Pietro Mascagni (Livorno December 7, 1863 - Rome August 2, 1945) is one of the most important Italian opera composers of the turn of the 20th century. The formidable success of his first masterpiece in 1890, Cavalleria Rusticana, unfortunately eluded many of his following works. Mascagni however wrote 15 operas, an operetta, several beautiful orchestral and vocal works, as well as songs and piano music. He enjoyed amazing operatic successes during his lifetime, and at the same time pursued a very successful career as a conductor. Mascagni's approach to opera differed greatly from that of his friend and rival Puccini -- arguably one of the reasons why critics underestimated the value of his music.

Mascagni's main operas

• Pinotta (23 March 1932 Casinò, San Remo) [composed 1880 ]
• Guglielmo Ratcliff (16 Feb. 1895 Teatro alla Scala, Milan) [composed 1885 ]
• Cavalleria Rusticana (17 May 1890 Teatro Costanzi, Rome) libretto: [1] http://rick.stanford.edu/opera/Mascagni/Cavalleria/libretto.html
• L'amico Fritz (31 Oct. 1891 Teatro Costanzi, Rome)
• I Rantzau (10 Nov. 1892 Teatro La Pergola, Florence)
• Silvano (25 March 1895 Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
• Zanetto (2 Mar. 1896 Liceo Musicale, Pesaro)
• Iris (22 Nov. 1898 Teatro Costanzi, Rome)
• Le maschere (17 Jan. 1901 Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa - Teatro Regio, Turin - Teatro alla Scala, Milan - Teatro La Fenice, Venice - Teatro Filarmonico, Verona - Teatro Costanzi, Rome)
• Amica (16 March 1905, Monte Carlo)
• Isabeau (2 June 1911 Teatro Coliseo, Buenos Aires)
• Parisina (15 Dec. 1913 Teatro alla Scala, Milan)
• Lodoletta (30 April 1917 Teatro Costanzi, Rome)
• Sì (13 Dec. 1919 Teatro Quirino, Rome) [operetta]
• Il piccolo Marat (2 May 1921 Teatro Costanzi, Rome)
• Nerone (16 Jan. 1935 Teatro alla Scala, Milan)