Cavalleria Rusticana/ Pagliacci

These inseparable operas deal with passion, jealousy and murderous revenge in close-knit Italian communities. Franco Zeffirelli's inspired films give us superb location shots of the Sicilian countryside in Cavalleria Rusticana and in Pagliacci the action is convincingly moved to the inter-wars years. The distinguished casts include Teresa Stratas - eloquently moving as the vulnerable Nedda, torn between a young lover and older husband - and Placido Domingo, carefree yet intense as Turiddu and unforgettable in conveying the inner torment of Canio.