We’ve
spent quite a bit of time over the last few years looking at examples of music
in movies. But what about TV sitcoms? The popular 1990s show Seinfeld was created by Larry David and
Jerry Seinfeld to follow the whacky life of a stand-up comedian living in New
York. I’ve always enjoyed watching re-runs of this show, but it wasn’t until
recently that I stumbled across the episode titled “The Opera” and realized
that classical music can show up anywhere!
In
this episode, Jerry and his friends get tickets to see Ruggero Leoncavallo’s
opera Pagliacci. Elaine initially
plans to take her boyfriend, Joe Davola, until he begins calling her “Nedda,”
making false claims that she’s cheating on him, and trapping her in his
apartment. Later, Joe Davola dresses up as Canio the clown from Pagliacci and Kramer gives him a ticket
to the opera, not realizing his identity. During the final scene of the
episode, Jerry reads off the cast list, including the role of Nedda. Elaine’s
face reveals her horror as she suddenly realizes Joe Davola’s plan for his own
Nedda (Elaine). The ending credits then role, playing the aria “Vesti la
giubba” from Pagliacci, instead of
the usual Seinfeld theme.
How
is this significant, you may wonder? In Leoncavallo’s opera, Canio the clown
plays the part of Pagliacci in a performance. During the show, he stabs his
wife Nedda and her lover in a fit of rage and jealously. Joe Davola relates to
Canio, while he sees Elaine as the doomed Nedda.
What
classical music connections have you noticed in other TV sitcoms?
