Cavalleria Rusticana(1959 film)

Cavalleria Rusticana
Based on	the operaCavalleria RusticanabyPietro Mascagni
Directed by	Alan Burke
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
Production
Running time	75 mins
Original release
Release	12 June 1959(1959-06-12)

Cavalleria Rusticanais a 1959 Australian television play, an adaptation of the opera byPietro Mascagni.It was directed by Alan Burke.

Music was provided by theSydney Symphony Orchestraconducted byGeorg Tintner.

Plot

In a Sicilian village, the peasant girl Santuzza falls for the tanner Turiddu. However he tires of her and returns to his old love, Lola. To get revenge, Santuzza tells Lola's husband Alfio about the love affair, resulting in a duel with knives between Alfio and Turiddu.

Cast

• Heather McMillan as Santussa
• Alan Ferris as Turiddu
• Florence Taylor
• Neil Easton as Alfio
• Mary Tysoe as Lola

Production

It was the fourth live opera from the ABC following, "The Telephone," "Pagliacci", and "Prima Donna." Alan Burke had directedPrima Donna.

Singer Marie Tysoe later recalled "That was also performed live. We had monitors strategically placed in the sets so that the singers could always see the conductor."

Reception

The TV critic from theSydney Morning Heraldcalled it "no more than a partial success". He praised its "well planned and well designed sets" but thought it lacked movement and felt the singing "was often heavy and uncertain" and acting "either stagey or inhibited, and sometimes both.. It seems that the initial requirements for local televised opera is singers who can adapt their style to the searching eye of the camera.

See also

• List of live television plays broadcast on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1950s)

External links

• Cavalleria RusticanaatIMDb