Goodbye C, Intermezzo

For C

Febbraio 2005 – Aguascalientes (Mexico); Intermezzo della “Cavalleria rusticana” di P. Mascagni; Orchestra Sinfonica di Aguascalientes, direttore M° Onofrio Claudio Gallina.
Febbraio 2005 – Aguascalientes (Mexico); Intermezzo della “Cavalleria rusticana” di P. Mascagni; Orchestra Sinfonica di Aguascalientes, direttore M° Onofrio Claudio Gallina.

Part 6

For C:

Santuzza (sorrowfully)
Your own Santuzza weeps and begs
you,
how can you treat me like this?

Turridu
I told you to go, you make me tired!
It’s to late for penitence!

Santuzza (threateningly)
I warn you!

Turridu
Your threats don’t frighten me!
(throws her down and flees into the church)

Santuzza
Then be damned forever!
(she falls, desperate and all full of anguish. Enter Alfio, meeting Santuzza)
(collecting herself)
Oh heaven must have sent you, Alfio.

Alfio
How far along is the service?

Santuzza
It’s almost over.
But you should know that Lola
has gone with Turridu!

Alfio (surprised)
What do you mean?

Santuzza
I mean that while you trudge
Through wind and rain to earn a
living,
Lola puts cuckold’s horns on your head!

Alfio
Ah! In God’s name Santa, what are
you saying?

Santuzza
The truth.
Turridu robbed me of my honor
and now your wife robs me of him!

Alfio (threateningly)
If you’re lying I’ll tear out your heart!

Santuzza
I’m not in the habit of lying!
I swear by my shame and dishonor,
I have told you the truth!

Alfio
Then, Santuzza, I am grateful to you.

Santuzza
It was infamous of me to tell you!

Alfio (suddenly)
No, it is they who are infamous!
But they will not get away with it!
All my love has turned to hate.
I’ll have my revenge before this day is over!

(they go off)

Mascagni

For C:

Turridu (Enter)
What are you doing here, Santuzza?

Santuzza
I was waiting for you

Turridu
It’s Easter. Aren’t you going to church?

Santuzza
No. I must talk to you

Turridu
I was looking for Mamma.

Santuzza
But I must speak to you.

Turridu
No! Not here!

Santuzza
Where have you been?

Turridu
Where do you think I’ve been?
In Francofonte.

Santuzza
That’s not true!

Turridu
Santuzza, you msut believe me…

Santuzza
No, don’t lie!
I saw you turn from the path,
and this morning at dawn
you were seen near Lola’s door.

Turridu
Ah! You have been spying on me!

Santuzza
No! I swear to you!
Alfio told me a while ago.

Turridu
So this is how you repay my love!
Do you want to get me killed?

Santuzza
Oh! Please don’t say that!

Turridu
Get away from me! Don’t think your
pity
is going to pacify me!

Santuzza
Then you do love her!

Turridu
No!

Santuzza
Lola is much
more beautiful.

Turridu
Be quiet! I do not love her.

Santuzza
You love her, you love her!
Oh, damn you forever!

Turridu
Santuzza!

Santuzza
That dreadful woman has stolen you
away from me!

Turridu (firmly)
I warn you, Santuzza,
I will not stand for your jealousy.

Santuzza (with anguish)
Beat me, insult me, I will still love you
and pardon you,
but my anguish is beyond endurance.

(They cease abruptly on hearing Lola approach)

Lola
O fairest flower–
There are thousands of angels in
Heaven,
but none so fair as he,
O fairest flower…Oh!
(Enters and stops)
Turridu, has Alfio been here?

Turridu
I don’t know.
I have just arrived.

Lola
Maybe he stayed at the blacksmith’s.
But I cannot wait.
Are you attending the service in the street?

Turridu (confused)
Santuzza was telling me…

Santuzza (firmly)
I was telling him
that today is Easter, and God
sees everything.

Lola
Aren’t you going to Mass?

Santuzza
Not I.
Only those who have not sinned should
go.

Lola
I give thanks to God and bow before
Him.

Santuzza (bitterly)
Oh! Well spoken, Lola, well spoken!

Turridu (to Lola)
Come on, let’s go.
There’s nothing to keep us here.

Lola (to Turridu, ironically)
Oh! Stay here!

Santuzza (to Turridu, firmly)
Yes, stay, stay. I have something more
to say to you.

Lola
God be with you! I must be going.
(she enters the church)

Turridu
Ah! Do you see what you have done?

Santuzza
You asked for it, and you deserve it!

Turridu (threateningly)
Why, you…

Santuzza (pleadingly)
My heart is breaking.

Turridu
No!

Santuzza
Turridu, listen!

Turridu
Get out!

Santuzza
Turridu, listen!

Turridu
I said get out!

Santuzza (with passion)
Please, Turridu, listen!
Don’t go, Turridu. Stay here, stay here.
How can you abandon me like this?

Turridu
Must you follow me, must you spy on me
even at the church door?

Pony Prances Methford

Good gig last night at Johnny Bs. All of your friends were there and we ate hamburgers and played with the local kids.
The Underlings went on to Arcata and us girls fended for ourselves in the wild that is road trip. Swimming hole and a capella rehearsal. We know how to have fun in the car, that’s for sure.

Mascagni cont.

For C

But Lola was envious of my
happiness.
Burning with jealousy she betrayed
her husband,
she stole Turiddu away from me;
and I am left alone, without honor,
without love.
Lola and Turiddu love each other,
and I weep, I weep!

Lucia
How can you tell me these dreadful
things
on this holy day?

Santuzza (desperately)
I am damned, I am damned.
O Mammam go on your knees to God
and pray for me. Turiddu is coming–
I will beg him once more not to
leave me.

Lucia
Mother of God, help her now!
(goes into the church)

Mascagni Cavalleria Rusticana, Pt.3

For C

Lucia
You are indeed blessed, Alfio,
To always be so happy!

Alfio (hastily)
Mamma Lucia, have you any more of that wonderful old wine?

Lucia
No. Turridu went to get more.

Alfio
But he’s still here. I saw him this
morning near my house.

Lucia (surprised)
Really?

Santuzza (to Lucia, speaking rapidly)
Be quiet.

Alfio
I must be going. You’d better go in to
church.

(exit)

Chorus (inside the church)
Regina Coeli, laetare–Alleluja!
Quia, quem meruisti portare – Alleluja!
Resurrexit secut dixet – Alleluja!

(in the square outside the church)
Let us sing, Christ is not dead!
He has risen from the tomb.
Let us sing to Christ reborn,
today He ascends to the glory of
Heaven!

Santuzza and chorus (in the square)
Let us sing, Christ is not dead!
Let us sing to Christ reborn,
today he ascends to the glory of
Heaven

Chorus (inside the church)
Alleluja, He has risen from the tomb!

Lucia
Why did you signal to me to be quiet?

Santuzza
You know very well, Mamma, that
before he went into the army
Turridu and Lola swore to be faithful
to each other.
But when he returned,
she was married.
He tried to drown his sorrow
with a new love.
He loved me, I loved him, ah, how I
loved him!

Cavelleria Rusticana, cont.

For C

Village Square in Sicilly
In the background, at the right, a church with practicable doors. At the left the Inn and dwelling of Mama Lucia. Easter Morning. Church bells are heard. The curtain rises. At first the stage is empty. Dawn of day. Peasants, countrymen and countrywomen and children cross the scene. The church doors open and the throng enters.

Women (from within)
The fragrance of orange blossoms
wafts through the air.
The larks sing
through the flowering myrtles.
It is the season
of love,
of tender songs
that make the heart beat faster.
(the women enter the scene)

Men (from within)
Through the fields of golden stalks
comes the sound of the spinning wheel,
reminding us, while we rest from our labors,
of you, o fairest ones.
O fairest ones, we are drawn to you
as a bird is drawn to light.
(the men enter the scene)

Women
Work in the fields is over;
the serene Virgin Mary
is confirmed by the Savior;
it is the season
of love,
of tender songs that make the heart beat faster.

Men (withdrawing)
Through the fields of golden stalks
comes the sound of the spinning wheel,
etc.
(the peasants cross the scene and go off)

Santuzza (enters and approaches Lucia’s dwelling)
Tell me, Mama Lucia…

Lucia (surprised)
You! What do you want?

Santuzza
Where is Turridu?

Lucia
You come here to look for my son?

Santuzza
I only want to know
where I can find him

Lucia
I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t
want trouble!

Santuzza
Mama Lucia, I beg of you,
do for me what Christ did for Magdalen;
tell me, for God’s sake, where is
Turridu?

Lucia
He went to Francofonte to get the wine.

Santuzza
That’s not true. He was seen in this village last night.

Lucia
What are you saying?
He did not come home!
(starting towards the door of the house)
Come in.

Santuzza (in despair)
I cannot enter your house.
I am excommunicated.

Lucia
What do you know about my son?

Santuzza
My heart is breaking!
(behind the scenes a cracking of whips and jingling of bells. The chorus enters; afterwards Alfio)

Alfio
The horse paws the ground,
the harness-bells are tinkling,
crack goes the whip! Ola!
The icy wind blows,
let it rain, let it snow,
what do I care?

Chorus
What a wonderful life,
the life of a carter,
to come and go as you please!

Alfio
At home my faithful wife Lola waits
to welcome me
with open arms.
The horse paws the ground,
the harness-bells are tinkling,
it is Easter and I am going home!

Chorus and Alfio
What a wonderful life,
the life of a carter,
to come and go as you please!
(the chorus exits, some entering the church, others scattering in various directions)

Pietro Mascagni “Cavalleria Rusticana”

For C.

The Cast:
Santuzza, a village girl in love with Turridu
Turridu, a young sailor
Alfio, a teamster
Mama Lucia, mother of Turridu
Lola, wife of Alfio
Peasants and villagers

Turridu (behind the scenes)
O Lola, lovely as the flowering thorn,
the sun smiles when you appear.
He who has kissed your ruby lips
can ask nothing more of life.
An air of impending doom surrounds you.
I do not care if I live or not,
but if I died for you and went to heaven
I would not enter if you were not there.

9.9.9

In preparation for tomorrow:

Happy Anniversay Peter J. McGuire

And thanks for all of the parades! We appreciate all of the work and workers rights. And special thanks to Canada for the inspiration. Oops, gotta go now. I am at my non-union job, getting paid squat and paying out the ears for health coverage. Maybe next year we can celebrate everybody gets fair pay and free health care day. Until then; have a great parade and keep up the good work. We are all counting on you.

“…(when someone says) I or we make too much money, I stare them down and say, “No. You don’t make enough.” -My dear friend G, L.A. Harbor Longshoreman.