Mascagni's Classic

The Canadian Opera Company presents Pietro Mascagni's brilliant 1890 smorgasbord of scandal, revenge, and heartbreak, Cavalleria Rusticana, based on the short story of the same name. One of history's greatest single-act operas, witness a thrilling night in the opera house, with drama and passion playing out against an incredible score.

What Is The Story?

 Jealousy trumps love in a 1900 century Sicilian village when the local lothario Turiddu chases after his ex-paramour Lola, much to the dismay of Santuzza, the woman he seduced and later abandoned. Spurned, Santuzza tells Lola's husband Alfio that Turiddu has been pursuing his wife, and Alfio swears bloody vengeance. Things come to a head when Turiddu is challenged to a knife-fight by Alfio. Realising that he must now defend his honor, and that of Santuzza, he agrees and the pair leave the village to duel. A woman enters later screaming that Turiddu is dead, a heavy price borne by both Santuzza and her rival Lola.