Cavalleria rusticana at Hungarian State Opera

Cavalleria Rusticana (Rustic Chivalry) by Pietro Mascagni (1863–1945), a one-act opera set in a Sicilian village, is considered to be the key work of Italian Verismo, introducing contemporary characters, people with poor backgrounds from the lower social strata onto the stage.

At the world premiere in Theatre Costanzi in Rome on May 17, 1890 Mascagni received endless standing ovations and Cavalleria Rusticana triumphantly flew around the world. This inspired the then almost unknown Ruggiero Leoncavallo (1857-1919) to compose an opera in the same style – and for him too the world premiere of Pagliacci (The Clowns) in Theatre dal Verme in Milan on May 21, 1892 led to immediate success. Common to both titles is the topic of passionate love and deadly jealousy leading to murder.

Shortly afterwards, it became the fashion to present both works together as a single performance. The first combined staging in Prague was by Angelo Neumann on May 14, 1893 at the New German Theatre (now the Prague State Opera).

Authors

• Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti
• Guido Menasci
• Pietro Mascagni