We’re diving into timeless arias from Pietro Mascagni’s opera Cavalleria Rusticana.
Cavalleria Rusticana follows Turiddu, a soldier in a Sicilian village, whose affair with Lola – now married to Alfio – ignites a web of jealousy. When his spurned lover, Santuzza, devastated by his betrayal, eventually reveals the affair to Alfio in her pain and anger, it sets the stage for a fatal duel.
I have to draw your attention to Franco Zeffirelli’s film adaptation. Zeffirelli ranks among my favorite directors – he’s the genius behind Callas Forever, which honestly deserves its own essay. Beyond his film work, he staged numerous productions at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. His Cavalleria Rusticana transports you straight into a provincial village in Sicily, Italy: those sweeping shots of the countryside, the authentic church processions, the electric chemistry between the singers – it’s all terrific. This movie also features two wonderful singers, Elena Obraztsova and Placido Domingo. #TimelessArias
You can watch full movie here:
Here are Antonio Pappano’s thoughts on the opera:
Cavalleria Rusticana was featured in Godfather III – maybe the only redeeming quality of this movie (though I am a Godfather I and II fan).
An intermezzo is an instrumental orchestral piece played midway through, with the stage empty.
