Verismo recommendations, please!

[adriano]

The original versions of Boito's "Mefistofele" and Zandonai's "Francesca da Rimini" were, for example, also much longer. It was also Ricordi, the publisher, who controlled this.

[Alan Howe]

Well, Mascagni certainly varied his tone and manner from opera to opera - but all within the boundaries of the broad verismo style.

[gene schiller]

Before you write off "Guglielmo Ratcliff" for good, I think you're listening to the wrong performance...and yes, pigs do fly.  Check out Catania (1990) with Vincenzo Scuderi, who sails through the title role like a house on fire, even interpolating a high C for good measure in the finale from Act 3; so much for the role being unsingable.  And no one conducts it like Gabor Otvos - an enormously dynamic reading. Sonic imperfections are irrelevant here; I can't imagine any fan of verismo not responding to this.
I'd recommend starting first with Acts 3 & 4; soprano Sandra Pacetti is excellent, and Elena Souliotis, though underpowered, manages to redeem herself with an unexpected reprise of her great scene near the end.          Best regards,  Gene Schiller