Mascagni Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana - Easy Piano Arrangement

Pietro Mascagni: Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana

PDF Sheet music, piano solo
Simple Solutions piano arrangement by Henrik Kilhamn

Approximate Grade: 4
Scale 1 - 8: Beginner - Advanced

Key: F major, same as original

This is a gem in the orchestral repertoire, placed as an instrumental Intermezzo in the opera Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni. He is mostly known for this very piece, but for very good reason. The Italians could really write beautiful melodies like this one: feeling its way forward over an extended time before eventually reaching a cadence. Originally violins play the melody pretty high up, and in this arrangement we always keep the same register to get that tender expression. The LH plays as much harmony it can handle comfortably, but it’s enough to feel the passionate culminations of the second section!

This arrangement is included in Simple Solutions Volume 4 - An Orchestral Orchard (Intermediate ~ Grade 4-5)

Also, check out:
Simple Solutions Volume 1 (Elementary ~ Grade 3)
Simple Solutions Volume 2 (Intermediate ~ Grade 5)
Simple Solutions Volume 3: Nights & Dreams (Intermediate ~ Grade 5)

ABOUT SIMPLE SOLUTIONS

The Simple Solutions series came from the idea that even not-professionally trained pianists should be able to enjoy the feeling of playing great music from the piano repertoire with their own hands. This is possible with some clever rearranging of the musical material: reducing the range of independent voices and jumps while preserving core ideas of melody and rhythm. In this easier setting, you will instead have enough time on your hands (literally!) to bring the music to life and care about those aspect that often otherwise come second: phrasing, articulation, dynamics, and balance. This will help you develop your over-all musicality, which will be of great value in all other pieces as well.

In the end, if you feel ready for a challenge and want to go forward with proper piano studies that requires years of practice – you can always move on to more advanced arrangements or original piano compositions. They will always be there. In the meantime, these arrangements will bring you close to the same enjoyment as the full versions, because all musical ideas are carefully conserved.

They are just a little bit easier.