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Dear Users,

You are cordially invited to the upcoming MUSIC LIBRARY LIVE 2025-2026 screening event, the opera film Cavalleria Rusticana. Through vivid images and mind-blowing music, you shall be able to experience the local customs and charm of a Sicilian village in the 19^th century, and appreciate the allure of a Verismo opera masterpiece.

*School visitors need to scan the QR code in the poster to register for the event (one person only for each registration), while staff and students can participate on the scene without registration.

Content of Screening: Cavalleria Rusticana (Opera film)

Time: 4:00-5:00 pm, December 5, 2025 (Friday)

Location: 102 Recital Hall, Academic Office Building, School of Music, CUHK-Shenzhen

Introduction to the leading performers:

Pl¨¢cido Domingo (1941¨C) is a world-renowned Spanish tenor. He made his American debut in 1966, followed by his first appearance at the Vienna State Opera the following year. He made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York on September 28, 1968. He premiered at La Scala and the San Francisco Opera in 1969. He made his debut at the Royal Opera House in London in 1971. Since then, he has been active in major opera houses and music festivals worldwide. Around 2010, he began taking on baritone roles and is hailed as one of the most versatile singers. To date, he has performed over 150 roles in various theaters, covering classic works from ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign, including Otello, La Traviata, Rigoletto, Turandot, Carmen, and The First Emperor. In 2013, he made his opera debut in China by starring in Verdi's Nabucco at the National Centre for the Performing Arts.

Elena Obraztsova (1939-2015) was a Russian mezzo-soprano. Throughout her career, she performed in numerous roles and collaborated with renowned conductors including Claudio Abbado and Herbert von Karajan. In December 1977, she sang Don Carlo at the opening performance of La Scala's 200th season, conducted by Abbado. She made her New York debut in 1976 in Aida, and was hailed by critics as an "outstanding artist". In 1978, she starred as Carmen alongside Placido Domingo in Franco Zeffirelli's television production of the opera Carmen. In 1982, she also played Santuzza in Zeffirelli's film version of Cavalleria Rusticana. She had collaborated with many renowned opera singers of her time, including Luciano Pavarotti, Joan Sutherland, Placido Domingo, and Margaret Price. She was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1976.

Introduction to Cavalleria Rusticana:

Cavalleria Rusticana is a one-act opera composed by Italian composer Pietro Mascagni. It is the first Verismo (realism) opera and remains a staple of the operatic repertoire. Premiering in Rome in 1890, Cavalleria Rusticana is set in 19th-century Sicilian countryside, using the realities of ordinary farmers as its subject matter, and narrating the complex relationships between two couples. The music throughout the opera is both powerful and beautiful, with the intermezzo being the most well-known tune, which is often performed independently in concerts and used as background music in famous films such as The Godfather: Part III, Raging Bull, and In the Heat of the Sun. The choral piece "Easter Hymn" was later adapted with English lyrics and the title "Anthem for Spring", and has been performed by numerous choirs throughout the world.

We look forward to seeing you then. Thank you.

The Music Library of MUS

The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

December 1, 2025