Cavalleria rusticana

Instead of a work of religious music, the Greek National Opera has this time chosen to present Mascagni’s popular opera Cavalleria rusticana (Rustic Chivalry), the story of which unfolds on the morning of Easter Sunday, when Turiddu’s erotic entanglements lead to the ritual of "rustic chivalry", that is, a duel.

The opera is one of the most interesting examples of verismo ("realism", from Italian vero, meaning "true"), in which humble farm workers and their daily life become the focus of high art. Passion, adultery, jealousy, honor and revenge are the main elements of this opera. The first opera to be completed by Pietro Mascagni, Cavalleria rusticana premiered in Rome in 1890.

This production will be directed by Alexandros Efklidis who, despite his young age, already has a number of major successes to his name. Last year he directed the innovative production "Yasou Aida", which traveled to Berlin, Thessaloniki and Athens, while taking a very interesting directorial look at three contemporary opera works presented at the Greek National Opera last June.