The Music Speaks for Itself in the CSO’s Riveting Concert Version of "Cavalleria Rusticana"

Credit: Todd Rosenberg

Turiddu’s illicit affair with Lola comes after he has seduced the peasant girl, Santuzza (the astonishing mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili, who also captivated audiences last year as Amneris, in a concert performance of “Aida”). Distraught by the betrayal of the man she loves, she confides in Turiddu’s mother, Lucia (the warm-voiced, expertly understated mezzo-soprano Ronnita Miller), and is driven into a jealous frenzy by her intense passion for her lover, and the knowledge that she has been disgraced on many levels.

The intensity of Santuzza’s emotions will, of course, ultimately end in tragedy for all involved. But before that catastrophic moment there is great beauty to savor: The heavenly initial sound of the women in the chorus singing of how “the orange trees in the green groves scent the air”; the hint of folk tunes as the men of the chorus sing of “the sweet rays of sunshine” in the corn fields; the sound of church chimes (percussionist Cynthia Yeh), timpani (David Herbert), and organ (Patrick Godon) as church-goers gather for the Easter service; the dark tones of the cellos as Santuzza talks to Lucia; the sharp cracks of a whip on the backs of the beasts that drive Alfio’s cart; the transcendent beauty of the chorus at the Easter church service; and the exuberant sound of a communal drinking song that takes on a dangerously ironic edge.

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