Siciliana another set of variations by Brahms, the orchestral Variations on a Theme by Haydn (1873), the 7th variation also takes the form of a siciliana. The second of Moritz Moszkowski's "Trois Morceaux poétiques", Op. 42 (1887), is a Siciliano. Hélène's aria, "Merci, jeunes amies" ("Thank you, beloved friends") from Verdi's opera "Les vêpres siciliennes" is another example of a siciliana, suited to its setting, and is referred to as such in the score, even though it is popularly called a bolero. The opening aria of Mascagni's masterpiece "Cavalleria rusticana" is the Siciliana "O Lola". Ernest Chausson composed a sicilienne as
Cavalleria rusticana in 1945, the opera had been performed more than 14,000 times in Italy alone. In 1890, following its run of sold-out performances at the Teatro Costanzi, the opera was produced throughout Italy and in Berlin. It received its London premiere at the Shaftesbury Theatre on 19 October 1891 and its Covent Garden premiere on 16 May 1892. American producers vied with each other (sometimes through the courts) to be the first to present the opera in that country. "Cavalleria rusticana" finally had its American premiere in Philadelphia at the Grand Opera House on 9 September 1891, followed by a performance