What is Cavalleria rusticana?
{{italictitle}} [[File:Stagno and Bellincioni in Cavalleria Rusticana.jpg|thumb|Stagno and Bellincioni as Tiriddu and Santuzza in the first performance, 1890]] '''''Cavalleria rusticana''''' is an [[Italy|Italian]] [[opera]] in one act. The music was written by [[Pietro Mascagni]]. The story and words ([[libretto]]) were written by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci. The opera was based on a play by Giovanni Verga. The opera was first performed in [[Rome]] on May 17, 1890. The work marked the start of the [[verismo]] style in Italian opera. It is often paired with [[Ruggero Leoncavallo]]'s opera ''[[Pagliacci]]'' to make a full evening. Both operas are just a little over one hour each. Name: The name means '[[rustic]] [[chivalry]]' or 'chivalry of (people in) the [[countryside]]'. ==Characters== * Santuzza, ''a peasant girl'' ([[soprano]]) * Turiddu, ''a young villager'' ([[tenor]]) * Lucia, ''his mother'' ([[contralto]]) * Alfio, ''a carter'' ([[baritone]]) * Lola, ''his wife'' ([[mezzo-soprano]]) ==Sources== * Anderson, James. 1993. ''The Complete Dictionary of Opera & Operetta''. Wings Books. * The Earl of Harewood. 1989. ''Kobbe's Illustrated Opera Book''. Putnam's. {{ISBN|0-399-13475-1}}. pages 110-112. {{DEFAULTSORT:Cavalleria rusticana}} [[Category:1890s operas]]