“Cavalleria rusticana” by Pietro Mascagni ♡

Rustic Chivalry

Premiere / date of written: 17 May 1890

Considered one of the defining works of Italian verismo, Cavalleria rusticana premiered on May 17, 1890, at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. Its intense drama, memorable melodies, and vivid portrayal of passion, jealousy, and revenge brought Mascagni immediate international success. Since the 1890s, the opera has frequently been paired with Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci in the celebrated double bill known as “Cav/Pag.”

Libretti

Italian–English side-by-side translation

#	Language	Authors
1	Italian	Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti, Guido Menasci
2	English
3	Russian	Юрий Георгиевич Димитрин

original libretto
side-by-side of the original libretto

History

1890 April 11 — Italian composer Pietro Mascagni's "Cavalleria rusticana" received one of its early performances in Rome following its successful premiere earlier that year.
1890 May 17 — Mascagni's "Cavalleria rusticana" (often translated as "Rustic Chivalry") received its world premiere at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome.
2018 September 7 — San Francisco Opera season opened with a double bill of Mascagni’s "Cavalleria Rusticana" and Leoncavallo’s "I Pagliacci".

Images

Notable videos

Renata Tebaldi sings Voi Lo Sapete

Renata Tebaldi sings "Voi Lo Sapete" (Cavalleria Rusticana) Mascagni

Audio recordings

Year	Cast	Conductor, Opera chorus and orchestra	Label, Comment	Buy
1934	Santuzza — Iva Pacetti, Turiddu — Beniamino Gigli, Alfio — Mario Basiola, Lucia — Giuseppe Nessi	Leone Paci La Scala Orchestra and Chorus, Milan	Audio CD: Opera D'Oro OPD-9009
1953	Santuzza — Maria Callas, Turiddu — Giuseppe Di Stefano, Alfio — Rolando Panerai, Lucia — Ebe Ticozzi, Lola - Anna Maria Canali	Tullio Serafin La Scala Orchestra and Chorus, Milan	Audio CD: EMI CD Cat: 7243 5 56287 2 5	$14.14
1962	Santuzza — Victoria de Los Angeles, Turiddu — Franco Corelli, Alfio — Mario Sereni, Lucia — Corinna Vozza, Lola — Adriana Lazzarini	Gabriele Santini Rome Opera Orchestra and Chorus	Audio CD: EMI CD Cat: 72438-19968-2-9	$19.05
1976	Santuzza — Julia Varady, Turiddu — Luciano Pavarotti, Alfio — Piero Cappuccilli, Lucia — Ida Bormida, Lola - Carmen Gonzales	Gianandrea Gavazzeni National Philharmonic Orchestra London Voices	Audio CD: Decca Classics Cat: 00289 414 5902	$9.56
1983	Santuzza — Elena Obraztsova, Turiddu — Plácido Domingo, Alfio — Renato Bruson, Lucia — Fedora Barbieri	Georges Prêtre La Scala Orchestra and Chorus, Milan	Audio CD: Philips 416 137-2	$14.58

Video recordings

Year	Cast	Conductor, Opera chorus and orchestra, Director	Label, Comment	Buy
1983	Santuzza — Elena Obraztsova, Turiddu — Plácido Domingo, Alfio — Renato Bruson, Lucia — Fedora Barbieri	Georges Prêtre La Scala Orchestra and Chorus, Milan Franco Zeffirelli	DVD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: DG 073 4033	$23.95