 0343 208 6000. The cost is £6.50. This allows you to park for the day.

A scene from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and Aleko by Rachmaninov

About The Lowry Theatre

The Lowry is a registered charity committed to using visual and performing arts to enrich people’s lives. They present audiences with a diverse programme of theatre, opera, musicals, dance, music, comedy and visual art as well as events and activities to expand the horizons of audiences and artists alike.  At the heart of their work is a commitment to the local communities and young people. Tapping into the work on their ur stages and in their galleries, they offer thousands of free creative participation opportunities each year. They are passionate about nurturing talent, developing creative professionals of the future and raising aspirations.

About Opera North

Opera North is a national opera company based in Leeds, and is a leading UK arts organisation. Rooted in the North of England, international in outlook, they create extraordinary experiences, every day.  Their award-winning work tours to theatre stages and concert halls throughout the North and beyond, including to London and major international festivals, and they curate an eclectic artistic programme of gigs, concerts, spoken word and film in the Howard Assembly Room. Their aim is to make bold, innovative, ambitious work and share it in new ways. Opera North believes opera and music is for everyone and champions diversity in artists, repertoire and audiences. Opera North Education connects with communities and inspires each generation, aiming to enhance the health and well-being of people in the communities where we work through arts participation and performance.  Opera North is grateful for the generous support of Arts Council England and Leeds City Council, sponsorship from the private sector, trusts and individuals, the Friends of Opera North, the Opera North Future Fund and the box office income from its audiences, which allows us to continue to mount our award-winning work.

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Photo Credit: The Lowry /Opera North/Tristram Kenton