The premiere of Pietro Mascagni’s “Cavalleria rusticana” in May of 1890 is a landmark in the history of opera. It was an enormous success, ostensibly marking the beginning of operatic verismo, and it was also praised for reenergizing a tradition the Italians felt had been languishing for some time. Mascagni composed the work as an entry for the second competition for a new one-act opera sponsored by the Milanese publisher Edoardo Sonzogno in 1888.

This history is well known, as is the fact that Mascagni made substantial cuts to his opera while it was being prepared for performance at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. The reasons for these cuts are manifold. They appear in every number except for the Preludio and the Intermezzo and fall into three categories: those tightening the tempi, those reducing the more demanding chorus’ parts, and those accommodating transpositions requested at the last minute by the protagonist singers Gemma Bellincioni and Roberto Stagno. All cuts are included in the appendix of “Cavalleria rusticana”, the second volume of the series “Masterpieces of Italian Opera.” (MIO)

Editorial Policy・Criteri editoriali
Abbreviations・Abbreviazioni
Sources・Fonti
Preface・Introduzione
Facsimiles・Facsimili
Cast
Libretto
Critical Commentary
Cavalleria rusticana
Appendices・Appendici