Rural honor libretto short. P. Mascagni

P.MASCAGNI

RURAL HONOR

Opera in one act

Libretto by G. Tarjoni-Tozzetti and G. Menashi

based on the play of the same name by G. Verga.

Free translation

YURI DIMITRIN

Saint Petersburg

1987--2001

The opera "Country Honor" (more accurately called "Country Chivalry") marked the beginning of a new direction in opera art - verismo - first staged in 1890 on the stage of the Roman theater "Constanta". She quickly conquered the stages of opera houses in Europe and America. In Russia, it was first presented in Moscow by the forces of the Italian troupe (1891). The first production on the Russian stage - Yekaterinburg, 1891. The opera was filmed (dir. Zefrelli, performers Obraztsova and Domingo).

The text of the opera's libretto for the Russian stage was created in 1987 by order of the Sverdlovsk Opera and Ballet Theatre. However, the play was staged Italian. In 2001, Dimitrin made a significant revision of the text.

Characters:

SANTUZZA - soprano

TURIDDU - tenor

MOTHER LUCIA - mezzo soprano

ALFIO - baritone

LOLA - mezzo soprano

Peasants and peasant women

The action takes place in Sicily

on easter day

At the forefront - Turidu.

Ah‚ Lola‚ you are the bad weather of my life.

Your gaze calls, intoxicates, burning the soul.

Passionate love of your secret happiness.

Like a spring gift from heaven I accept.

I know that our embrace promises me death.

Blind rumor will not forgive us for spring.

But I agree to experience the wrath of fate.

For the sake of moments of sweet sinful paradise.

The area of ​​one of the rural towns of Sicily.

In the depths of the church. A little way off is the osteria and the house of Lucia.

Easter holiday

WOMEN (behind the scenes).

Again on the grass, like tears of repentance,

The young dew lay quietly.

Flew into the sky for flocks of birds

The soul is full of light.

Easter morning song, spring gives, spring gives.

(Women appear on stage.)

MEN (behind the scenes).

The grain woke up, resurrecting to life,

And again, forgetting the vanity, discord and deprivation,

We glorify the day of Resurrection in front of the temple.

(Men appear on stage.)

Feast of Resurrected Hope.

Sounds in the revived heart of saving faith string.

(The area is gradually emptying.)

SANTUZZA (entering). I'm LUCIA to you.

LUCHIA. To me? What do you say?

SANTUZZA. …Turidu is here?

LUCHIA. My God! She always needs Turidu.

SANTUZZA.

Trust me, this is important. I hesitate to tell you... but I found out...

LUCHIA. "I found out..." It's time... not to believe gossip.

SANTUZZA. …Mama Lucia‚ please tell me the truth. After all, the creator himself was honest with Magdalene. For the sake of all three of us, I must know‚.. where‚.. where is your son now‚ where is my Turido?

LUCHIA. Went for wine in the Francophonte.

SANTUZZA. No… He has been seen here tonight.

LUCHIA. Here at night? Turida?

But why would he lie to me?

(Heading towards the door of the house) Come in.

SANTUZZA.

No... I don't dare to enter your house.

After all, everyone knows: I am deprived of communion.

I don't want to embarrass you.

LUCHIA. What did Turidu do that night?

SANTUZZA (to the side).

He plunged a knife into my heart...

(Alfio appears on the square, surrounded by his friends.)

Alfio (clicking with a whip).

My bay is trotting.

My house hid behind my back. -

My scourge clicks, hey-lo!

Is it rain, heat, river, forest -

Beating hooves: tsok-tsok-tsok‚

Know, drive and sing!

And on the way back home

The bay rushes me briskly.

My scourge clicks. (2) Hey lo!

My scourge clicks. (2) Hey lo!

Another day at will -

And back to Lola.

We'd be so lucky!

The night passed, and again -

Know, drive the bay.

Here is the craft!

Here is the craft

ALFIO. My scourge clicks! (2)

FRIENDS. Here is the craft! (2)

We would all be so lucky.

ALFIO. The road leads home

And a husband at the door

A faithful wife is waiting.

Day and night will pass

Tomorrow we meet again

She and I are destined.

Tears the bridle my friend‚

And the heart: tsok-tsok-tsok!

And my scourge clicks - hey-lo! (2)

ALFIO, PARISHOLDERS.

(Alfio's friends leave for church.

Alfio approaches Lucia.)

LUCHIA. I would go to the temple.

Easter holiday, and you are yours: all jokes and laughter.

ALFIO. Better tell me, is there no wine with sourness?

LUCHIA. Calm down! Turidou followed him yesterday.

Turidu is here . (Santuzza overhears the conversation.) When I returned in the morning, I met him at the house.

LUCHIA. In the morning?!

SANTUZZA (hurriedly to Lucia). Be quiet.

ALFIO (leaving).

It would be nice to drink that‚ with sourness…

(Alfio exits. Church choir sounds. Parishioners fill the square.)

PARISHOLDERS.

Let's sing the bright day of resurrection -

The gift of the saving will of the Creator.

The day when both love and forgiveness

The resurrected Son put into our hearts

He, atoning for human sins,

Taught us to love and suffer.

Send down, O holy faith,

His grace is in our souls.

SANTUZZA

(simultaneously with parishioners).

Let's sing the bright day of resurrection.

Mercy, love and forgiveness.

Let's sing a bright day

Illuminated with love

Human hearts.

PARISHOLDERS.

Illuminated hearts.

PARISHIONERS‚ SANTUZZA

Illuminated hearts.

LUCIA, PARISHOLDERS.

He‚ atones for human sins‚

Taught us to love and suffer. (2)

Send down, O holy faith,

His grace is in our souls.

SANTUZZA‚ LUCIA.

Let's sing the bright day of resurrection. (2)

Illuminated with love all human hearts,

Who lit up our hearts with love, who lit up our hearts,

That day ... illumined our hearts.

PARISHINGERS

(simultaneously with Santuzza and Lucia.)

(Soprano)

Let's sing a bright day

Let us sing a bright day that illumined the hearts.

Let's sing the bright day of resurrection (2)

Bright day of resurrection‚

(S.1) illumined hearts.

(S.2.) ..our hearts.

Let's sing a bright day, a day that illumines the hearts!

(Violas)

Let's sing a bright day‚ (2) a bright day‚

Let's sing a bright day‚ (2) bright, bright day,

Who lit up our hearts.

(Tenora 1)

Let's have a bright day. (4)

Let's sing the bright day of resurrection‚ (2)

Our bright day of resurrection, illuminating the hearts,

Let's sing the resurrection, let's sing the bright day

A day that lit up the hearts.

(Tenora 2)

Let's sing, let's sing a bright day.

Let's have a bright day.

Let's sing, let's sing of a bright, bright day

A day that lit up the hearts.

(bass)

Let us sing a bright day, (2) illuminating hearts.

Let's sing the resurrection, bright day.

Oh, let us sing the day of resurrection.

Let's sing, let's sing of the bright day, the day that lit up the hearts.

SANTUZZA, LUCIA, PARISHOLDERS

(People go to church)

Lucia (Santuzza). Why did you give me a sign to keep quiet?

SANTUZZA.

Mom Lucia remember how, going to the soldiers,

to his beautiful Lola he swore his love to Turidu.

And Lola swore to him to be faithful ... and wait - but she got married.

He was smitten with change...

But two years flew by - we found each other.

And he - I swear to you by love - he was happy.

It seemed to me that our love is forever.

But fortune is merciless. Lola was jealous...

And again Lola crept in... crept into Turidu's heart again.

The sin of uncrowned passion has dishonored my honor.

Lola and Turidu are happy! This is my retribution for sin.

Oh god right! I will find out about this on the bright day of resurrection ...

SANTUZZA. Payment for my sin .. Turido with her.

Go to church, I must stay. Waiting for Turida.

I want to last time talk to him‚

The last time his eyes see.

Lucia (leaving for church). Save our souls, holy virgin.

(Turidu appears in the square.

TURIDDU. Are you here‚ Santuzza?

SANTUZZA. Yes‚ here‚ as you can see.

TURIDDU. Decided to go to the liturgy?

SANTUZZA. Oh no. I'm waiting for you here.

TURIDDU. Chose the time.

SANTUZZA. Anyway, answer me...

TURIDDU. Now? …And here?

SANTUZZA. Where were you in the morning?

TURIDDU. The question is ridiculous. In the Francophon.

SANTUZZA. No, this is a lie.

Don't you dare believe me? We have nothing to argue about.

SANTUZZA.

We won't argue... But you still spent that night here.

You were seen in the morning at one o'clock when you left Lola's bedroom.

TURIDDU. …Who …viewed me? You?

SANTUZZA.

No… No‚ Turidou.

You, returning in the morning, I saw Alf (and) o at his house

Do you pay me for love with this lie? You play with death!

SANTUZZA. Me?.. Shut up‚ Turiddu.

TURIDDU. Your language will kill us all.

Your blind jealousy clouded the mind.

Do not invite trouble.

SANTUZZA. …Do you love her?

TURIDDU. …No.

SANTUZZA. Tell me do you love her?

TURIDDU. Enough. I said.

SANTUZZA. You love, you love. It's useless to lie.

TURIDDU. Enough!

SANTUZZA.

Lola's spell has stolen you from me.

Listen, Santuzza. I do not wish

listen to the madness of jealousy stupid

SANTUZZA.

Laugh, trample, insult my soul.

But how can Turiddu forgive treason with a burned heart?

Know that I will not endure it any longer.

You are to blame for our breakup.

SANTUZZA.

Hit, destroy, deal with love.

The heart forgives the pain of humiliation.

But how‚ tell me‚ forgive treason?

Which‚ tell me‚ want retribution?

Blinded your mind‚ and - here is the retribution!

SCENE 7

(Lola appears on the square.)

LOLA‚ The world is so wonderful.

Soul full of happiness

and longs for songs‚ and longs for songs.

Roses bloom in Lola's heart.

Soul full of happiness

and longs for songs.

The world is so wonderful!

Turidu, have you met your husband?

No. We missed each other.

What a pity.

Apparently, he went to give oats to the horse.

He loves her so. (With irony.)

Why don't you take Santuzza to church

TURIDDU. We lingered a little.

SANTUZZA.

They talked about the Creator‚ about the sins that he punishes.

LOLA. ...Let's hasten to the liturgy.

SANTUZZA.

For what? It is for those who do not torment their conscience with lies.

LOLA. I don't remember such grave sins.

SANTUZZA (with irony).

Yes‚ everyone knows: you are sinless‚ Lola.

(Lola walks towards the church.)

TURIDDU. Where are you going? I'm following ... We don't need to wait anymore.

LOLA (mockingly). No, you stay.

SANTUZZA (Turidu). Be patient my friend. Two or three more words.

LOLA. May heaven keep you on the day of resurrection . (Exits.)

TURIDDU. What‚ Santuzza… Are you happy now?

SANTUZZA. Catch up with her... Run after her!

TURIDDU. All. End. (Wants to go to church.)

SANTUZZA. (blocking the road). No. You won't leave.

TURIDDU. All!!

SANTUZZA. You can't burn your heart.

TURIDDU. Away!

SANTUZZA. Turidu! Turidu!

TURIDDU. Away!

SANTUZZA. …Are you leaving me?

(Alfio appears in the square.)

SANTUZZA.

He! This sign is sent to me by Providence itself.

ALFIO. Didn't make it to the liturgy?

SANTUZZA.

Yes, you are late. Without you, Turidou... is having fun with Lola.

ALFIO. What did you say?

Mascagni. "Country Honor" Intermezzo (conductor - T. Serafin)

Opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to a libretto (in Italian) by Guido Menaschi and Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti, based on a play by Giovanni Verga, which in turn is a stage adaptation of his novel of the same name.

CHARACTERS:

SANTUZZA, a young peasant woman (soprano) TURIDDU, a young soldier (tenor) LUCIIA, his mother (contralto) ALFIO, a village carter (baritone) LOLA, his wife (mezzo-soprano)

Time of action: Easter holiday in late XIX century. Location: village in Sicily. First performance: Rome, Costanzi Theatre, May 17, 1890.

The name "Cavalleria rusticana" is usually translated as "Country Honor". Such is the irony of fate, because there is no honor in the behavior of most of the characters in the opera. As for the short story by Giovanni Verga, it describes the behavior of the characters even more barbaric than what we encounter in Mascagni's opera.

An all-consuming passion, openly expressed with great force - these are the qualities of the opera that immediately brought her incredible success. Of course, the literary merits of the libretto are also essential. Verga's short story was considered a small literary masterpiece. In addition, E. Duse, this brilliant actress, together with other actors, performed a dramatic version of this novel on the stage with great success even before the opera was written. "Country Honor" was the first and perhaps the most significant triumph in both literature and music of the direction that came to be called verismo (verism), "the theory - to quote Webster - which in art and literature put at the forefront the image of everyday life, psychological experiences of the characters, attention to dark sides life of the urban and rural poor.

This small work was the first of three to win a prize at a competition announced by the publisher E. Sonzogno, and in one night it glorified no one then famous composer who was only twenty-seven years old. Even in New York, a struggle began for the right to first stage the opera. Oscar Hammerstein, a few years before he built his grand Manhattan Opera House, paid $3,000 just to beat his rival producer Aronson, who gave the piece a so-called "public rehearsal" on October 1, 1891. Hammerstein's performance took place that same evening. All this was less than a year and a half after the Rome premiere. But by this time, all of Italy had already heard it. In addition, it has already been in Stockholm, Madrid, Budapest, Hamburg, Prague, Buenos Aires, Moscow, Vienna, Bucharest, Philadelphia, Rio de Janeiro, Copenhagen and Chicago (in the chronological order in which these cities are named) .

For more than half a century, Mascagni lived on fame and profits from the productions of this little masterpiece. None of his other operas (and he wrote fourteen more) had a success that could even remotely compare with the success of " rural honor”, but even so, he died in 1945 in full glory and honor.

Libretto (in Italian) by Guido Menaschi and Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti, based on a play by Giovanni Verga, which in turn is an adaptation of his own short story of the same name.

Characters:

SANTUZZA, young peasant woman (soprano)
TURIDDU, young soldier (tenor)
Lucia, his mother (contralto)
ALFIO, village carter (baritone)
LOLA, his wife (mezzo-soprano)

Time of action: the feast of Easter at the end of the 19th century.
Location: village in Sicily.
First performance: Rome, Costanzi Theatre, May 17, 1890.

The name "Cavalleria rusticana" is usually translated as "Country Honor". Such is the irony of fate, because there is no honor in the behavior of most of the characters in the opera. As for the short story by Giovanni Verga, it describes the behavior of the characters even more barbaric than what we encounter in Mascagni's opera.

An all-consuming passion, openly expressed with great force - these are the qualities of the opera that immediately brought her incredible success. Of course, the literary merits of the libretto are also essential. Verga's short story was considered a small literary masterpiece. In addition, E. Duse, this brilliant actress, together with other actors, performed a dramatic version of this novel on the stage with great success even before the opera was written. "Country Honor" was the first and perhaps the most significant triumph in both literature and music of the direction that came to be called verismo (verism), "theory," to quote Webster, "which in art and literature put at the forefront the image of everyday life, psychological experiences of the characters, attention to the dark sides of the life of the urban and rural poor.

This small work was the first of three that won a prize at the competition announced by the publisher E. Sonzogno, and in one night it glorified the then unknown composer, who was only twenty-seven years old. Even in New York, a struggle began for the right to first stage the opera. Oscar Hammerstein, a few years before he built his grand Manhattan Opera House, paid $3,000 just to beat his rival producer Aronson, who gave the piece a so-called "public rehearsal" on October 1, 1891. Hammerstein's performance took place that same evening. All this was less than a year and a half after the Rome premiere. But by this time, all of Italy had already heard it. In addition, it has already been in Stockholm, Madrid, Budapest, Hamburg, Prague, Buenos Aires, Moscow, Vienna, Bucharest, Philadelphia, Rio de Janeiro, Copenhagen and Chicago (in the chronological order in which these cities are named) .

For more than half a century, Mascagni lived on fame and profits from the productions of this little masterpiece. None of his other operas (and he wrote fourteen more) had a success that could even remotely compare with the success of Rural Honor, but even so, he died in 1945 in full glory and honor.

Prelude

This story takes place in a Sicilian village at the end of the 19th century on Easter Sunday, so the prelude begins with calm music, like a prayer. It soon becomes more dramatic, and in the middle a tenor's voice is heard singing behind the still drawn curtain. This is his love serenade "Siciliana". Tenor - recently returned to native village soldier. He serenades his beloved, Lola.

Opera

The curtain rises, and the viewer sees a square in one of the towns of Sicily. To the right is the church. Lucia's house is visible to the left. Bright Easter Sunday. At first the stage is empty. It's dawning. Peasants, peasant women and children pass through the stage. The doors of the church open, the crowd enters. The peasant girl Santuzza asks old Lucia about her son Turiddu - because the way he behaves Lately She doesn't like it very much. The conversation of two women is interrupted by the arrival of Alfio, an energetic young carter, who sings a cheerful song about his life, while striking with a whip (“II cavallo scalpita” - “The horse is rushing in a whirlwind”). He does not yet know that Turiddu is spending time with his lovely wife Lola. His brief conversation with Lucia, in which he casually mentions that he saw her son near his home, Alfio, instills even more suspicion in Santuzza.

The sounds of the organ are heard from the church. The choir sings offstage. All the villagers kneel, and together with Santuzza, singing a magnificent solo, they offer a prayer - Regina coeli (lat. - "Queen of Heaven"). The religious procession enters the church, followed by the villagers. Santuzza, however, delays Lucia to tell her of his sadness. In the aria “Voi lo sapete, mamma...” (“You know, mother, that even before the soldiery, Turiddu Lola wanted to call his wife”) she tells how Turiddu, before leaving for the army, promised to marry Lola, but when he returned, she was married to another, and then he confessed his love to Santuzza, but now he was again inflamed with passion for Lola. Lucia is very upset, she sympathizes with Santuzza, but cannot help her in any way. Lucia enters the church. Now, when Turiddu himself appears, Santuzza speaks directly to him. He makes a feeble apology and becomes especially annoyed when they are interrupted by the one they fought over. Lola, very nicely dressed, appears on her way to the church; she sings a coquettishly graceful love song "Fior di giaggiolo" ("Flower, flower!"). When she leaves, the quarrel between Santuzza and Turiddu plays out again with even greater force. Finally, for Turiddu, all this becomes unbearable. In a fit of annoyance, he pushes Santuzza away and she falls to the ground. Turiddu rushes after Lola to the church. Santuzza shouts a curse after him: "A te la mala Pasqua, spergiuro!" (“Die now on a bright holiday!”)

Alfio is the last to head to the church. Santuzza also stops him and tells him about his wife's infidelity. Santuzza's sincerity leaves him in no doubt that she is telling the truth. Alfio's anger is terrible: “Vendetta avro priache tramonti il ​​di” (“I will take revenge today!”), The driver swears, leaving the young peasant woman. Santuzza, now full of remorse for what she has done, rushes after him.

The stage is empty. The orchestra performs a wonderful intermezzo: it conveys the calmness of the picture of a peaceful, gentle nature. This mood creates a sharp contrast to the rapid development of deadly passions.

The Easter service is over, and the peasants fill the street in front of Turiddu's house in a noisy crowd. He invites everyone to drink with him and sings a sharply rhythmic drinking song. Alfio enters. He is terribly minded. Turiddu fills a glass for him, he wants to clink glasses with him. Alfio refuses to drink with him. Turiddu breaks a glass. Some women, having consulted among themselves, approach Lola and in an undertone persuade her to leave. Two men are facing each other. Following an old Sicilian custom, the dishonored husband and rival embrace, and Turiddu bites Alfio's right ear - a sign of a challenge to a duel. Turiddu says he will be waiting for Alfio in the garden. Now it's Turiddu's turn to feel remorse. He calls his mother, takes from her a promise that he will take care of Santuzza. He is the culprit of all misadventures and now vows to marry her if...

Full of gloomy forebodings, Turiddu retires to the outskirts, where Alfio is already waiting for him. Terrified, Santuzza is silent. Time drags on. And here's the terrible female voice breaks the oppressive silence: "Hanno ammazzato compare Turiddu!" (“They have slaughtered Turiddu now!”). Alfio wins the duel... Santuzza and Lucia faint. Women support them. Everyone is deeply shocked.

Henry W. Simon (translated by A. Maykapar)

The opera Rural Honor, which won the competition of the Sonzogno publishing house, was expected at the premiere to be a truly triumphant success: the composer himself was amazed, what happened seemed incredible to him.

He could not believe that he had written such a successful work in just two months, while the more significant, from his point of view, opera "William Ratcliff" had only recently been completed by him.

Until now, Mascagni's Rural Honor enjoys the favor of the public in all theaters of the world, attracting the largest, most famous performers. In history Italian opera"Rural honor" marked the beginning of verismo - a direction that had literary background(novellas by Verga) and who brought to Musical Theatre following the Italian operas of the 70s and 80s, quite definite features: undisguised passion - with ardent vocal outpourings in the upper register, languid sensitivity softening the traditional recitative with melodic smoothness, the direct participation of harmony and instrumental timbre in the outline and coloring of vocal speech "insufficient variety of forms (unlike traditional Italian opera), a clear preference for local regional color, stormy, gloomy, cruel stories from the life of the lowest strata of society.

In Mascagni's opera, the story of love and betrayal, crimes against honor unfolds against the backdrop of crowd scenes, spiritual and folk choral music, here even the solo parts approach the songs, and the gallant romances are based on folk genres. Mascagni's great achievement was that he managed to preserve the freshness of the whole, without deviating from the drama even in decorative episodes - if they are independent, then they constitute a separate performance.

As in all other operas of the late 19th century, in Rural Honor great attention is given to the description of the landscape, the situation, although folklore authenticity is not necessarily observed: we are rather the results of free creativity and fantasy.

The opera often combines a certain primitive nakedness of harmony (not always sufficiently finished, it relies on wide, full chords depicting the tension of passion) and, on the contrary, timbre refinement.

After the very successful Sicilian Turiddu, women glorify the flowering nature, and men their beauties: these two themes of a somewhat archaic warehouse, written in different sizes, are intertwined - light colors, swinging flowering branches; from within, the gloomy sounds of drums and basses give rise to excitement in the blood, as well as the theme that soon arises, marking the appearance of Santuzza. Lola's husband Alfio gives the impression of a self-confident merry fellow, but cannot hide his changeable, ferocious disposition - and around the street the crowd starts a dance in the Spanish spirit. Nothing overshadows another choir glorifying the resurrection of Christ - a majestic, multi-stage pyramid, ending with a powerful, enlightened apotheosis.

The drama centers around the three-part story of Santuzza, whose sad, tear-stained face contrasts with the light, happy picture holy holiday. Her conversation with Turiddu is like a hurricane, words fall on dry, scorched soil, and the curse that breaks out at the sight of Lola singing a languid, gentle song takes on eternal meaning. In this scene, you can feel the local flavor.

Alfio, in turn, bursts into anger - the rhythms characteristic of him sound, this time frantic. Another node of the drama is the scene with the drinking song, which precedes the fatal denouement. In the music one hears the light clinking of glasses, the wine flows and the ingenuous vocal melody sounds, the choral exclamations are like rifle volleys. Rivals challenge each other to a duel in a laconic dialogue of tragic nobility. Turridu says goodbye to his mother and finally opens his heart to pity: his social face is shown in the best possible way.

G. Marchesi (translated by E. Greceanii)

History of creation

The reason for composing the work was the competition of one-act operas announced by the Milanese publisher E. Sonzogno. To participate in it, Mascagni interrupted work on the opera Ratcliffe and turned to the plot of Rural Honor, which had long attracted his attention. Novella Italian writer Giovanni Verga (1840-1922) "Country Honor", published in 1889, gained fame thanks to the staging, which was with the brilliant performer of the title role E. Duse. The play was distinguished by the maximum concentration of action and plot. Its events unfold within one morning, which, of course, was especially attractive to the composer.

The libretto, written by G. Targioni-Tozetti (1859-1934) with the participation of G. Menashi, was at first two-act, but, according to the conditions of the competition, was reduced to one act. The central place in the opera was occupied by the images of the main actors, outlined in stingy well-aimed strokes: infinitely devoted, frantic in love Santuzza and frivolous, windy Lola; passionate, fond of Turiddu and mercilessly vindictive Alfio. Folk scenes are noticeably developed. The two acts of the drama are combined in the opera with a symphonic intermezzo, which later became widely known.

Out of 70 operas submitted for the competition, Rural Honor won the first prize. On May 17, 1890, the premiere took place in Rome, which was a triumphant success. Soon the opera was performed in many countries of the world, contributing to the spread of the principles of verismo.

Music

The music of "Country Honor" is full of flexible, passionate cantilena, close to folk songs. Her emotional contrasts add to the poignancy of the plot: violent passions are replaced by a state of spiritual detachment, a dramatic clash of human characters is opposed by the calmness of spring nature.

In the orchestral introduction, serene pastoral images, contemplative moods are boldly shaded by a lyrically agitated melody. Behind the curtain, the Sicilian Turiddu “O Lola, creature of the sultry night” sounds (middle section of the introduction); its slow melody, accompanied by guitar accompaniment, is full of sensual languor and bliss.

The choral introduction "The fruits are magnificent on the trees" conveys the upbeat atmosphere of the holiday. Alfio's colorfully orchestrated song with the choir "Horses are flying wildly" is imbued with proud prowess. The chorus "Sing the song of triumph" with its enlightened elevated moods contrasts sharply with the drama of the next scene. Santuzza's elegiacly melancholy romance Leaving Away as a Soldier bears the tinge of a ballad narrative. The duet between Santuzza and Turiddu juxtaposes intensely passionate and mournfully enlightened melodies. The duet is interrupted by Lola's coquettishly graceful song "Flower of Mirror Waters". In the continuation of the entire duet, broad melodies sound with increasing excitement. The drama reaches its peak in the duet of Santuzza and Alfio. The symphonic intermezzo brings relaxation; its serene calm evokes pictures of a peaceful, gentle nature. The sharply rhythmic drinking song of Turiddu “Hello, the gold of the glass” sprinkles with sparkling fun. She is contrasted with Turiddu's arioso “I repent of my guilt”, full of deep sorrow; plastic vocal melody is accompanied by a melodious cantilena of strings. The last arioso of Turiddu “Mother Sante…” is permeated with a feeling of passionate prayer, conveying the ultimate tension of spiritual forces.

M. Druskin

This opera marked the beginning of a new direction in operatic art- verismo, becoming one of his best examples. Mascagni in his further work never surpassed his first masterpiece (although the idea of ​​​​him as the author of one opera is incorrect).

In 1891, the composition was first performed in Russia (Moscow, Italian Opera Company). The first production on the Russian stage took place in the same year (Yekaterinburg).

In 1982 director Zeffirelli made a film of the same name (starring Obraztsova, Domingo).

The opera is very popular these days. Among her best pages arias of Santuzza ("Voi lo sapete, o mamma"), Turiddu ("Mamma, quel vino e generoso").

Discography: CD - Philips. Dir. Pretre, Santuzza (Obraztsova), Turiddu (Domingo), Alfio (Bruzon), Lola (Gall), Mother Lucia (Barbieri) - Deutsche Grammophon. Dir. Karayan, Santuzza (Cossotto), Turiddu (Bergonzi), Alfio (Guelfi), Lola (Martino), Mother Lucia (Allegri).

The premiere took place in Rome on May 17, 1890.
The plot is based on the short story of the same name by the Italian realist writer Giovanni Verga. The action takes place at the end of the 19th century in a Sicilian village. The gentle and calm prelude becomes more and more dramatic. The audience hears the voice of a soldier serenading his beloved.
The curtain rises and the viewer sees the central square. People go to church for a festive prayer service in honor of Easter. Young woman Santuzza asks the old woman Lucia O Turiddu, her son. The conversation is interrupted by an energetic cab driver Alfio who sings his song. He has no idea what Turiddu spends time with his wife, lovely Lola. Alfio speaks Lucia that he saw her son near his house. Santuzza more and more suspicious.
The religious procession begins. The peasants sing along church choir to the sounds of the organ. Santuzza stops Lucia to tell that their fears. She is afraid for Turiddu. After all, even before the service, he was in love with Lola and wanted to marry her. But when he returned, she was married to someone else. Then he suggested Santuzza to become his bride, but, as it seems to her, again kindled with a passion for lole. Lucia very upset with her son. She sympathizes with the young girl, but is unable to help. Comes to church on his own Turiddu. He brings Santuzza their vague apologies for being late, but they fight again. Intrudes into their conversation Lola: She sings a love song and looks very inspired. Turiddu unable to cope with his feelings, he rudely pushes away santuzzu and runs after Lola. Santuzza falls to the ground and sends curses after his offender. The last to enter the church Alfio. Santuzza in anger tells him about his suspicions. Alfio enraged and going to take revenge. The girl understands that a tragedy can happen and, full of remorse, rushes after her jealous husband. Lola.

The procession has just ended. All the inhabitants of the village rush to the house of the merry Turiddu to start the festivities. Appears Alfio. Turiddu offers him a glass, but he refuses. Then the young soldier smashes the cup to smithereens. Women anticipate something is wrong, persuading Lola leave. The two men are about to duel. Turiddu conscience hurts because santuzzi. He takes the word from his mother that she will take care of the girl. And if he returns alive, he will immediately marry her. Turiddu goes to Alfio. The silence is agonizing... A terrible female cry breaks the silence: "Turiddu has now been slaughtered!" Santuzza and Lucia fall unconscious. The opera ends with general silence.

History of creation. The reason for writing the opera was the competition of 1888 from the publishing house Sonzogno. The works that won the first, second and third places were to be staged at the expense of the organizer of the competition for young composers. As soon as Pietro Mascagni learned about the competition, he immediately put aside all his affairs and set to work on a new work, although at that moment he was working on the opera " Ratcliff". Plot "Rural Honor" has long attracted the attention of the composer. Theatrical performances based on the novel enjoyed great success at that time. Actions develop so quickly that the viewer's attention is simply riveted to what is happening on the stage. The events of the play unfold literally in one morning, which undoubtedly attracted Pietro Mascagni even more. The libretto was written by a friend of the composer, Giovanni Targioni-Tozetti, with the participation of Guido Menaschi. Originally two-act, it was shortened to one act. The work on the opera took two months and was completed on time. As a result, among the seventy-three operas participating in the competition, it was "Country Honor" won first place and recognized as the best work of the composer. For more than 50 years, Mascagni lived on the proceeds of staging this exquisite masterpiece. None of the subsequent operas had such success. The premiere of the opera was marked by the overwhelming delight of the public. Opera Rural Honor enjoys great popularity even today.

Interesting facts:

• Many theaters in the world play Rustic Honor by Pietro Mascagni and Pagliacci by Gioacchino Rossini on the same evening because of their incredible resemblance.
• Italian opera title "Cavalleria rusticana" usually translated as "Country Honor". There is an incredible irony of fate in this, because in fact storyline there is not the slightest honor in the behavior of the main characters!
• The premiere of "Country Honor" in "" took place on December 30, 1891. The work has withstood over 650 performances!
• big fan opera "Country Honor" was Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
• In honor of main character Lola's opera was named after an asteroid discovered in 1900.
• IN famous movie « Godfather 3 "Anthony Corleone sings the part in Rural Honor."
• In 1982, Italian director Franco Zeffirelli made a film of the same name.

P. Mascagni's opera Rural Honor

When there is more passion than love, and more hatred than faith... Pietro Mascagni's opera Rural Honor was created from such emotions, which formed the features and values ​​of verismo. And together with him she brought peasants, wandering comedians, the beggars and the destitute to the largest stages of the world - in contrast to the traditional opera aristocrats, historical figures or heroes of legends.

Summary

Background. Before Turridu joined the army, he had romantic relationship with Lola. But, returning home, the young man discovered that his beloved had married Alfio. Despite the fact that the old passion still burned in him, he forgot himself in the warm arms of Santuzza, whom he promised to take as his wife. Lola, seeing that Turridu was trying to start life with another, again lured him into her networks ...

Early Easter Sunday morning in a Sicilian village, 1880 Turridou returns from a night out with Lola. Meanwhile, Santuzza comes to his house and, guessing where her fiancé actually spent the night, begs Lucia to tell the truth about it. Turridu enters, Santuzza makes him a scene of jealousy, and he drives her away. In her hearts, she finds Alfio and tells him about the relationship between Turridu and Lola. The offended husband challenges the opponent to a duel and kills him.

Photo:

Interesting Facts

• "Rural honor" was highly appreciated by such contemporaries of Mascagni as D. Verdi And P.I. Chaikovsky. Moreover, Verdi called the composer almost his successor. Only in part did he manage to justify such flattering expectations of the great maestro - among his subsequent 14 operas were the once popular "Friend Fritz" and "Iris", but now these names are hardly familiar even to fans of the genre, since they have not risen to the level of "Rural honor." And the real "heir" of the traditions of Italian opera, the musician who brought it to new round development, became D. Puccini.
• Mascagni is called "one opera man" or "the author of one opera." At the same time, during his lifetime he was put in a row major composers Italy. What is its phenomenon? First of all, in the fact that Mascagni, having tasted success, did not want to follow the beaten path, developing the verist direction. He was interested in decadence, expressionism, orientalism, operetta, new subjects. The publisher Giulio Ricordi, with whom the composer began to cooperate after the conflict with Sonzogno, offered him a libretto based on the short story "She-Wolf" by the same Verg. Mascagni refused and was eventually forced to look for a new publisher.
• Novella D. Verga attracted the attention of many musicians, and Mascagni was not even the first of them. In 1894, a friend of the writer Giuseppe Perrotta writes symphonic poem"Country Honor" Just a month before the triumph of Mascagni's opera, the same Theater of Costanzi hosted the premiere of the opera "Evil Easter" by composer Stanislao Gastaldon. It was a three-act work that did not impress the sophisticated audience at all. The most interesting thing is that Gastaldon also planned to participate in the Sonzogno competition, but he was bought out by D. Ricordi, who immediately ordered him an opera for Rome. In 1895, the Florentine Oreste Bimboni presented the opera Santuzza in Palermo. Genoese Domenico Monleone in 1907 painted his Rural Honor, which was shown in Amsterdam. Mascagni's lawyers demanded a ban on the performance of the understudy opera, their claims were satisfied, and Monleone shifted the music to another libretto, the opera became known as The Battle of the Falcons. Only in 1998 Monleone's work was again performed in the original version. In addition to these fundamental works, in the 1890s many parodic and comic operas on the plot of "Country Honor".
• The phenomenal success of The Rural Honor quarreled three people involved in its appearance - the author of the original source D. Verga, the publisher E. Sonzogno and P. Mascagni, who, until 1893, in court found out the ownership of the copyright to the opera. Verga eventually sued the publisher and composer record amount at 143,000 lire.
• Mascagni in 1940 took part in the audio recording of "Country Honor", organized in honor of the 50th anniversary of the premiere.
• Despite the cliche of verism assigned to Mascagni, the composer himself did not agree with him, not calling himself or his work that way.
• The role of Santuzza proved to be crucial in the career of Gemma Bellincione, her first performer. In this role, both her singing and acting talent was fully revealed, she began to trust the main parts of Puccini and Giordano, Massenet and Richard Strauss.
• Over the course of Mascagni's lifetime, Les Rural Honors was performed 14,000 times in Italy alone - that's about 21 performances every month for 55 consecutive years. Now the opera is performed on world stages more than 700 times a year.
• The song "Mascagni", dedicated to the great composer, was written to the music of Intermezzo for Andrea Bocelli.

Love and Passion by Pietro Mascagni

In the life of Mascagni himself there were plenty of passions, similar to those that so tormented his heroes. In 1888 he married Lina Carbonani, who supported him in difficult moments lack of money and obscurity. Their first child, born before the wedding, died at four months. Lina was a very practical lady, even in moments of fame and prosperity, she continued to save money. household. She was not only faithful wife, but also devoted person ready to support any undertaking of her husband. The beginning of work on "Rural Honor" coincided with the birth of the long-awaited son Domenico, and then another son and daughter were born. Mascagni was caring husband and a loving, caring father. So he remained even when another woman appeared in his life, Anna Lolli.

It happened in 1910, he was 47, she was 22... The seemingly banal affair of an aging man with a young beauty turned into a bond that was broken only by the death of the composer in 1945. For 35 years, Mascagni actually had two families, each of which knew about the existence of the other. Mascagni spent many summer seasons with Anna in small town Bagnara di Romagna. Today, there, in the house of a local priest, a small museum has been organized, which contains 5,000 unpublished letters from Mascagni to his beloved, testifying to his unfading feeling. The composer dedicated the operas Isabeau and Parisina to her.

History of creation and productions

The Milanese newspaper magnate Edoardo Sonzogno in 1888 announced another competition for one-act operas. A few years earlier, the jury of this competition different reasons ignored the first opera by D. Puccini. The unsuccessful experience of a friend did not stop the young composer Pietro Mascagni. Three years have passed since he left the Milan Conservatory with a scandal. His family was in such need that he was unable to afford even music paper. Employed as a conductor and teacher in music school in the Apulian city of Cerignola (geographically, this is the "spur" of the Italian "boot"), Mascagni unsuccessfully tried to write operas.

The composer commissioned the libretto from his friend, Giovanni Targioni-Tozetti, and the writer Guido Menaschi. It was based, without exaggeration, on the hit of its time, Giovanni Verga's play Rural Honor. She successfully went to drama theater, leading role the legendary E. Duse played in one of the productions. The music was ready in two months, but Mascagni delayed sending the notes, as he doubted the success of his composition. IN last moment the manuscript was sent to the competition by his wife, Lina, to whom we are grateful today for such a decisive act. The jury chose the winner from 73 submitted works for a long time. Rustic Honor was awarded the first prize, and its author received a two-year salary and a contract with the Sonzogno publishing house. Everything that Mascagni could only dream of before has come true!

On May 17, 1890, La Rural Honour, premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. The unconditional success made the theaters vied with each other to sign contracts for productions with the composer. In the same year, the opera crossed the borders of Italy and began its triumphal procession through the stages of Europe, and a year later it was staged in many cities in the United States. The Russian public heard the novelty also in 1891 thanks to the performance of the Italian troupe, in the next two years various private operas began to perform it. In 1894, Rural Honor was performed at the Mariinsky Theatre.

Mascagni's masterpiece opened a new direction in opera - verismo. The second and only veristic opera of equal talent was Pagliacci by R. Leoncavallo, written two years later. They often go on the same evening chronological order, through intermission from each other. IN opera world this tandem was nicknamed Cav-Pag ("Cavalleria rusticana" and "Pagliacci").