Pietro Mascagni facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pietro Mascagni
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Pietro Antonio Stefano Mascagni
7 December 1863 Livorno, Italy
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| Died | 2 August 1945 (aged 81) Rome, Italy
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| Occupation | Composer |
Pietro Mascagni (born December 7, 1863 – died August 2, 1945) was a famous Italian composer. He is best known for his many operas. An opera is a play where the story is told mostly through singing, often with an orchestra.
His most famous work is Cavalleria rusticana, which came out in 1890. This opera was a huge hit and started a new style of Italian opera called Verismo. This style focused on realistic stories and characters. While some thought Mascagni was only famous for this one opera, his other works like L'amico Fritz and Iris are still performed today, especially in Italy.
Mascagni wrote fifteen operas, one operetta (a lighter type of opera), and many other musical pieces. These included orchestral works, songs, and piano music. He was very successful during his life, both as a composer and as a conductor. He led orchestras playing his own music and the music of others.
Contents
Pietro Mascagni's Life Story
Early Years and Music Education
Pietro Mascagni was born on December 7, 1863, in Livorno, Italy. He was the second son of Domenico and Emilia Mascagni. His father owned a bakery. Pietro had a lifelong friend and helper named Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti, who was born in the same city and year.
When Pietro was 13, in 1876, he started studying music. His teacher was Alfredo Soffredini, who had just started a music school in Livorno. Mascagni quickly began composing. Between 1879 and 1880, he wrote several pieces, including symphonies and religious music.
Starting a Musical Career (1880–1889)
Mascagni's first major work, a cantata called In Filanda, was performed in 1881. It won first prize at a music contest in Milan. That same year, he met famous musicians like Arrigo Boito and Amilcare Ponchielli.
In 1882, Mascagni wrote more music, including a cantata based on a text by Friedrich Schiller. He moved to Milan and passed the entrance exam for the Milan Conservatory. There, he met another important composer, Giacomo Puccini.
Mascagni continued to compose different types of music, including pieces for voice and piano. In 1885, he left the Milan Conservatory without finishing his studies. He then started traveling as a conductor for operetta companies.
In 1886, Mascagni moved to Cerignola with his future wife, Argenide Marcellina Carbognani, known as Lina. He became a music teacher and conductor for the local music group. His reputation grew. In 1888, he began working on a large religious piece called Messa di Gloria.
In July 1888, a music publisher announced a competition for a one-act opera. Mascagni finished his opera, Cavalleria rusticana, on May 27, 1889, and sent it in. He married Lina Carbognani on February 3, 1889. Their first son, Domenico, was born the next day. They later had two more children, Dino and Emi.
Becoming Famous (1890–1899)
On May 17, 1890, Cavalleria rusticana premiered in Rome. It was a huge success! The opera was soon performed all over Italy. In December, the famous conductor Gustav Mahler led the opera in Budapest. Soon, cities around the world, like Munich, Hamburg, and Buenos Aires, were performing it. By age 26, Mascagni was internationally famous.
His next opera, L'amico Fritz, premiered in Rome in 1891 and was also very popular. He continued to compose and conduct. In 1895, he became the director of the Liceo Rossini in Pesaro and moved his family there.
Mascagni worked with a writer named Luigi Illica on his opera Iris, which premiered in Rome in 1898.
New Works and Travels (1900–1909)
In 1900, Mascagni toured Moscow and St. Petersburg. In 1901, his opera Le maschere premiered in six Italian theaters at the same time. When the great composer Giuseppe Verdi died that year, Mascagni honored him by conducting Verdi's Requiem in Vienna.
In 1902 and 1903, Mascagni toured Canada and the United States. He conducted many of his own works and those of other composers. In 1903, he left Pesaro and became the director of the Scuola Musicale Romana in Rome.
His opera Amica premiered in Monte-Carlo in 1905. During this time, he had some disagreements with other famous composers like Ruggero Leoncavallo and Giacomo Puccini.
Later Career and World War I (1910–1919)
In 1910, Mascagni became friends with Puccini again. In 1911, he went on a seven-month tour in South America. His opera Isabeau premiered in Buenos Aires during this tour.
Isabeau was performed in Italy in 1912. Mascagni also started working on his opera Parisina with the writer Gabriele d'Annunzio. Parisina premiered in Milan in 1913, with many important Italian composers attending.
When World War I started in 1914, Mascagni and Puccini were against Italy joining the war. Mascagni's son, Dino, was later taken prisoner during the war.
In 1915, Mascagni wrote music for a silent film called Rapsodia Satanica. Silent films often had live music played by an orchestra or piano. His opera Lodoletta premiered in Rome in 1917. In 1919, his operetta Sì premiered in Rome.
Final Years (1920–1945)
In 1920, Mascagni composed Il piccolo Marat, which premiered in Rome in 1921. He toured South America again in 1922. In 1926, he appeared on the cover of Time magazine.
From 1927 until his death, Mascagni lived at the Grand Hotel Plaza in Rome. In 1930, he conducted Puccini's opera La bohème to honor his friend.
In 1931, Mascagni joined the PNF, which was the Fascist party in Italy at the time. Many artists and musicians joined this party during that period. His opera Pinotta premiered in 1932, and Nerone premiered in 1935.
Sadly, Mascagni's son Dino died in Somalia in 1936.
In 1940, Italy celebrated the 50th anniversary of Cavalleria rusticana. Mascagni often conducted the opera himself. He even recorded a special introduction for a recording of the opera.
In 1943, Mascagni conducted L'amico Fritz at La Scala for the last time. He was not well and had to conduct while sitting in a chair. His last season conducting at the Rome Opera was in 1944–45.
Pietro Mascagni died on August 2, 1945, in Rome. His funeral was held a few days later. In 1951, his body was moved from Rome to Livorno, his hometown, where he received a special official tribute.
Pietro Mascagni's Main Works
Operas
- Cavalleria rusticana (1890)
- L'amico Fritz (1891)
- I Rantzau (1892)
- Guglielmo Ratcliff (1895)
- Silvano (1895)
- Zanetto (1896)
- Iris (1898)
- Le maschere (1901)
- Amica (1905)
- Isabeau (1911)
- Parisina (1913)
- Lodoletta (1917)
- Il piccolo Marat (1921)
- Pinotta (1932)
- Nerone (1935)
Operetta
- Sì (1919)
Religious Music
- Messa di Gloria in F major (1888) – for singers, choir, and orchestra.
Orchestral Music
- A Giacomo Leopardi (1898) – a cantata for voice and orchestra.
- Il re a Napoli (1885) – a romance for tenor voice and orchestra.
Mascagni's Music in Movies
Mascagni's music is still used in popular culture today.
- The 1980 film Raging Bull used music from Cavalleria rusticana, Silvano, and Guglielmo Ratcliff.
- The 1990 film The Godfather Part III used a performance of Cavalleria rusticana as a key part of its ending. The movie finishes with the famous Intermezzo from the opera.
Images for kids
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Mascagni around 1890
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A poster for Mascagni's opera Amica from 1905. It shows Geraldine Farrar, who sang the main role.
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A funny drawing of Mascagni from Vanity Fair magazine in 1912.
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A plaque in Rome dedicated to Mascagni.
See also
In Spanish: Pietro Mascagni para niños
