Mascagni Cavalleria rusticana MELODY MOORE · BRIAN JAGDE · LESTER LYNCH MDR LEIPZIG RADIO CHOIR · DRESDNER PHILHARMONIE MAREK JANOWSKI Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945) 17 A casa, amici (Chorus) 2. 36 Comare, Lola (Turiddu, Lola) Cavalleria rusticana (1890) 18 Viva il vino spumeggiante — Brindisi (Turiddu, Lola, Chorus) 2. 13 Opera in one act 19 A voi tutti salute (Alfio, Turiddu, Lola, Chorus) 4. 33 Libretto: Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti & Guido Menasci 20 Mamma, quel vino è generoso (Turiddu, Lucia) 5. 23 Turiddu? Che vuoi dire? (Lucia, Santuzza, Donne) 1 Preludio 2. 13 2 Siciliana (Turiddu) 4. 55 Total playing time: 66. 06 3 Introduzione 2. 15 Santuzza Melody Moore, Soprano 4 Gli aranci olezzano sui verdi margini (Chorus) 3. 59 Turiddu Brian Jagde, Tenor 5 Dite, mamma Lucia (Santuzza, Lucia) 4. 11 Lucia Elisabetta Fiorillo, Contralto 6 Il cavallo scalpita (Alfio, Chorus) 1. 30 Alfio Lester Lynch, Baritone 7 Beato voi, compar Alfio (Lucia, Alfio, Santuzza) 0. 50 Lola Roxana Constantinescu, Mezzo-soprano 8 Regina Coeli laetare (Chorus) 0. 53 Donna I Anna Rad-Markowska, Soprano 9 Ineggiamo, il Signor non è morto — Preghiera (Chorus, Santuzza, Lucia) 5. 03 Donna II Manja Raschka, Contralto 10 Voi lo sapete, o mamma (Santuzza, Lucia) 5. 11 11 Tu qui, Santuzza? — Duetto (Turiddu, Santuzza) 4. 27 MDR Leipzig Radio Choir Fior di giaggiolo (Lola) Jörn Hinnerk Andresen, Chorus Master 12 Son giunto ora in piazza (Turiddu, Lola, Santuzza) 2. 23 Ah! Lo vedi – Duetto (Turiddo, Santuzza) Dresdner Philharmonie 13 No, no, Turiddu (Santuzza, Turiddu) 4. 36 Wolfgang Hentrich, Concertmaster 14 Oh! Il Signore vi manda – Duetto (Santuzza, Alfio) 1. 06 Andreas Henning, Assistant Conductor 15 Turiddu mi tolse l’onore – Duetto (Santuzza, Alfio) 3. 45 16 Intermezzo sinfonico 3. 05 Conducted by Marek Janowski Santo diavolone! learns about a competition for the best one-act opera from a newspaper. Within The bizarre saying says a lot about the work. two months, he completes and submits The words appear several times; in the prose his score." (Eduard Hanslick) Edoardo version by Giovanni Verga (1840-1922), in Sonzogno (1836-1920), the resourceful head the spoken theatre version by the same of the eponymous Milan publishing house, author for Eleonora Duse, but no more in the has announced the prize in order to give libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Italian opera a new impetus after Verdi, and Guido Menasci for Pietro Mascagni's one- instead of Wagner. The conditions: an opera act piece Cavalleria rusticana. Holy great in only one act, and only fresh composers devil! The 26-year-old composer may have with no opera experience may apply. Of the proclaimed this himself when he woke up in 70 works submitted to the 1888 competition the morning of 18 May 1890 and had literally (a total of four took place between 1883 risen overnight from a nameless brass band and 1902), Cavalleria rusticana won first master to a celebrated star composer. prize and was premiered a few weeks later in Rome at the Teatro Costanzi with renowned The story is told quickly. Mascagni, a baker's performers. The duration of the applause is son from Livorno, is studying at the Milan said to have corresponded approximately Conservatory thanks to a generous relative, to the duration of the performance of but "Pietro is bored of the dry study; he the music. Within a year, the opera was spreads his wings, wanders from place to known throughout Europe – long before the place as the conductor of a travelling opera invention of radio and gramophone. troupe and finally gets stuck in the small town of Cerignola as conductor of the local town band... Mascagni accidentally Marek Janowski © Felix Broede 4 5 Different from Wagner and the singing by coherent melody. performance in one act. Instead, Cavalleria as a densely packed prelude. Almost every On 4 February 1891, Cosima Wagner wrote to The audience had long known from Don rusticana is a little tragedy, a real village two bars, the music changes character, Houston Stewart Chamberlain from Berlin: Giovanni, Fidelio and Der Freischütz that this tragedy with wild passions and a bloody volume, rhythm; new performance "… what I experienced here – Cavalleria union was possible, that sung melodies are outcome. In a Sicilian village, the young instructions and accentuations are rusticana – disgusted me." How was she actually more moving than declamation, innkeeper Turiddu fell in love with a flirtatious constantly introduced. Nevertheless, an supposed to like what penetrated her own and that the full sound of choirs and beautiful girl, Lola, before he was called to acoustic red carpet emerges, which arouses deepest wounds (in the 1860s, she had ensembles is dramatically far more powerful the battlefield. Returning from the army, an enormous curiosity for what is to come. betrayed and eventually abandoned her than the stubborn singing of one individual he finds her as the wife of the wagoner A love song follows, sung by Turiddu, a husband, conductor and pianist Hans von after the other. Under the tyranny of Alfio and seeks comfort in the arms of the returning soldier and "gambler who bets Bülow, through her love affair with Richard Nibelungen music, however, some had passionately loving Santuzza. But Lola knows with more than he has" (Giovanni Verga). Wagner)? On top of that, it was presented forgotten about this truth or even fought how to lure the Turiddu back into her nets. In Sicilian dialect, he sings from afar about with a garish, downright overpowering against it. Now people remember it again, He pushes Santuzza away, who now, driven his Lola, the bride who eagerly awaits him directness that Frau Wagner had never believe in it again. This is the indisputable by jealousy, reveals to Alfio the criminal – he believes. The cantilena immediately experienced from her husband, who himself merit of Mascagni and the most salutary relationship of his wife to Turiddu. Alfio takes receives all the support it needs from wasn’t frugal when it comes to expressing effect of his success". These words were revenge on the robber of his honour by killing the orchestra: harp sweetness, trumpet the torments of the soul? An expert who written in 1891 by Eduard Hanslick, to whom him in a knife fight. All this happens on exclamations, vibrating tremolo, charming is as astute as he is eloquent explains: Wagner had wanted to set an inglorious Easter Sunday during the service, in front of strings. "Mascagni has once again honoured a monument with Die Meistersinger von the church." Now the only act of the opera begins, the right and healthy attitude against the Nürnberg. first scene. Mascagni communicates the false, unhealthy principle of Wagner's style: The music begins Sicilian locale without a word. How? With Mascagni has demonstrated that without The plot The drama begins almost tenderly, a swaying Siciliana. That may be a cliché, melody there is no music, and that without As Hanslick phrased his short summary of pianissimo and in an Andante sostenuto one of many in this short opera. But it sung melody there is no opera. Despite the the plot of Pietro Mascagni’s opera so lucidly, tempo, "dolce e religioso". What would works right away. The Siciliana is a genre highly energetic expression of the drama, it is also quoted here: "Everyone expects a become a veritable overture in a full-grown piece that was widespread in the 19th Cavalleria is still dominated by the singing, cheerful or idyllic action from a rural musical opera now takes place within two minutes century and is known throughout Europe. 6 7 Mascagni does not use Sicilian folk songs. because he thinks positively. Nothing is more men of the village linger outside the church. Carmen full of pride and irony, snaps at the He does not strive for music-historical attractive than a positive attitude to life. Santuzza, who wants one thing above all else: competitor and mocks the embarrassed authenticity. Nevertheless, his inventions But she is deceived. The mutual jealousy simply to belong, leads the choir in the fourth fool who misbehaves between the two appeal to the heart. Is that what makes has rekindled the love of the former couple, scene. Her fervent personal plea for God's women. Lola has barely disappeared – into them verismo? In its character, the opening Turiddu and Lola. Santuzza falls by the help mixes with the rather sweeping prayers church! – and the dispute between Turiddu chorus is astonishingly reminiscent of the wayside, abandoned, dishonoured. This of the crowd. and Santuzza breaks out again. But, oh Bridesmaids' Choir from Carl Maria von dishonouring of a young woman, who has A fifth person, who could be a mediator and wonder, while the two still talk completely Weber's Freischütz. given herself to a man before marriage and helper in different directions, is introduced past each other in the lyrics, they musically then has to separate from him again, had in the fifth scene: Lucia, Turiddu’s mother. unite to form the most moving love duet. Santuzza, what's to become of her? and has a fatal consequence in Sicily, a place But she remains helpless like a blinded Here, Mascagni creates a remarkable In the second scene we get to know geographically and culturally sometimes mirror, while Mascagni gives Santuzza a motivic reference: to the exact moment in Santuzza. Santuzza is a Sicilian peasant much closer to North Africa than to Central lot of touching, sympathetic music for her the prelude before Turiddu begins his love girl, to whom Turiddu went in search of Europe. Such women are excommunicated, lament. Scenes 6, 7 and 8 unleash the great song on Lola (!). At this point, the plot tilts comfort, after he had to learn that Lola expelled, deprived of their livelihood, dramatic crescendo of the opera.