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
Myrna Sharlow Don José. In the spring of 1914 Sharlow made her European debut in Paris as Cio-Cio-San in Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" with Henry Russell's opera company in that city. She was also heard there as Santuzza in "Cavalleria rusticana". She also made appearances that year at the Paris Opera and the Berlin State Opera. In July 1914 she sang at the Royal Opera House in London in the English premiere of Riccardo Zandonai's "Francesca da Rimini". "The Times" stated in their review, "A special word of praise seems due to Miss Myrna Sharlow, who as Samaritana sang with an appealing freshness