Cavalleria rusticana was the first opera composed by Mascagni and is certainly the best known of the sixteen composed by the composer from Livorno (in addition to Cavalleria rusticana, only Iris and L'amico Fritz have remained in the stable repertoire of the main opera companies). Its success was enormous from the first time it was performed at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome, on 17 May 1890 and it has remained so into the twenty-first century. In 1888 the Milanese publisher Edoardo Sonzogno announced a competition open to all young Italian composers who had not yet had one of their works performed. Participants had to write a one-act opera, and the three best productions (selected by a jury made up of five important Italian musicians and critics) would be performed in Rome at Sonzogno's own expense. Mascagni, who at the time lived in Cerignola, where he directed the local musical band, learned of this competition only two months before registration closed and asked his friend Targioni-Tozzetti, poet and professor of literature at the Naval Academy of Livorno, to write a booklet. Targioni-Tozzetti chose Verga's Cavalleria rusticana as the basis for the opera. He and his colleague Guido Menasci worked by correspondence with Mascagni, sending him verses on postcards. The work was completed on the last day valid for registration in the competition. In all, seventy-three operas were examined and on 5 March 1890 the jury selected the three operas to be performed in Rome: Labilia by Nicola Spinelli, Rudello by Vincenzo Ferroni, and Cavalleria rusticana by Pietro Mascagni. The story takes place in Vizzini, a small village in Sicily. At dawn on Easter Sunday, a serenade dedicated to Lola, wife of Alfio, a carter, is heard in the town. Slowly the town wakes up and everyone prepares for the day of celebration; Lucia, Turiddu's mother and owner of a tavern, prepares the wine for the celebrations that will take place after the mass. Santuzza, fiancée of her son, goes to her; at the woman's invitation to enter her house, the girl refuses her, revealing a bitter truth: Turiddu betrays her. Before leaving for military service, the boy had promised himself to Lola; however, the period of military service was prolonged and the woman, tired of waiting, married Alfio after a year. Upon his return, out of spite, Turiddu had then become engaged to Santuzza, but subsequently took advantage of Alfio's absences to resume a clandestine relationship with Lola. Lucia does not believe Santuzza's words, but their conversation is interrupted by the initial procession of the mass. Shortly afterwards Turiddu himself arrives and greets his fiancée; the latter, now exasperated, accuses him of his constant betrayals, but he initially denies it and then angrily tries to end the conversation. The argument is interrupted by the arrival of Lola herself, who provokes Santuzza by singing a song dedicated to her beloved; the two go to church together, while Santuzza, at the height of desperation, places a curse on Turiddu. Then Alfio appears and asks Santuzza where his wife is; she, incautiously, tells him that she went to mass with Turiddu and reveals the whole affair to him, regretting it immediately afterwards. Alfio swears revenge and runs away. Shortly afterwards the mass ends and everyone goes to Lucia's tavern, where they sing joyful toasts to the joys of life. Alfio returns, to whom Turiddu offers a glass of wine; he disdainfully refuses, and everyone understands that he wants to challenge his rival to a sword fight. The women take Lola and Santuzza away, while Turiddu, with the excuse of hugging Alfio, bites his ear: with this gesture he accepts the challenge. Turiddu knows he is in the wrong and would allow himself to be killed to atone for his guilt, but he cannot leave Santuzza alone, dishonored by her betrayal, so he will fight with all her strength. Alfio arranges to meet him in a nearby vegetable garden to duel. Turiddu prepares for the duel: before going he greets Lucia, recommending that she act as a mother to Santuzza if he does not return, then runs away. Lucia only then understands how true Santuzza's words were; while the two women embrace, a murmur is heard coming from afar and shortly afterwards Lola screams that Turiddu is dead, throwing everyone into despair. (By Wikipedia)
This too is one of my biggest opera compositions and your writing of its pure greatness and length made me love it more and more. Thank you so much for the time you spent on your literary piece.
Fantastic Instrumental Tito.
Thank you so much sincerely.
Cavalleria rusticana was the first opera composed by Mascagni and is certainly the best known of the sixteen composed by the composer from Livorno (in addition to Cavalleria rusticana, only Iris and L'amico Fritz have remained in the stable repertoire of the main opera companies). Its success was enormous from the first time it was performed at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome, on 17 May 1890 and it has remained so into the twenty-first century.
In 1888 the Milanese publisher Edoardo Sonzogno announced a competition open to all young Italian composers who had not yet had one of their works performed. Participants had to write a one-act opera, and the three best productions (selected by a jury made up of five important Italian musicians and critics) would be performed in Rome at Sonzogno's own expense.
Mascagni, who at the time lived in Cerignola, where he directed the local musical band, learned of this competition only two months before registration closed and asked his friend Targioni-Tozzetti, poet and professor of literature at the Naval Academy of Livorno, to write a booklet. Targioni-Tozzetti chose Verga's Cavalleria rusticana as the basis for the opera. He and his colleague Guido Menasci worked by correspondence with Mascagni, sending him verses on postcards. The work was completed on the last day valid for registration in the competition. In all, seventy-three operas were examined and on 5 March 1890 the jury selected the three operas to be performed in Rome: Labilia by Nicola Spinelli, Rudello by Vincenzo Ferroni, and Cavalleria rusticana by Pietro Mascagni.
The story takes place in Vizzini, a small village in Sicily. At dawn on Easter Sunday, a serenade dedicated to Lola, wife of Alfio, a carter, is heard in the town. Slowly the town wakes up and everyone prepares for the day of celebration; Lucia, Turiddu's mother and owner of a tavern, prepares the wine for the celebrations that will take place after the mass. Santuzza, fiancée of her son, goes to her; at the woman's invitation to enter her house, the girl refuses her, revealing a bitter truth: Turiddu betrays her. Before leaving for military service, the boy had promised himself to Lola; however, the period of military service was prolonged and the woman, tired of waiting, married Alfio after a year. Upon his return, out of spite, Turiddu had then become engaged to Santuzza, but subsequently took advantage of Alfio's absences to resume a clandestine relationship with Lola.
Lucia does not believe Santuzza's words, but their conversation is interrupted by the initial procession of the mass. Shortly afterwards Turiddu himself arrives and greets his fiancée; the latter, now exasperated, accuses him of his constant betrayals, but he initially denies it and then angrily tries to end the conversation. The argument is interrupted by the arrival of Lola herself, who provokes Santuzza by singing a song dedicated to her beloved; the two go to church together, while Santuzza, at the height of desperation, places a curse on Turiddu.
Then Alfio appears and asks Santuzza where his wife is; she, incautiously, tells him that she went to mass with Turiddu and reveals the whole affair to him, regretting it immediately afterwards. Alfio swears revenge and runs away. Shortly afterwards the mass ends and everyone goes to Lucia's tavern, where they sing joyful toasts to the joys of life. Alfio returns, to whom Turiddu offers a glass of wine; he disdainfully refuses, and everyone understands that he wants to challenge his rival to a sword fight. The women take Lola and Santuzza away, while Turiddu, with the excuse of hugging Alfio, bites his ear: with this gesture he accepts the challenge. Turiddu knows he is in the wrong and would allow himself to be killed to atone for his guilt, but he cannot leave Santuzza alone, dishonored by her betrayal, so he will fight with all her strength. Alfio arranges to meet him in a nearby vegetable garden to duel.
Turiddu prepares for the duel: before going he greets Lucia, recommending that she act as a mother to Santuzza if he does not return, then runs away. Lucia only then understands how true Santuzza's words were; while the two women embrace, a murmur is heard coming from afar and shortly afterwards Lola screams that Turiddu is dead, throwing everyone into despair. (By Wikipedia)
This too is one of my biggest opera compositions and your writing of its pure greatness and length made me love it more and more. Thank you so much for the time you spent on your literary piece.