Stanislao Gastaldon the music publisher Sonzogno announced a competition for one-act operas, Gastaldon decided to enter with "Mala Pasqua!", a setting of Giovanni Verga's popular short story (and later play), "Cavalleria rusticana". Another young composer, Pietro Mascagni, entered the same contest with his opera "Cavalleria rusticana", also based on Verga's story. Gastaldon withdrew his work early in the competition when he received an offer from Sonzogno's rival, Ricordi, to publish it and arrange a premiere at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. He expanded the opera to three acts, and "Mala Pasqua!" premiered on April 9, 1890 to modest success. Mascagni's opera eventually
Paul Hansen (tenor) Copenhagen where he became a music teacher. He later moved to Helsinki where he died in 1967 at the age of 81. In 1917 Hansen appeared in his film debut, "Cavalleria Rusticana", based on the opera of the same name. His co-star on "Cavalleria Rusticana" was mezzo-soprano Emma Vilmar, who took the role of Lucia. The two became a couple and were later married. His early cinema appearances were all made in Germany and were translations of popular operas. From 1919 Hansen began appearing in cinema dramas, and that year he starred in the silent film "The Woman at the