 This opera constitutes the last of three short serious operas by this composer, the other two being "A Feast in Time of Plague" and "Mademoiselle Fifi".The musical setting of the text of "Mateo Falcone" has a declamatory-melodic character, in keeping with the composer's veneration, if not slavish emulation, of Alexander Dargomyzhsky's method of "melodic recitative," which had been most thoroughly demonstrated in "The Stone Guest".There are no extractable "numbers" from this opera to speak of, although highlights include the orchestral passages that suggest the rustic scenery with a kind of barcarolle, and the intimate Latin prayer near the end (a setting of "Ave Maria"), which is reminiscent of the composer's art songs.