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PRELUDE
An orchestral prelude introduces us to the drama of stormy passions we are
to witness. The music evokes a folkish background of warm color, and ominous
phrases are heard hinting at Santuzza’s fateful jealousy and the tragedy it
will bring. But soon the music grows romantic in
mood; from it blossoms the beautiful “Siciliana” of Turiddu, “0 Lola, bianca
come fior di spino," a serenade with guitar-like accompaniment heard from
behind the curtain It is an avowal of undying love to Alfio s wife
Turiddu's former sweetheart. "White as a flower" Turiddu calls Lola,
swearing that if he were to die and go to heaven, he would refuse to enter
if she were not there too.
SCENE: Easter morning in the deserted square
of a Sicilian village.
On one side stands a church, on the other a wineshop and the dwelling of
Mamma Lucia. Church bells are ringing, and in the distance voices are
heard singing, as peasants gather for the Easter Mass The orchestra gives
out a bright and Joyous melody in typical folk vein, expressing the
carefree holiday mood of the people as they stream into the square The
women are singing of Eastertime, of tender love. The men join in, hymning
the charms of women and their industrious ways. Some of the villagers enter
the church; others form little groups, and then walk off in different
directions. As their voices fade away in the distance, Santuzza appears.
She approaches Mamma Lucia's dwelling and calls out to her. "What is it?"
asks the old woman. "Where is Turiddu?" the girl asks anxiously, repeating
her query over and over. Mamma Lucia evades answering: “Do not ask me. I
do not know. I want no trouble!” Santuzza now pleads with her with
mounting ardor, “Tell me, for God’s sake, where is Turiddu hiding himself?”
Mamma Lucia replies finally that Turiddu has gone to Francofonte to buy
wine. "That's not so," Santuzza cries. "Last night he was seen in the
village." The mother's suspicions are aroused, for she has not seen her son.
When she invites Santuzza to enter the house with her, the girl shamefacedly
reminds Lucia that she cannot enter, that she is an outcast, excommunicated
("Non posso entrare in casa vostra. Sono scomunicata"). The moral law of the
Sicilian village forbids her entering Mamma Lucia's home. "What of my son?”
the mother asks, alarmed.
Before Santuzza can reply, the cracking of whips and the jingling of bells
are heard. Alfio the village carrier is approaching, and as he reaches the
square, he sings a lively song in praise of the teamster's career, adding
some words of eulogy for his beauti- ful and loving wife Lola, who is home,
waiting for him. A crowd follows him and joins in his song. Alfio asks
Mamma Lucia if she can sell him some of her fine wine. "Not just now," she
replies. "Turiddu has gone to buy a fresh supply of it." Astonished, Alfio
exclaims, “But Turiddu is here in town. I saw him myself this very morning.
He was standing not far from my cottage." Mamma Lucia is about to express
surprise, when Santuzza checks her and Alfio departs. From inside the church
now comes the voices of a choir singing the "Regina Coeli" ("Queen of
Heaven"). The crowd outside joins in with "Hallelujahs." The peasants then
kneel in prayer and sing the Resurrection hymn "Innegiamo, il Signor non e
morto," led by the voice of Santuzza.
The people now enter the church, and Lucia and Santuzza are again alone. The
mother asks Santuzza why she motioned her to keep silent when Alflo spoke of
seeing Turiddu in the village. Santuzza now gives us the needed background
to the drama developing among them. She reminds Mamma Lucia that her son was
once engaged to Lola, that while he was way serving in the army, Lola forgot
him and married Alfio. Then Turiddu returned. Crushed when he learned the
truth, he proceeded to console himself with Santuzza, whose reputation he
ruined. Now Lola, weary of Alfio, has enticed Turiddu back and is jealous
of Santuzza. Mamma Lucia now learns from the distraught girl that during
Alfio's frequent absences Lola and Turiddu have been together. This is all
divulged, with mounting passion and pathos, in Santuzza's great aria "Voi lo
sapete" ("Well you know, good mother"), which reaches a pitch of frenzied
despair at the point where the girl reveals that Lola and Turiddu love one
another again.
Shaken by Santuzza's anguished confession, Mamma Lucia heeds her plea to go
into the church to pray for her. As she does so, Turiddu enters the square,
also on his way to church. Surprised at seeing Santuzza outside of church on
Easter day, he tries to avoid talking to her, but she insists on speaking to
him. She upbraids him for lying that he has been to Francofonte. He was seen
near Lola's house by her husband, she shrieks; he still loves her! Turiddu
denies it, and Santuzza is suddenly frightened when he hints that his life
will be in danger if Alfio learns the truth about his visits to Lola.
Raising his voice, Turiddu cries that he will not be the slave of Santuzza's
wild jealousy. "Strike me, insult me," she sobs in mingled love and
desperation; "I forgive you, but my suffering is too much for me."
Lola's voice is now heard in the distance, singing a lighthearted song about
a radiant flower, the mood of which suggests the coquette. As Lola enters
she grasps the situation at a glance, and the two women exchange words
bristling with irony and innuendo. Turiddu is left almost speechless with
confusion. With a shrug, the flirtatious Lola enters the church, beckoning
her lover to follow. But Santuzza detains him, pleading vehemently, "Do not
leave me, Turiddu!" "Why do you follow me around?" retorts Turiddu. "Why do
you spy on me at the church door?" Turiddu's anger mounts as the girl's
desperate frenzy grows, and finally, as Santuzza shouts, "Betrayer," he
flings her roughly to the ground. As he strides defiantly into the church,
Santuzza hurls a furious curse after him: "May this Easter bring you bad
luck!" and falls, sobbing frantically.
When she looks up again, Alfio is approaching. ”God himself has sent you!"
she exclaims to him. "At what part of the Mass are they?" he asks calmly.
"It is rather late," Santuzza replies, adding significantly, "Lola went with
Turiddu." Alfio, in surprise, asks, "What did you say?" and Santuzza blurts
out the whole story that while he earns an honest living his wife is
betraying him with Turiddu, Turiddu who is rightfully hers, Santuzza's.
Alfio's voice rises in wrath, as he listens dumfounded. "If you are lying,
I'll rip your heart open!" he threatens. But he is convinced and, after a
pause, thanks Santuzza and vows to have his revenge that very day. Leaving
Santuzza dazed and fearful of the tragedy her jealousy is bringing on, Alfio
stalks off, uttering cries of "Vendetta!"
Santuzza leaves, and the square is deserted for a few moments. It is time
for a pause in this seething frenzy of dramatic outcries and clashes. A
calm, devotional mood rises from the orchestra now, as the "Regina Coeli,"
earlier sung by the choir, returns to remind us it is Easter, a day of peace
and piety. In contrast, there follows a haunting melody, tense with
religious fervor, but suggesting, too, the hot, searing passions of the
previous scenes. This orchestral episode is the famous "Intermezzo," a
concert piece popular the world over.
As the strains of the "Intermezzo" soar to a climax and finally die away,
people begin to emerge from the church. A crowd is now assembled outside
Mamma Lucia's wineshop. Turiddu is in high spirits, for Lola is with him
and Santuzza is nowhere about to plague him. Turiddu invites his friends to
partake of his mother's wine. Glasses are filled, and he leads them in
singing an infectious drinking song, in which the sparkling magic of wine is
hymned in jubilant tones. As Alfio enters, all greet him cordially. Turiddu
offers him a glass, but Alfio gruffly refuses it. "Your wine would become
poison in my stomach!" he snarls at Turiddu. Turiddu retorts, "At your
pleasure," and empties the glass on the ground. Lola is frightened, and
several women confer hastily, approach Lola, whisper to her, and take her
away with them. The two men exchange a few sharp words, and then give a
challenge in the Sicilian village fashion of the time: the men embrace and
Turiddu bites Alfio's ear in token of acceptance.
After Alfio leaves for the place appointed for the duel, Turiddu calls out
to his mother. With mounting alarm, the mother listens to him as he begins
an aria pulsing with tragic import and filial love, "Mamma, quel vino e
generoso." He is going away, he says, and may not return. "If I should not
come back, be a mother to Santuzza, the girl I vowed to marry," he pleads.
To quiet her fears he assures her that it is only the wine that makes him
talk this way. Then he kisses her and rushes off with a farewell sob.
Mamma Lucia follows him for a few steps, shouting his name in despair.
Santuzza enters and throws her arms about her. The square now begins to fill
again. A nervous expectancy is in the air. The taut excitement grows as a
murmur of voices is heard in the distance. Then the cry of a single woman
rises shrilly: "They've murdered Turiddu!" Terrified women rush into the
square. Santuzza gives an anguished shriek and collapses. Women rush to
Mamma Lucia's side as she, too, reels and faints. The stupefied crowd looks
on in horror.
From
"The Victor Book of the Opera" 13th Edition © 1929, 1949, 1953,
1968 |
