Pierre Audi directs a new production of this violent and passionate work for the Paris Opera. 

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. Puccini artfully combines the ingredients of a melodrama written for Sarah Bernhardt and comes up with what might be called the opera of operas, a spectacle at once primitive and decadent. In a mythical yet real Rome, from the shadows of the church of Sant’ Andrea della Valle to the terrace of Castello Sant’ Angelo, passions collide and tear all apart, mingling the erotic with the sacred, love with possession, theatre with life. Nothing is what it seems in Tosca: beautiful women who come to pray are conspirators, defeats are victories, and mock executions are real – a spectacular work which captures the essence of opera as few others do.

Synopsis

Act I – in the Attavanti chapel, in the church of Sant’ Andrea della Valle

Escaped political prisoner Angelotti rushes into the church to hide. Soon, painter and fellow dissident Mario Cavaradossi arrives to work on a new portrait of Mary Magdalene, inspired by the visage of Angelotti’s sister, who Mario has seen but doesn’t know personally. He holds a miniature of the singer Floria Tosca, and compares the painting’s light features with Tosca’s dark ones. Angelotti emerges, but Mario urges him to hide again as they hear Tosca approaching. Tosca, always jealous, questions her lover Mario, prays, and reminds him of their planned meeting at his villa that night. Tosca then
recognizes the face in the picture – Angelotti’s sister! She bursts with newfound jealousy, but Mario quells her suspicions. After she leaves, Angelotti emerges again – but cannon fire is heard, indicating that Angelotti’s escape has been discovered. The two men rush to Mario’s villa. The Sacristan enters
with choir boys excited about their performance in a Te Deum that day. They are hushed when the chief of the secret police, Baron Scarpia, enters in search of Angelotti. Tosca re-enters, hoping to see Mario again, but is met by Scarpia, who produces a fan bearing the Attavanti crest – deepening her suspicions that her lover has been unfaithful. Tosca storms off, and Scarpia sends his men to follow her. He vows that he will have the singer in his power.

Act II – The Farnese Palace

Scarpia anticipates the joy he will have when Tosca is his. The spy Spoletta returns. He was unable to find Angelotti, so he brought in Mario for interrogation. Tosca is heard singing at a gala downstairs. She enters the room just as Mario is hauled off to the torture chamber, where the secret police hope to break his silence. Mario’s screams and Scarpia’s questioning break down Tosca’s resolve, and she reveals where Angelotti is hiding. Mario is carried in, and, realizing that Tosca has betrayed Angelotti, turns on her. Another one of Scarpia’s men enter and reports (erroneously) that Napoleon has won the Battle of Marengo – a defeat for Scarpia’s side. Mario exclaims in celebration, and is taken to prison. Scarpia resumes his supper, and suggests to Tosca that she should give over her body to Scarpia in exchange for her lover’s life. Tosca pushes him away as she protests her fate to God. Scarpia makes another move, but they are interrupted by Spoletta – Angelotti, facing capture, has killed himself. Tosca agrees to Scarpia’s proposition. He then seemingly orders a mock execution for Mario – “a la Palmieri,”he tells Spoletta, who responds knowingly and exits. As soon as Scarpia draws up a safe-conduct for the lovers, Tosca stabs him with a knife, killing him. She prays for him, wrenches the document from his
hands, and leaves.

Act III – At the Castel Sant’Angelo

Mario awaits execution. He tries to bribe a guard to give Tosca a farewell note, but soon Tosca appears, and gives him the good news. They revel in their newfound freedom. Tosca then gives Mario an acting lesson on how to die convincingly before the firing squad. The firing squad arrives, shoots Mario, and departs. Tosca urges Mario to get up, and to hurry. When he doesn’t move, she realizes that she has been deceived by Scarpia – the bullets were real. Spoletta rushes in to arrest Tosca for the murder of Scarpia, but Tosca cries out that she will meet Scarpia before God, and leaps to her death. 

CREATIVE TEAM
Conductor: Daniel Oren
Director: Pierre Audi
Sets: Christof Hetzer
Costumes: Robby Duiveman
Lighting: Jean Kalman
Dramaturgy: Klaus Bertisch
Choruses Master:  José Luis Basso
Choruses Paris Opera Chorus:  / Maîtrise des Hauts-De-Seine / Paris Opera children’s
Chorus:
Orchestra:  Paris Opera Orchestra

ARTISTIC TEAM
Floria Tosca: Martina Serafin
Maro Cavaradossi: Marcelo Alvarez
Scarpia:  Ludovic Tézier
Cesare Angelotti: Wojtek Smilek
Spoletta: Carlo Bosi
Sciarrone: André Heyboer
Il Sagrestano: Francis Dudziak
Un carceriere: Andrea Nelli