from Prologue of the Italian opera
I Pagliacci by Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Libretto: Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Role: Tonio, a performer in the troupe (Taddeo in the play)
Voice Part: baritone Fach: dramatic baritone
Setting: In front of the curtain
Synopsis: Tonio steps out in front of the curtain apparently in the middle of the overture to explain why the composer wrote the opera as he did. He then goes on to say that the drama that the audience will view is not merely a play, but a real story with actors that have real feelings.