Ridi pagliaccio di pavarotti biography

Aria from the opera Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo

"Vesti la giubba" (Italian:[ˈvɛstilaˈdʒubba], "Put on the costume", often referred to as "On With the Motley", from the original 1893 translation by Frederic Edward Weatherly) is a tenoraria from Ruggero Leoncavallo's 1892 operaPagliacci.

"Vesti la giubba" is sung at the conclusion of the first act, when Canio discovers his wife's infidelity, but must nevertheless prepare for his performance as Pagliaccio the clown because "the show must go on".

Ridi pagliaccio di pavarotti biography

The aria is often regarded as one of the most moving in the operatic repertoire of the time. The pain of Canio is portrayed in the aria and exemplifies the entire notion of the "tragic clown": smiling on the outside but crying on the inside.

This is still displayed today, as the clown motif often features the painted-on tear running down the cheek of the performer.

Enrico Caruso's recordings of the aria, from 1902, 1904 and 1907, were among the top selli