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- Mascagni, Pietro
Duration: 7 minutes
Description: Italian for “rustic chivalry,” CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA a one act with music by Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945) and a libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, is adapted from a short story and play by Giovanni Verga. It is considered one of the classic verismo (Italian for “realism”) operas, which depicts life not among royalty or the Gods but among the average contemporary man and woman and focuses on their problems. Written in two months for a composition competition, and submitted on the last day, Mascagni’s was one of three operas among seventy three selected for a premiere in Rome. CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA depicts a young soldier’s return to his home town, and the subsequent affairs, jealousies, and duels to the death that result from pursuit of new and old lovers. The opera premiered on May 17, 1890, at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. The two choral moments, Easter Hymn (“Regina coeli”) and “Inneggiamo, il Signor non è morto,” unfold during the village’s Easter procession and celebration, acting as a dramatic core of the work. Along with the Intermezzo, these are among the most frequently performed excerpts from the opera. Instrumentation: 2+2(Piccs).2.2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(1): Org: Str (4-4-3-3-3 in set): Soli Duet (S-CA): Mixed Chorus. Reprint edition.