Following the success of the Dong Ho Ballet, the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB), in collaboration with Saigon Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO), will premiere the Opera “Cavalleria Rusticana” on April 15 and 16 at the Hanoi Opera House.

The Italian opera titled Cavalleria Rusticana is to be performed in mid-April in Hanoi

This one-act opera by Italian composer Pietro Mascagni was first performed at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on May 17, 1890. The popular opera Cavalleria Rusticana has enthralled audiences for over a century. The tale, which explores themes of love, jealousy, and betrayal, is compelling and has lovely music.

The opera is said to be a special mark of VNOB in the series of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and Vietnam. More than 120 musicians and actors of the VNOB will participate in the show, with the artist Thu Quynh as the soloist and four other soloists from other countries, especially the tenor voice of the famous opera artist Giovanni Maria Palmia, under the direction of the talented conductor Fan Ting and the stage director Cindy Leung from Hong Kong.

According to the performance organizer, opera was created primarily for special ceremonies or events when it first emerged in Italy in the 1600s. Early opera, heavily influenced by classical Greek opera, featured material centered around ancient Roman myths or royal figures to appeal to the upper class.

The classic opera will be jointly performed by artists from VNOB and SPO

In the midst of this trend, Cavalleria Rusticana is a pioneering opera for the Verismo school, using the story of people from ordinary families as its main material. The intimate and honest inner struggles of Turiddu, Lola, Santuzza, and Alfio were well received by the public and made the name of the author, Pietro Mascagni, shine from the very first night.

At the opera Cavalleria Rusticana in Hanoi, Artist Fan Ting, who has more than 40 years of a concertmaster and violinist, will act as a conductor to perform with influential artists at home and abroad. Especially the male lead Turiddu is played by Giovanni Maria Palmia, a tenor vocal from Italy with a voice that has conquered prestigious opera competitions such as Concorso Lirico Internazionale Crescendi. He will perfectly perform songs with standards rigorously from the country of origin of this art.

From the breathtaking set design to the hauntingly beautiful music, and talented singers, the opera in Vietnamese version is expected to create an unforgettable musical experience to locals and international audiences alike.