Zanetto translation by Emilio Praga of François Coppée's play "Le passant" (The passer-by) in which the young Sarah Bernhardt had won fame in the "en travesti" role of Zanetto. "Zanetto" represented a return by Mascagni to the one-act format of his first opera "Cavalleria rusticana", which had premiered in 1890. However, the Renaissance setting of "Zanetto" was a far cry from the gritty contemporary story he used for "Cavalleria rusticana", the work that made him famous. By 1893, Mascagni was simultaneously working on three operas: "Vistilia", based on a novel by Rocco de Zerbi set in ancient Rome; "Guglielmo Ratcliff", which
Audrey Babcock Audrey Babcock Audrey Babcock is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer who has performed in many opera houses throughout the world. She performed the Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana at the Washington Concert Opera. Babcock sang the role of Maddalena in Verdi's "Rigoletto" for Boston Lyric Opera in March 2014. She sang in the first professional staging of Daniel Crozier's opera "With Blood, With Ink" in April 2014 at the Fort Worth Opera. Babcock has frequently performed the title role in Bizet's opera "Carmen", notably in 2008 at the San Antonio Opera, 2009 at the Utah Festival Opera, and in 2012 at