Tosca: Opéra de Paris
About the Event
Experience Pierre Audi's production of 'Tosca' at the Paris Opera with a stellar cast.
Puccini's violent and passionate work captures the essence of opera as few others do. A singer in love, passionate, jealous and impulsive a romantic painter, an idealist and a defender of liberty a police chief with a lust for flesh, power and blood, ready to do anything to achieve his ends.
Tosca' is a three‐act opera composed by Giacomo Puccini at the end of the 19th century. The libretto is by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica.
A melodrama set in Rome in 1800, during Napoleon´s invasion of Italy, the piece depicts torture, murder, and suicide alongside love, jealousy and conviction, in some of Puccini´s most intensely lyrical and dramatic music. Through‐composed, the use of thematic motifs emulates Wagnerian technique, and it is clear Puccini intended 'Tosca' to be a work of music drama. The opera was not critically acclaimed at its premiere, early in 1900, but was an immediate success with audiences — a trend that has continued into the present.
Act 1: Angelotti, a political prisoner, has just escaped from the Castel Sant’Angelo and seeks refuge in his family chapel in a nearby church. A sacristan enters with the painter Cavaradossi, who continues his work on a portrait of Mary Magdalene. Angelotti reveals his presence and asks for his friend’s help, but hides again as the painter’s lover, the famous opera singer Floria Tosca, enters. Tosca is suspicious, but Cavaradossi reassures her of his fidelity, and the lovers plan to meet later in the evening.
A cannon shot, announcing Angelotti’s escape, is heard and Cavaradossi helps his friend flee.
The chief of police, Baron Scarpia, arrives searching for Angelotti. Suspecting Cavaradossi’s involvement, Scarpia convinces Tosca that Cavaradossi has run off with another woman, knowing that Tosca’s jealousy will lead him to Cavaradossi and Angelotti. As the ‘Te Deum’ builds in intensity, he vows to ensnare them all.
Act 2: Cavaradossi has been arrested. Summoning Tosca from her concert in the courtyard below, Scarpia tries to extract Angelotti’s hiding place from Tosca, but she pleads ignorance, so Scarpia raises the stakes, torturing Cavaradossi. Tosca reveals the secret, asking Scarpia for Cavaradossi’s freedom in return. Delirious with pain, Cavaradossi hears Scarpia order his men to Angelotti’s hiding place, and curses Tosca.
Tosca pleads for her lover’s life, and Scarpia offers an exchange — if she will submit to his lust, he will spare Cavaradossi’s life. Tosca realises she must agree to the bargain. Scarpia tells Tosca there must be a mock execution, but slyly orders his men to prepare for a real one.
At Tosca’s request, Scarpia writes a safe‐conduct pass for her and Cavaradossi. Tosca finds a dagger among Scarpia’s papers, stabs him, and goes to find Cavaradossi, safe‐conduct in hand.
Act 3: Awaiting execution, Cavaradossi bribes the jailer for pen and paper to write a farewell letter to Tosca. Tosca appears, tells him that she has murdered Scarpia but that they will escape together following the mock‐execution. The arrival of the firing squad interrupts the lovers’ excited planning.
The shots are fired and Tosca begs Cavaradossi to wait until the soldiers are gone before he moves, then discovers to her horror that the execution was real after all. Distant shouts announce the discovery of Scarpia’s murder. As the soldiers rush in to seize Tosca, she curses Scarpia’s betrayal, and leaps to her death from the castle parapet.
Practical Information
Performed in Italian, with French and English surtitles.
Cast / Production
Creative team:
Oksana Lyniv, Conductor (nov.‑déc.)
Jader Bignamini, Conductor, (mars‑avr.)
Pierre Audi, Director
Christof Hetzer, Set design
Robby Duiveman, Costume design
Jean Kalman, Lighting design
Klaus Bertisch, Dramaturgy
Ching‐Lien Wu, Chorus master
Artistic team:
Saioa Hernández, Floria Tosca (23 Nov. 8 Dec.)
Elena Stikhina, Floria Tosca (11 27 Dec.)
Angel Blue, Floria Tosca (12 28 March)
Sondra Radvanovsky, Floria Tosca (31 March 18 April)
Roberto Alagna, Mario Cavaradossi (23 29 Nov.)
Jonas Kaufmann, Mario Cavaradossi (2, 5, 8 Dec.)
Adam Smith, Mario Cavaradossi (11 27 Dec.)
Freddie De Tommaso , Mario Cavaradossi (12 28 March)
Yusif Eyvazov, Mario Cavaradossi (31 March 18 Apr.)
Alexey Markov, Il Barone Scarpia (23 Nov. 27 Dec. | 12 28 March)
Ludovic Tézier, Il Barone Scarpia (2, 5, 8 Dec.)
Gevorg Hakobyan, Il Barone Scarpia (31 March 18 April)
Amin Ahangaran, Cesare Angelotti (Nov.‑Dec.)
Vartan Gabrielian, Cesare Angelotti (March — April)
Carlo Bosi, Spoletta
André Heyboer, Il Sagrestano
Florent Mbia, Sciarrone
Bernard Arrieta, Un carceriere (Nov. — Dec.)
Fabio Bellenghi, Un carceriere (March — April)
The Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus
Customer Reviews
4.5 of 5
-
Sep 2022
Outstanding
