Pietro Mascagni Somalia. In 1940, celebrations for the fiftieth anniversary of his most popular opera, "Cavalleria rusticana", took place all over Italy, often with Mascagni conducting. The opera was recorded for "La Voce del padrone" ("His Master's Voice") at La Scala under the direction of Mascagni, who recorded a special spoken introduction. EMI later reissued the recording on LP and CD. In 1942, after an audience with Pope Pius XII, newspapers quoted Mascagni, a Roman Catholic, as saying that his tuberculosis-stricken niece was cured after receiving a rosary and silver medal blessed by the pope. In April 1943, Mascagni appeared for the
Ian Campbell (opera director) the Australia Council from 1974 to 1976, and later became General Manager of the State Opera of South Australia in Adelaide from 1976 to 1982. In 1982 he joined the Metropolitan Opera in New York as Assistant Artistic Administrator before becoming the General and Artistic Director, CEO of San Diego Opera in 1983. His stage directing credits include "La bohème" (1981) and "The Tales of Hoffmann" (1982) for the State Opera of South Australia; "Cavalleria rusticana" and "Pagliacci" for Santa Barbara Grand Opera (1999). For San Diego Opera he has staged "Falstaff" (1999), "Il trovatore" (2000), "Tosca" (2002), "Katya Kabanova"