Composer. He scored a tremendous success with his first opera, "Cavalleria Rusticana" (1890). A one-act tale of jealousy and revenge in a provincial town, it launched a new trend in opera called "verismo", which emphasized realism and characters who were closer to ordinary people. It influenced many composers and for a time Mascagni was hailed as the heir of Giuseppe Verdi in Italian music. But none of his 14 other operas made a lasting impression. He later mused, "It is a pity I wrote 'Cavalleria Rusticana' first. I was crowned before I became King". In the 1920's he allied himself with the regime of dictator Benito Mussolini, and when Arturo Toscanini left Italy in protest in 1931, Mascagni took his place as Principal Conductor of La Scala. His last opera, "Nerone" (1935), was viewed as a thinly-veiled tribute to Il Duce. This got him into trouble after Mussolini's downfall in the closing months of World War II. Mascagni was vilified as a Fascist stooge, his money and property were confiscated, and he was barred from all musical activity in his country. He died poor and bitter in a room at the Hotel Plaza in Rome. His remains were transferred to his native Livorno in 1951. Although Mascagni's politics still make him a controversial figure in Italy, they never affected the popularity of "Cavalleria Rusticana", which remains a standard in the operatic repertory. Its orchestral "Intermezzo" was used as the theme music for the film "Raging Bull" (1980), and a staging of the opera provided the setting for the climax of "The Godfather Part III" (1990).
Composer. He scored a tremendous success with his first opera, "Cavalleria Rusticana" (1890). A one-act tale of jealousy and revenge in a provincial town, it launched a new trend in opera called "verismo", which emphasized realism and characters who were closer to ordinary people. It influenced many composers and for a time Mascagni was hailed as the heir of Giuseppe Verdi in Italian music. But none of his 14 other operas made a lasting impression. He later mused, "It is a pity I wrote 'Cavalleria Rusticana' first. I was crowned before I became King". In the 1920's he allied himself with the regime of dictator Benito Mussolini, and when Arturo Toscanini left Italy in protest in 1931, Mascagni took his place as Principal Conductor of La Scala. His last opera, "Nerone" (1935), was viewed as a thinly-veiled tribute to Il Duce. This got him into trouble after Mussolini's downfall in the closing months of World War II. Mascagni was vilified as a Fascist stooge, his money and property were confiscated, and he was barred from all musical activity in his country. He died poor and bitter in a room at the Hotel Plaza in Rome. His remains were transferred to his native Livorno in 1951. Although Mascagni's politics still make him a controversial figure in Italy, they never affected the popularity of "Cavalleria Rusticana", which remains a standard in the operatic repertory. Its orchestral "Intermezzo" was used as the theme music for the film "Raging Bull" (1980), and a staging of the opera provided the setting for the climax of "The Godfather Part III" (1990).
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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