The Royal Opera House: Tosca
Jonathan Kent's production for The Royal
Opera captures the dangerous political
turbulence of Rome in 1800. The Chief of
Police, Scarpia - one of the most malevolent
villains in opera - ruthlessly pursues and
tortures enemies of the state. His dark,
demonic music contrasts with the expansive
melodies of the idealistic lovers, Tosca and
Cavaradossi, who express their passion in
sublime arias, including 'Vissi d'arte' and 'E
lucevan le stelle'. Giacomo Puccini's dramatic
work was a hit with audiences on its 1900
premiere and it remains one of the most
performed of all operas - with its gripping
plot and glorious music, it's easy to see why.
A candle-lit church, Scarpia's gloomy
study with its hidden torture chamber and
the false optimism of a Roman dawn: this
handsome production throws into relief the
ruthlessly taut drama, as the tension is wound
up towards a fateful conclusion. Puccini's
meticulously researched score is infused
with the same authentic detail, from distant
cannon fire during the Act I Te Deum to
tolling church bells and the sounds of a firing
squad.
