CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA

"CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA"

 

opera in one act

P. Mascagni

libretto by Giovanni Tardzhoni-Tozzetti and Guido Menashi

on the novel by Giovanni Verga

 

Characters:

 

Santuzza

Turiddu 

Alfio

Lola 

Lucia 

History

In the end of 70s of the 19th century, a new creative direction appeared in Italy, whichdefended the position of merciless truthfulness and reflection of the reality of life, with all itscruel realities and unrealizable romantic illusions. For writers of Verist, the most faithful literarygenre was the novel, in the center of which is a person who is doomed to a joyless existence.The operas by Italian composers Pietro Mascagni “Cavalleria Rusticana” and RuggieroLeoncavallo “Pagliacci” became the most prominent representatives of musical verismo.Following the writers ’creative experience, the composers of the Verist also turned to the realdepiction of life.Both operas are written in a very concise one-part form.

 

The main attention of thecomposers was given to the personal dramas of their heroes, and moreover conveyed by “bright,screaming tones”: no subtexts, just facts.

 

The premiere of the one-act operas by P. Mascagni “Cavalleria Rusticana” and R. Leoncavallo “Pagliacci” on the stage of the Abay Kazakh State Academic Opera and BalletTheater took place in 2018.

A creative group from Italy was invited to stage the performances:the director was Lorenzo Mariani, the set designer, the costume designer - William Orlandi, thelighting designer - Roberto Venturi and the choreographer - Luciano Cannito. Musical directorwas the Honored worker of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Askar Buribaev.It is noteworthy that in the 70s of the twentieth century in the Abay KSATOB the opera by R. Leonkavallo “The Pagliacci” was performed by with legendary singers: Rosa Dzhamanova (Nedda), Vasily Yakovenko (Canio), Arthur Amonov (Tonio), Kurmanbek Murzabekov (Silvio). The conductor was the People’s Artist of Kazakhstan Bazargali Zhamanbayev.

 

The opera was written in 1890 in Rome. It also brought worldwide fame to its creator. TheItalian name of the opera “Cavalleria Rustic” in translation sounds cruel and ironic. After listeningto the opera, every viewer will see how dishonest is the behavior of almost all the characters.Pietro Mascagni himself, working with the original literary source of the writer Giovanni Verga, inthe opera’s musical material softened the characters.