About the work
I Rantzau is a four-act opera by Pietro Mascagni to a libretto by Guido Menasci and Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti, based on the play Les Rantzau by Erckmann-Chatrian. His third opera after Cavalleria rusticana, it was premiered on 10 November 1892 at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence.
Plot
The feuding brothers Johann and Jacob Rantzau have fallen out over an inheritance dispute and forbidden their children any contact. When the daughter Luise falls gravely ill because her secret love for her cousin Georg seems to have no future, this crisis is what finally reconciles the estranged families.
Cultural significance
The premiere was a triumph for Mascagni; his success is said to have been so overwhelming that his wife Lina fainted with emotion. Despite this initial success, the opera failed to establish itself long-term in the international repertoire.