By Poor Charlie
I attended Opera Italiana is in the Air because I wanted to experience opera outside of a
traditional theater and hear how live music connects with a community space like Central Park. The event, Opera Unbound: A Sunset Serenade, took place on Wednesday, September 24, 2025 and was conducted by Alvise Casellati. The concert was free to the public and featured soprano Leah Hawkins and tenor Murat Karahan. The program included works by Verdi, Puccini, Mascagni, Rossini, and Leoncavallo, the type of composers whose music I had mainly heard only in classroom recordings until now.
Experiencing these pieces live, surrounded by the open evening air and the energy of New York City, immediately changed my sense of how powerful opera can be. The concert took place outdoors in Central Park, where the fading daylight gave way to a
glowing sunset behind the trees. The natural acoustics and casual setting created a relaxed yet powerful atmosphere. Unlike the formality of an opera house, this performance felt accessible, welcoming families, tourists, and music lovers who gathered on picnic blankets and folding chairs. Just as the performance began, a brief rain interrupted the event, one of the unpredictable challenges of outdoor concerts. Once the rain passed, the orchestra resumed playing, and the shift in the audience’s focus made the music feel even more meaningful. The blend of nature, weather, and music made the experience intimate and memorable.
The evening’s program featured selections from Verdi’s Aida and Giovanna d’Arco, Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, Rossini’s William Tell and La Gazza Ladra, and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. Each piece showcased a different musical world, from Verdi’s dramatic vocal lines to Rossini’s energetic overtures. While the entire program was strong, the emotional centerpiece for me was Vesti la giubba, performed by Murat Karahan. Hearing this aria live in an open-air setting made its intensity feel even more immediate. The sound carried across the park as the sky darkened, amplifying the drama of the moment.
Ruggero Leoncavallo, the composer of Pagliacci, was born in Naples in 1857 and became one of the founders of the verismo movement, a style that brought realism to opera by focusing on ordinary life, raw emotion, and the darker sides of human experience.Å Vesti la giubba occurs at the end of Act I, when Canio, a clown in a traveling troupe, must prepare to perform immediately after discovering his wife’s infidelity. The iconic line “Put on the costume” symbolizes his need to hide his pain behind the mask of performance. The music builds through chromatic tension and a powerful crescendo that mirrors his emotional collapse.
Historic recordings by Caruso, Pavarotti, and Domingo helped establish its legendary status. Seeing these interpretations made me appreciate how each tenor highlights different emotional colors within the same piece. Murat Karahan’s interpretation that evening was heartfelt and compelling. His voice projected easily through the outdoor space, carrying Canio’s anguish with clarity and strength. The final cry of “Ridi, Pagliaccio!” (“Laugh, clown!”) felt haunting in the open air. Compared to historic
recordings, Karahan’s version felt more spontaneous, less polished, perhaps, but intensely human. Because the concert was amplified in the outdoor setting, the sound had a different presence than in a traditional theater, yet it enhanced projection without diminishing the emotional effect.
Conductor Alvise Casellati led an orchestra made up of musicians from the Metropolitan
Opera, the New York Philharmonic, and conservatories such as Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music. The ensemble played with precision and warmth, supporting the singers without overpowering them. Leah Hawkins’s performance of Verdi’s “Ritorna vincitor” from Aida was especially moving, her voice full and dynamic against the backdrop of the park. The balance between Hawkins and Karahan created a natural dialogue throughout the evening.
The performers’ attire was formal but not overly rigid, matching the event’s accessible tone. Their brief introductions to each piece made the concert feel personal and welcoming. The audience responded enthusiastically, especially after Vesti la giubba, and the final ovation was loud and well deserved. What stood out most was the combination of professionalism and openness. While the musicians were exceptional, the outdoor setting and inclusive atmosphere allowed the music’s emotional truth to shine. Leoncavallo’s verismo ideals of honesty, vulnerability, and human connection came alive through both the performances and the surrounding environment.
Opera Italiana is in the Air was one of the most memorable live performances I’ve attended. It proved that opera can move beyond the theater and still retain its power to captivate and connect. Hearing Vesti la giubba live under the evening sky revealed the timeless humanity of Leoncavallo’s music. I would gladly attend another performance by the Opera Italiana Orchestra. Their combination of artistry, authenticity, and outreach made this event not just a concert but a celebration of emotion, culture, and community.
Å Background information on Leoncavallo and the verismo movement summarized from Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Metropolitan Opera Archives.
Works Cited.
Budden, Julian. The Operas of Verdi, Vol. 3: From Don Carlos to Falstaff. Oxford University Press, 1992.
Caruso, Enrico. “Vesti La Giubba (1907 Recording).” Library of Congress – National Recording
Preservation Board,1907. https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservationboard/documents/ Caruso.pdf.
Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. “Ruggero Leoncavallo.” Accessed October 2025.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ruggero-Leoncavallo.
“Leoncavallo, Vesti la giubba from Pagliacci.” ProfessorCarol.com, 14 June 2024.
https://professorcarol.com/2024/06/14/leoncavallo-vesti-la-giubba-pagliacci/.
Leoncavallo, Ruggero. Pagliacci: Score and Libretto. Ricordi, 1892. “Luciano Pavarotti Sings Vesti lagiubba.” YouTube, uploaded 15 Apr. 2009.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0PMq4XGtZ4.
Metropolitan Opera. “Pagliacci.” Accessed October 2025.
https://www.metopera.org/discover/synopses/pagliacci/.
“Opera Profile: A Look at Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci.” OperaWire, 2024. https://operawire.com/operaprofile-a-look-at-leoncavallos-pagliacci/.
“Pagliacci.” Metropolitan Opera, Education & Archives Page, 2025.
https://www.metopera.org/discover/education/educator-guides-archive/cavalleria-rusticanapagliacci/.
“Pagliacci and Vesti La Giubba – The Million Selling Record!” The Italian Tribune.
https://italiantribune.com/pagliacci-and-vesti-la-giubba-the-million-selling-record/.
“Ruggero Leoncavallo.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, 27 Mar. 2025.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ruggero-Leoncavallo.
“Vesti La Giubba Lyrics, Translation, History, and More.” LiveAbout, Qaiss Media, 1 Jan. 2024.
https://www.liveabout.com/vesti-la-giubba-lyrics-translation-history-and-more-4057473/.
“Vesti la giubba – Tenor Aria from Pagliacci.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, last modified 10 Oct. 2025.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesti_la_giubba.
YouTube. “Luciano Pavarotti Sings Vesti la giubba.” Accessed October 2025.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0PMq4XGtZ4.
