Tosca

Noted excerpts

• "Recondita armonia" (Cavaradossi)
• "Non la sospiri la nostra casetta" (Tosca)
• "Va, Tosca!" (Te Deum) (Scarpia)
• "Ha più forte sapore" (Scarpia)
• Torture Scene (Scarpia, Tosca, Cavaradossi, Spoletta)
• "Vittoria, vittoria" -- (Cavaradossi)
• "Vissi d'arte" -- (Tosca)
• "E lucevan le stelle" -- (Cavaradossi)

History

The original play by Victorien Sardou was produced in Paris in 1887 and seen by Puccini in Milan, in 1887, with Sarah Bernhardt as Tosca. Puccini immediately asked his editor Giulio Ricordi to buy Sardou's rights, but these were finally bought only in 1893 to be given to Alberto Franchetti, another composer. Illica wrote his libretto, and in October 1894, Franchetti, Ricordi, Illica and Giuseppe Verdi met Sardou to present him the libretto. Verdi was particularly fascinated by this tragedy, but he refused to compose music for it unless Sardou could come up with another ending.

Analysis

Tosca is generally considered of capital importance in the history of opera because of its many high points.

Anecdotes

Puccini had a devotion for precision that could not be fought. For the Te Deum procession, he arranged for one of Ricordi's workers to be sent to Rome, where he stayed several months to find whatever material available on that subject in shops, libraries, museums, etc.; finally, he received from an old friar the precise drawing of the role of each participant, and a set of 18 handpainted tablets describing it.

Roles

Premiere, January 14, 1900
(Leopoldo Mugnone) Floria Tosca, a celebrated singer soprano Hariclea Darclée Mario Cavaradossi, a painter tenor Emilio de Marchi Baron Scarpia, chief of police baritone Eugenio Giraldoni Cesare Angelotti, former Consul of the Roman Republic bass Ruggero Galli A sacristan bass Ettore Borelli Spoletta, a police agent tenor Enrico Giordano Sciarrone, a gendarme bass Aristide Parassani A gaoler bass A shepherd-boy alto Angelo Righi Soldiers, police agents, noblemen and women, townsfolk, artisans

Synopsis

Scene: Rome.

Time: June 1800.

Act I

Angelotti, an escaped political offender, seeks refuge in the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle where his family has a chapel. Here his sister, the Marchesa Attavanti, while praying for his release, has unwittingly served as a model to the painter Mario Cavaradossi for his picture of the Magdalen. Just a moment before a sacristan enters (followed shortly by Cavaradossi), Angelotti conceals himself in his private chapel; the sacristan assists the painter washing his brushes. Cavaradossi stops his work for a moment, regarding a medallion he had in his pocket: this medallion contains a miniature of Tosca and he makes a comparison between her and the model he was portraying (Recondita armonia – "Concealed harmony").

Act II

In the Palazzo Farnese (now the embassy of France) where he lives, Scarpia is dining, while celebrations are heard outside. He sends a servant to invite Tosca to join him when she finishes with her recital. Cynically he sings of pleasure (Ella verrà per amor del suo Mario – "She will come out of love for her Mario" and Ha più forte sapore la conquista violenta – "The violent conquest has a stronger flavor) presuming she will surrender to his power.

Act III

Church bells announce the beginning of the day while a shepherd sings a stornello in romanesco, the Roman dialect. Cavaradossi, in prison, awaits his execution. For the price of a ring (his last possession), Cavaradossi convinces a jailer to deliver a note to Tosca, then starts writing a farewell letter (E lucevan le stelle – “And the stars were shining.”). With the last line (E non ho amato mai tanto la vita – "And never have I loved life so much"), he bursts into tears.

Trivia

In the video game Hitman: Blood Money, Tosca is being rehearsed in a level titled "Curtains Down". One of the targets is an opera singer, the other target is an important figure watching from the loge who is the performer's lover; in addition to being his business (child prostitution ring) partner. If the player chooses so, he can replace the blank gun used for the execution scene with a real firearm that looks identical to the prop, or even take the executioner's uniform and play it himself. The end result is similar to the last scene in Tosca, where the believed fake firing squad is real. The target in the loge applauds, until he realizes that the performer is dead, and rushes downstairs through the theater towards the stage.

Recordings

1953 Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi Victor de Sabata, La Scala Orchestra and Chorus EMI Classics 7243 5 62890 2 4 Leontyne Price, Giuseppe di Stefano, Giuseppe Taddei Herbert von Karajan, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Vienna State Opera Chorus Decca 028946638422 Montserrat Caballé, José Carreras, Samuel Ramey Sir Colin Davis, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Orchestra and Chorus Philips 028943835923 Mirella Freni, Plácido Domingo, Samuel Ramey Giuseppe Sinopoli, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Chorus and Children's Chorus Deutsche Grammophon 028943177528 Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, Ruggero Raimondi Antonio Pappano, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Orchestra and Chorus EMI Classics 7243 5 57173 2 0

Bibliography

• Vandiver, Susan, Tosca's Rome: The Play and the Opera in Historical Perspective, Nicassio, The University of Chicago Press, 1999. ISBN 0-226-57971-9

External links

• Background information on Tosca
• Recordings of Tosca
• Tosca Creative Commons MP3 Edition (with B. Gigli)

Find out more about Tosca on Wikipedia