CAVALLERIA RUSTICINA, A HEARTFELT LOVE STORY

Cavalleria Rusticina is an opera played in one act written by Pietro Mascagni. It is an award winning love poetic story that was composed in 1890. It is a heartfelt love story about a love affair that goes sour leaving the audience overwhelmed with sadness. The performance is spectacular with a perfectly set design and attractive costumes. The story is engaging, easy to follow and very interesting. The actors are well poised and have wonderful voices and perform their roles with much passion.  Cavalleria Rusticina has a lot of entertaining melodies and hymns.

HISTORY

Cavalleria Rusticinawas composed in the late 19th century and has gone on to become one of the worlds' most popular and loved plays ever performed. It's about two lovers who are separated by distance but brought together by fate. Although they both have different partners, they have an affair which ends up destroying both their lives and their partners'. It also results to the death of one of the characters, Turiddu.

Act 1

The play starts with Turiddu who is the main character swiftly singing about his former fiancée who is now Alfio's wife. He has returned from military service only to find his fiancée Lola married to someone else. This really breaks his heart and he decides to take revenge by seducing a young peasant village girl named Santuzza. As the Opera continues, Lola gets jealous of Santuzza and begins having an affair with Turiddu. They have to keep hiding their relationship from both their partners and the villagers.

On the feast of Easter, Turiddu's singing is heard from one corner of the church a few meters from his mothers' wine shop. As some villagers move around the village while singing others enter the church as they hymn to the blessed virgin.

Act 2

Santuzza becomes aware of Turridu's infidelity and goes looking for her handsome knight at his mothers' wine shop. Lucia, his mother, tells her that she had sent him to another town to fetch some wine. Before Santuzza could tell her of the whereabouts of her son, Alfio, Lolas' husband shows up asking for some wine. Lucia informs him of the situation at hand and he claims to have seen Turiddu early that morning near his cottage. The two women leave to join the choir outside the church.

Act 3

The villagers finish the mass and head to their homes. Turiddu is seen expressing vigorous excitement because he is with his one and only love, Lola. He and his friends head to his mothers' wine shop and sing a drinking song. Alfio joins them, not to drink with them but fight with Turiddu for Lolas' love.

Epilogue

The fight leads to Turiddu's death. On announcement of the news of Turridu's, Santuzza faints and Lucia collapses in the hands of the village women.

MAIN ROLES

Santuzza, A peasant girl, soprano

Turiddu, Lola's lover, bass-baritone

Lucia, Turiddu's mother, soprano

Alfio, Lola's husband, bass

Lola, Turiddu's lover, baritone.