Life is short and most operas long. Here’s something, however, for those who can’t face a three-hour angst fest. Opera North has embarked on an autumn season of Little Greats, six punchy one-act pieces that are being matched differently each night.
Not only that, but you book each show separately. Two slightly awkward side-effects to that: the auditorium has to be cleared and tickets rechecked during the intervals, and there’s always the chance that punters will pay only for the operas they already know.
I certainly found myself sitting next to different people after the interval on Saturday. That was a shame because both pieces in this opening double bill are equally recommendable, although very different.
For Leoncavallo’s greasepaint-and-adultery thriller Pagliacci, conducted with