Pietro Mascagni and His Operas

Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945) was a dazzling and influential figure in italian opera during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Just 26 when the electric premiere of his "Cavalleria Rusticana" at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome catapulted the impoverished musician into sudden fame and fortune, Mascagni went on to write 15 more operas, including "L'Amico Fritz", "Guglielmo Ratcliff", "Iris", "Parisina", and "Il Piccolo Marat". This in-depth biography of Mascagni charts the course of his intriguing life and career. With access to extensive primary sources, including Mascagni's 4200 letters to Anna Lolli, his mistress for more than three decades, Alan Mallach provides a portrait of a flambuoyant, combative and emotional man who was passionately devoted to the Italian opera tradition and committed to innovation in musical language and dramatic form.