This presentation by Musicologist Jesse Rosenberg, Northwestern University, is held in conjunction with the three upcoming performances (February 6-8) of Mascagni's masterpiece by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and an outstanding cast of soloists, conducted by Maestro Riccardo Muti.

Giovanni Verga's short story "Cavalleria Rusticana" caused a sensation upon its publication in 1880, as did the author's theatrical adaptation of the work in 1884. The story of the transformation of these sources into a a full-fledged opera by Pietro Mascagni offers fascinating insights into the world of late 19th-century melodramma.