An opera chiefly famous for two pieces. Mainly the Intermezzo, which is on just about every decent compilation set in your collection. Also, and to a lesser extent, the Easter Hymn, which, if you had never heard Va pensiero from Nabucco you would believe to be the greatest opera chorus ever written. At least, I did throughout my teens and into my twenties, and even now I tend to if I've heard it more recently than the Verdi. But there is no way that Mascagni could have written Easter Hymn if Verdi hadn't written the Chorus of Hebrew Slaves.
What comes around goes around. I defy anybody to listen to the overture without hearing The Sound of Music. I suppose, musicologically, it acts a bridge between Verdianism and Broadway Musicals. Or is that Puccini (who wrote most of Andrew Lloyd Webber's music. Allegedly)? And I see a bit G&S creeping in as well in the Brindisi.
Cav, as its commonly known so as not to confuse it with Pag, with which it's commonly coupled, is an ideal beginner's opera. At just under 80 minutes, it fits neatly onto one CD, which was very prescient of Signor Mascagni - imagine how embarrassed he would be now if it lasted for 83 minutes, and thus needed more than just one disc.
Seriously, being that it's barely over an hour, if you know the intermezzo, Easter Hymn and Sound of Music, you can quickly make up your mind about whether musically you like this opera.
With the possible exception of Barber's six minute A Hand of Bridge, this opera contains the best name, ever, of a character. I was decided at age 14 that if I ever had a daughter, she would be called Santuzza.
I have a version on video, captured off th'telly mere weeks ago. It's from Bologna, conducted by Maestro Muti, starring José Cura and Waltraud Meier.
One of the top 'verismo' operas, written about the grottiness of everyday life and lacking the Can Belto of the previous Bel Canto style.
Strangely this is unique in my collection in that the video lacks subtitles, and the CD lacks a libretto, so I haven't a clue what happens in this opera. Something about a bloke and a woman, and another woman. And it all ends in tears. With the tenor being killed in a duel at the end. Although is only hinted at.
A significant enough proportion of the music fits into the gorgeous category. I don't think it would ever be in my Top Ten, but I think it's tuneful and accessible, and I would come back to it again and again. Indeed, if you are not particularly a fan of opera and singing but do like lush tuneful orchestral playing, you should try this.
And if you don't like it, you've always got Vesti la giubba to look forward to after the interval.
Sets and costumes are very colourless and drab, a bit of 30s-style social realism. The tenor is a hunk; Good heavens, it's Jose Cura looking a lot more hunky than the other day. Santuzza (Waltraud Meier) is dramatically brilliant, with a rich dramatic voice.
I also possess this on CD, coupled, of course, with Pagliacci. But Pag will be discussed in its turn. This is with the orchestra and chorus from La Scala, under Georges Pretre, starring Plácido Domingo and Elena Obraztsova. I find Obraztsova far too screechy in this. Pl�cido, of course, sounds gorgeous.
It's funny, having known the chorus and the intermezzo well for years, I realised I only properly listened to the whole opera in order to write this blog entry. I think perhaps because of its shortness, I have tended to use it more as background.
That's why DVDs, and the ability to record off minority-interest TV Channels are Good Things. As is blogging. Because they make me concentrate on the music, and I'm generaly not very good at concentrating. In fact, it would be fair to say that my single biggest, almost all-consuming fault is my inability to nice weather for the time of year don't you think.
