It is dawn on Easter Sunday in a Sicilian village at the end of the nineteenth century. Turiddu can be heard offstage singing a Sicilian love song to Lola, the girl he loves and whom he had promised to marry before he left to do his military service.He recalls how he returned to the village to find that she had married the carter,Alfio. In trying to console himself, he has been courting and promising to marry another girl, Santuzza, but now has begun to see Lola again.As dawn breaks , a chorus of villagers comment on the beautiful day, Santuzza approaches Mamma Lucia, Turiddu's mother,and points out that as she has been excommunicated, she cannot enter Mamma Lucia's house, but would like news of her son. He has not gone to Francofonte for wine as his mother claims, but has been seen in the village. Their conversation is interrupted by Alfio's arrival. He,too, saw Turiddu near his home that morning.Santuzza stops Lucia from asking further questions, but when Alfio has gone she tells her that Turiddu has betrayed her and is now having an affair with Lola. Turiddu arrives and angrily refuses to answer Santuzza's questions. Their dramatic confrontation is interrupted by Lola's arrival on her way to church. She flirts with Turiddu and arouses Santuzza's jealousy. Following a heated argument, Turiddu pushes Santuzza violently away from him and follows Lola into the church. Santuzza throws a curse after him and in her despair reveals Lola's infidelity to Alfio. The carter swears to take revenge as the scene ends.
*** Scene 2:
To the lovely melody of the opera's Intermezzo,the preceeding love triangle is re-enacted in a ballet sequence. When the church service is over, the villagers are invited by Turiddu to drink to "the sparkling wine". Alfio declines to take part and tersely makes his challenge to Turiddu. According to Sicilian custom, the two men embrace and Turiddu bites Alfio's ear as a token of his acceptance of the challenge. Turiddu spares a last thought for Santuzza and asks his mother to look after her. He then asks for her blessing. Mamma Lucia has feelings of foreboding although she knows nothing of the duel. Turiddu leaves her and Santuzza comes to keep her company. There is a noise in the distance and suddenly a woman shrieks, "They have murdered Turiddu!" He staggers in and dies as Santuzza and Mamma Lucia collapse.
New Rochelle Opera performed Cavalleria Rusticana in the Spring of 2004 to audience acclaim.
Synopsis by JOHN FRAIOLI
