from Act I of the Italian opera
I Pagliacci by Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Libretto: Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Role: Canio, the head of a performing troupe, married to Nedda (Pagliaccio in the play)
Voice Part: tenor Fach: spinto tenor
Setting: The entrance to a village, Calabria, Italy, 1860s
Synopsis: Canio sings that, although his love has betrayed him and his heart is broken, he must go on and show a cheerful face to the world.