Pietro Mascagni

Franco Zeffirelli directs these two legendary La Scala productions telling tragic tales of jealousy. Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana features performances by Elena Obraztsova, Plácido Domingo, and Renato Bruson. Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci stars Teresa Stratas, Plácido Domingo, and Juan Pons. Both are conducted by George Pretre. This production of Pagliacci earned director Franco Zeffirelli the coveted Emmy as Best Director in the category of Classical Music Programming.

Plácido Domingo accomplishes the rare feat of singing both leads on the same night at the Met in 1978 on opera's most popular double-bill.

In Pietro Mascagni's tragic opera, a soldier returns home from war to reclaim his former fiancée, only to find that she's married someone else in his absence, leading to jealousy, betrayal, and murder.

Opera's most popular double bill, fondly known as Cav and Pag, conducted by Herbert von Karajan. In 'Cavalleria rusticana', Turiddu returns from military service to find that his fiancée Lola had married the carter Alfio while he was away. In revenge, Turiddu seduces Santuzza, a young woman in the village. In 'Pagliacci', the drama unfolds as Canio (Pagliaccio) struggles with rage, despair, and desire on learning of his wife Nedda's intended infidelity with Silvio. Canio's tragic conflict increasingly mirrors the comedy of Pagliaccio.

Ten years ago, the ‘Hannover Klassik Open Air’ was launched under the motto ‘Opera for everyone’. A success story that has lost none of its charm to this day. This anniversary show presents highlights from past open-air concerts with new international singing stars in Hanover's illuminated Maschpark.

On the eve of the 1990 World Cup final, Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, and Luciano Pavarotti sang together for the first time. A look behind the scenes at a musical event whose phenomenal success lasted for more than a decade.

The grand closing concert of the 2024 edition of the Nantes classical music festival. The programme includes Dvorak's ‘Slavonic Dance’, Pablo de Sarasate's ‘Bohemian Airs’ and the first movement of Tchaikovsky's ‘Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1’. Also excerpts from works by Chopin, Albéniz, Mascagni, Puccini and Sibelius.

From the Politeama Theater in Catanzaro, a concert dedicated to Renata Tebaldi. The Calabria Philharmonic Orchestra, tenor Dario Di Vietri, and soprano Daria Masiero, conducted by Maestro Filippo Arlia, perform works by Puccini, Mascagni, Verdi, and Donizetti.

Following the runaway success of Cavalleria rusticana in 1890 at the age of 27, Mascagni did not rest on his laurels. In just a few years, he completed five operas, including Iris, premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome in 1898. Mascagni might well have taken for his own Puccini's famous quip, “Against everything and everyone, make a work from melody”. And in Iris it is melodic invention which shows the composer's genius at its greatest. A melody by Mascagni is usually long, smooth and Italian-sounding; and Iris is full-on melody all the way, particularly in such crowd-pleasers as Jor's Serenade, the “Hymn of the Sun” or the duet in Act II “Oh come al tuo sottile corpo s'aggira”, which includes the famous “Piovra”. Furtheremore, with a little effort listeners can identify what would be the various musical “numbers”. In Iris, Mascagni is almost obsessively attentive to recitative and his exemplary flexibility at times recalls the sublime "conversation style" "invented" by Puccini.

Pietro Mascagni's opera recorded in 2009. Conductor Stefano Ranzani leads the orchestra and chorus of the Zurich Opera House, with performances by Argentinian tenor Jose Cura and soprano Pauletta Marrocu.

‘Cavalleria Rusticana nei Sassi’ is an immersive and participatory opera, set against the striking natural backdrop of the Sassi of Matera.

A journey of musical and personal discovery through Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2, Op. 36, in Liszt’s transcription for solo piano. The Mascagni Conservatory of Livorno in all its facets, along with the city itself, featuring Filippo Tenisci as Virgil! A musical Livorno with an international flair.