THE VERONA OPERA FESTIVAL - CAVELLERIA RUSTICANA

Cavelleria Rusticana is not part of the 2008 Verona Opera festival programme - click here for the 2008 programme.

THE VERONA OPERA FESTIVAL - CAVELLERIA RUSTICANA

Cavalleria Rusticana partly inspired Pagliacci, and these two examples of 'opera verismo' (opera of truth) are often performed together. These shorter than average plays regularly form a double bill at the Arena di Verona Opera Festival.

With music by Pietro Mascagni and a libretto by Targioni and Tozzetti from a short story by Giovanni Verga, Cavalleria Rusticana (Rustic Cavalry) premiered on 17 May, 1890 at Rome's Teatro Costanzi. You may also know the music from its use in Godfather III.

This opera in one act begins in a Sicilian village, sometime in the late 1800s. It is Easter Day and the townspeople are gathering for Mass at the church. Our characters are Santuzza, a young peasant (soprano); Turiddu, a young farmer (tenor); his mother Lucia (alto); Alfio, a servant (baritone); Alfio's wife Lola (mezzo-soprano).

Santuzza asks Lucia what has become of her lover Turiddu, who has left her for Lola. Lucia says that her son is merely away buying wine, but Santuzza knows better. Lola had been his love before he joined the army, but returned to find her married to Alfio. Angry, he turned to Santuzza, but the jealous Lola then lured him back. Santuzza confronts Turiddu at the church, but he throws her aside and enters the Mass with Lola. A furious Santuzza tells Alfio about his wife's infidelity. Alfio challenges Turridu to a duel with knives (very Sicilian) and the young farmer is slain. The opera ends.