Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni will take place on November 15th 2011 at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi as major event of the celebrations in India of the 150th anniversary of the Italian Unification. The Opera, organized by the Embassy of Italy and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, in collaboration the Italian Cultural Centre and Delhi International Arts Festival (DIAF) will also be the closing event of the 2011edition of DIAF. Cavalleria Rusticana is regarded as one of the classics of “verismo” (realism) in opera style. First performed in Rome in 1890, it was an immediate success. At the death of the composer, in 1945, it had been produced more than 14.000 times in Italy alone. The story, based on a play by Giovanni Verga, is about love and jealousy in Sicily at the end of the n XIXth century. A forceful libretto and an enthralling musical score, make Cavalleria Rusticana an unforgettable operatic experience for the audience.
The renowned Italian Soprano Francesca Patanè will perform the main character of “Santuzza” together with Luciano Ganci in the role of “Turiddu”, while the Orchestra, conducted by the Indian Maestro Vijay Upadhyaya, will include both Indian and Italian musicians from the India National Youth Orchestra and the Orchestra Giovanile Italiana-Scuola di Musica di Fiesole. Costumes are designed by internationally acclaimed designer Rajesh Pratap Singh. Sets are created by  Director Maurizio Di Mattia. The choir is from the Neemrana Music Foundation.
 
A short video "Make the Italian Opera in India" which showcases this important Indo-Italian coproducation can be seen at the following link:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOsz7iWY0nY&feature=player_embedded