G. Puccini. Tosca

At the 2017 Baden-Baden Easter Festival, Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra presented Giacomo Puccini's Tosca, directed by Philipp Himmelmann.

Puccini's three-act opera is based on a libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on the play of the same name by Victorien Sardou. The transformation of the verbose French play into a laconic Italian opera took four years, during which the composer repeatedly argued with his librettists and publisher. The premiere took place at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900.

The action takes place in Rome in 1800. The republican Cesare Angelotti, who has escaped from prison, hides in a church where the artist Mario Cavaradossi works. Mario recognizes Angelotti as one of the consuls of the Italian Republic and offers him refuge in his home. The famous singer Floria Tosca, Cavaradossi's lover, also comes to the church. The lovers agree to meet in the evening.

Soon, the chief of the Roman police, Baron Scarpia, appears, on the trail of the fugitive. He suspects the artist Cavaradossi of harboring him. Floria returns to the church to tell her lover about new plans for the evening. Scarpia wants to find out everything she knows and convinces Tosca of Cavaradossi's infidelity. Jealous Floria rushes to her lover's house, followed by the police.

Cavaradossi is captured and tortured. Tosca cannot stand the torment of her lover and gives away the place where Angelotti is hiding. Mario is to be executed the next day. Tosca accepts Scarpia's indecent offer in exchange for her lover's life. The Baron promises her that the artist will be shot with blanks, and then the lovers will be able to secretly leave Rome with a special pass. Having received the promise and the paper, Tosca decisively stabs the scoundrel with a dagger.

At dawn, Tosca tells Cavaradossi that the execution will not be real, and he must fake his death. They dream of a happy future. After the shots are fired, it turns out that Scarpia has deceived Tosca. The soldiers fired real bullets and Cavaradossi is dead. The woman, blinded by grief, faces arrest for the murder of Baron Scarpia. In despair, she throws herself down from the wall of the fortress tower.

PERFORMERS:

Floria Tosca, famous singer - Kristine Opolais

Mario Cavaradossi, artist - Marcelo Alvarez

Baron Scarpia, chief of police of Rome - Marco Vratogna

Cesare Angelotti, former consul of the Roman Empire, escaped political prisoner - Alexander Tsymbalyuk

Sacristan - Peter Rose

Spoletta, police agent - Piotr Tantsits

Sharone, another agent - Douglas Williams

Jailer - Walter Fink

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor - Simon Rattle

Berlin State Philharmonic Choir

Chorus Master - Juvenum Karlsruhe

Festival Hall, Baden-Baden, 2005