I've listened to some of these programmes; they're interesting in that they demonstrate that Mascagni is more than a one-trick composer (that trick being, of course, Cavallieri rusticana) - Surely it would be worth an opera company putting on one of his other operas? Or even a concert performance?
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Yes indeed, though his main technique seems to have been to write a good tune for the voice, doubled by 1st violins, and 'harmonised'. I'm sure this is an incomplete picture, but just my impression from dipping in to this weeks programmes.
One of my childhood memories is of my father singing/humming tunes from Cav and Pag (OK that's Leoncavallo) whilst shaving. As the latter activity involved a brush and foamy soap, various bits became obscured and then morphed into something else, e.g. Vesti la giubba....bubble-bubble-bubble....Regina Coeli laetare....hmmm, hmmm, hmmm. (The Easter Hmmm?) -
It did strike me that an awful lot of it did sound like Puccini - I know they were about the same period, & both verismo, but other composers writing at the same time & in the same style managed to sound different.Comment
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Flossie, the place to go for Mascagni in Britain in recent years has been Opera Holland Park. Indeed for verismo generally.
For Mascagni: Cav (with Pag) in 2013 and 1998; Zanetto in 2012; L'amico fritz in 2011 and 2000; Iris in 1998 and 1997.
And over the same period, they have done I gioiella di Madonna/Wolf-Ferrari; La Wally (which I saw) and L'Arlesiana /Cilea; Francesca da Rimini/Zandonai; La Gioconda/Ponchielli; L'amore di tre Re/Montemezzi; Fedora and Andrea Chenier/Giordano; plus most of the Puccini oevre.
What a shame that we've missed it all (except La Wally for me, that is).Comment
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Yes, Holland PArk are good for the out-of-the mainstream works. I should check what they are doing when I make a trip to London. I remember that La Wally was quite well reviewed, I think.Comment
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