Mascagni's masterpiece, Cavalleria Rusticana, must have been a breath of fresh air at the turn of the century to opera-goers who for years had heard only impressionism, romanticism, and Wagnerian-ism. Its realistic portrayal of a Sicilian love tryst and murder is compact, direct, and underscored with music of great warmth and scenic orchestration. ~ Blue Gene Tyranny, Rovi