THIS composer is too contemporary to be discussed freely. He has done no great amount of work, and fame came to him in his youth. "Cavalleria Rusticana" is his supreme performance, and there is in it a promise of greater things.
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA[A]
(Rustic Chivalry)
CHARACTERS OF THE OPERA
Santuzza.
Lola.
Turiddu.
Alfio.
Lucia.
Peasants.
The story is of peasant people in a small Sicilian village, on an Easter day.
Composer: Pietro Mascagni.
Authors: Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci.
First sung at Rome, May 20, 1890.
ACT I
One fine Easter morning, in a small Italian village, a fop, named Turiddu, came along the little street singing of Lola, an old sweetheart, who, since Turiddu went to serve his required term in the army, had married a wagoner. Turiddu was far from heartbroken, because when he returned and first heard of Lola's faithlessness, he straightway fell in love with a worthier girl—Santuzza. Neither Lola nor Turiddu was a faithful sort, but lived for a good time to-day, leaving luck to look after to-morrow; but it was not the same with Santuzza. She truly loved Turiddu, and being an Italian peasant, very emotional and excitable, it was going to be dangerous for Turiddu to ill-treat her.