By John von Rhein [Chicago Tribune, 16 February 2009]

Two love-gone-wrong operas might seem an odd choice for a Valentine’s Day opening night, but Lyric Opera of Chicago scored a popular success Saturday night, to judge from the ovations that greeted its double bill of the famed verismo twins: Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana” and Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci.”