Mala vita staged in Rome at Sonzogno's expense. Giordano submitted "Marina". When the winners were announced in March 1890, the three chosen from the 72 entires were Niccola Spinelli's "Labilia", Vincenzo Ferroni's "Rudello", and Mascagni's "Cavalleria rusticana", with "Cavalleria" awarded the First Prize. However, "Marina" received one of the 13 "honourable mentions" and impressed. Amintore Galli, Sonzogno's music advisor, who convinced the publisher to offer a commission to the young Giordano for a full-length opera. The huge success of "Cavalleria rusticana" based on the verismo play of the same name by Giovanni Verga, led to the choice of a similar subject for
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"