Giacomo Puccini (1858 -1924)
Tosca
Opera in 3 Acts
Libretto: Luigi Illica
and Giuseppe Giacosa
Tosca, a famous singer
- Nelly Miricioiu,
soprano
Cavaradossi, painter
- Giorgio Lamberti,
tenor
Baron Scarpia, Chief of
Police
- Silvano Carroli, baritone
Angelotti, Consul of the
Roman Republic - Andrea Piccinni, bass
Spoletta, a police agent
- Miroslav Dvorsky,
tenor
Sciarrone, a policeman
- Jan Durco, baritone
Un carceriere (Gaoler)
- Stanislav Benacka,
bass
Il Sagrestano (Sacristan)
- Jozef Spacek,
baritone
Slovak Philharmonic
Chorus
Slovak Radio Symphony
Orchestra
Alexander Rahbari,
conductor
Giacomo Puccini was born
in Lucca in 1858 into a family with long-established musical traditions
extending back at least to the early eighteenth century .It was natural that he
should follow this tradition and become a musician, and after the death of his
father, when the boy was five, it was arranged that he should inherit the
position of organist at the church of St. Martino, which meanwhile would be
held for him by his uncle. He was trained as a chorister and as an organist,
and only turned to more ambitious composition at the age of seventeen. A
performance of Verdi's opera Aida in Pisa in 1876 inspired operatic
aspirations, which could only be pursued adequately at a major musical centre.
Four years later he was able to enter the conservatory in Milan, assisted
financially by an uncle and by a scholarship. There his teachers were Antonio
Bazzini, director of the conservatory from 1882 and now chiefly remembered by
other violinists for one attractive addition to their repertoire, and Amilcare
Ponchielli, then near the end of his career.
Puccini's first opera
was Le villi, an operatic treatment of a subject better known nowadays
from the ballet Giselle by Adam. It failed to win the competition for
which it had been entered, but won, instead, a staging, through the agency of
Boito, and publication by Ricordi, who commissioned the opera Edgar,
produced at La Scala in 1889 to relatively little effect. It was in 1893 that
Puccini won his first great success with his version of the Abbe Prevost's Manon
Lescaut, a work that established him as a possible successor to Verdi. La
Bohème followed in 1896.
Tosca
, which was first staged
in Rome in 1900, was based on a successful play by the French dramatist
Victorien Sardou (1831-1908), a work designed as a vehicle for Sarah Bernhardt,
as was much else that Sardou wrote. Ricordi had originally intended that the
opera should be written by Alberto Franchetti, who enjoyed considerable fame in
Italy at the time. By subterfuge Franchetti was dissuaded from the project by
what Ricordi suggested to him of its unsuitability as a subject for opera, and
the way was open for Puccini to undertake the composition, once La Bohème
was out of the way. The libretto was by Giuseppe Illica and the poet Luigi
Giacosa, writers who had collaborated with others on the text of Manon
Lescaut and had written La Bohème and were to continue working with
Puccini with Madama Butterfly in 1904.
Work continued on the
opera from 1896, with the score virtually complete by the end of September
1899. Giacosa, whose task was to versify Illica's libretto, had found the
subject unoperatic, and Puccini too had had earlier misgivings, after seeing a
performance of Sardou's La Tosca by Sarah Bernhardt, when the operatic
project was in its infancy. It was decided that the opera should be staged
first at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. Milan had its dangers, since the
supporters of Franchetti would hardly have allowed the work to succeed without
barracking, and Rome, after all, was the scene of the opera, although its
anti-clerical undertones might have seemed dangerously inept. In fact there
were threats of bombing at the first night on 14 January 1900, and disturbance
caused by late-comers persuaded the nervous conductor Mugnone to leave the pit
near the start of Act I, so that the opera had to be started again, when all
was relatively quiet. In spite of an uneven first performance Tosca was coolly
welcomed by critics, but audiences were increasingly enthusiastic, ensuring the
wider success of the opera in the houses of North Italy. In July Tosca
was staged at Covent Garden in London and at the Metropolitan Opera in New York the following February. Parisian critics proved hostile, while Mahler refused the
work a staging at the Hofoper in Vienna, where Zemlinsky conducted the first
performance in 1907 at the Volksoper. Puccini's opera has continued in popular
repertoire, in spite of the critical verdict summed up in Joseph Kerman's
description of the piece as "a shabby little shocker." Whatever
critical controversy may still surround the work, the verdict of the public has
been unequivocal, while the music itself has proved a vehicle for some of the
greatest singers.
Synopsis
Act l
The opera
opens in the Church of Sant'Andrea della Valle in Rome [CD 1/Track 1]. On the
right is the Attavanti Chapel and on the left a scaffold with a large painting
on it, covered with a cloth, with painter's brushes and colours and a basket on
the platform. The orchestra plays three sinister chords, symbols of the
villainous Chief of Police, Baron Scarpia. Angelotti, in prison clothes,
enters, exhausted and fearful, making his escape. He looks around, thinking at
last that he has found safety, as he sees the column with its stoup of holy
water and statue of the Madonna, where his sister has told him she has left the
key to the Attavanti Chapel, which he now unlocks and enters, in trepidation,
fearing that he may have been followed. The sacristan now appears, carrying a
bundle of paint-brushes and talking to himself [1/2], complaining about the
work the painter gives him, cleaning the place, and surprised when he finds the
painter Cavaradossi not there. He climbs onto the platform and looks into the
painter's basket, but finds nothing has been touched.
The Angelus
sounds and the sacristan kneels in prayer, as Cavaradossi comes in and climbs
onto the platform, unveiling his painting of Mary Magdalene. The sacristan
rises and exclaims out aloud when he sees the painting, which he recognises as
that of a gentle lady who comes each day to pray. Cavaradossi praises her
beauty, at which the sacristan is scandalised. The painter starts work, while
the sacristan busies himself cleaning the brushes. Cavaradossi then takes from
his pocket a miniature, at which he gazes, comparing it with the painting, to
which his dark-haired Tosca offers a contrast yet a resemblance [1/3]. The
sacristan continues to complain at what he regards as the artist's disrespect
for religion, before taking his leave. Angelotti now emerges from hiding, takes
alarm at first, but then recognises Cavaradossi [1/4]. Eventually the painter
realises the identity of the intruder, and quickly climbs down from the
scaffolding and shuts the side door to the church.
The voice of Tosca is
heard calling from outside. Cavaradossi gives Angelotti his basket of food and
hurries him into the chapel, as Tosca enters [1/5].
At first Tosca is
suspicious of Cavaradossi, since she has heard him talking to someone, and has
found the church-door locked. She offers the flowers she has brought, before
the statue of the Madonna and turning to Cavaradossi urges him to meet her that
evening after the theatre and to go together to his little villa. She sings of
this idyllic cottage [1/6] and their future happiness, and he submits. Then,
looking over his shoulder anxiously, he tells her to go, while he continues his
work [1/7]. She turns to leave, but then sees the painting and seems to
recognise the subject, a woman she has seen before and now recalls as the
Marchesa Attavanti. She is jealous of this possible rival, but Cavaradossi
calms her fears [1/8], assuring her that no beauty can compare with hers. Tosca
would be happier were the Magdalene to have black eyes like her own rather than
blue.
As Tosca leaves,
Cavaradossi goes to the chapel where Angelotti is hiding [1/9] and opens the
gate for him. They shake hands and the ar1ist explains that Tosca is loyal and
true, but will tell all in the confessional. For this reason he has not
confided in her. Angelotti explains how his sister, the Marchesa Attavanti, has
prepared to help him escape over the border by leaving a disguise for him, and
Cavaradossi tells him how moved he has been at her appearance each day at the
statue of the Madonna. She has striven to save her brother from the machinations
of the wicked Chief of Police, Baron Scarpia, a man that Cavaradossi also
detests, hypocritical in his pretence of religion. The painter agrees to help
him escape in woman's disguise and tells him to wait in the garden, where he
will later meet him. At the same time he tells him of a place to hide, if need
be, at the end of a secret passage in the wall of the garden-well. The sound of
the cannon is heard, signal that Angelotti's escape has been discovered. They
leave the chapel together.
The sacristan rushes in
and is surprised to find that Cavaradossi is not there, as he had hoped to
alarm the heretic with bad news for him. [1/10] Priests, acolytes and singers
of the choir crowd noisily in, and the sacristan tells them his good news, that
Napoleon has been defeated, an event for general rejoicing and bringing extra
work and extra money for the singers, who are doubly delighted. When the tumult
is at its height, Scarpia unexpectedly enters and all immediately fall silent [1/11]
as he upbraids them for such sacrilegious behaviour and sends them about their
business. He detains the sacristan for further questioning and tells his
henchman Spoletta to search the building thoroughly for any sign of the
fugitive Angelotti. Scarpia finds the Attavanti Chapel open, and entering
discovers there only a fan, which seems to Scarpia to indicate the connivance
of some accomplice. Finding on it the coat of arms of the Attavanti family, he
now suspects the Marchesa Attavanti, and he is still further struck when he
sees the portrait of the Magdalene, in which he recognises the features of the
Marchesa. That the painter is Cavaradossi, as the sacristan tells him, can only
deepen his suspicions. One of Scarpia's men now comes out of the chapel
carrying the basket, now empty, a sure sign of the painter's involvement, as he
infers from the sacristan's account of the matter. The food must have been
given to Angelotti.
Tosca comes in, agitated
[1/12], and Scarpia hides behind the column, plotting to use the fan as lago used
Desdemona's handkerchief, to excite a lover's jealousy, since he too has
designs on Tosca. The sacristan, trembling, tells Tosca that Cavaradossi has
disappeared, and she at once supposes him untrue. Scarpia emerges from hiding,
offers Tosca holy water, and praises her beauty and goodness, in contrast to
women who come to church only for assignations with their lovers. He looks
pointedly at the portrait and shows her the fan, immediately prompting a
renewal of her jealousy. He consoles her, as she leaves, intent on interrupting
the supposed meeting between the Marchesa Attavanti and her Cavaradossi.
People begin to crowd
into the church, and Scarpia signals to Spoletta, telling him to follow Tosca [1/13].
The Cardinal and his attendants move towards the high altar, the Swiss Guards
making way for them through the crowd, while Scarpia gloats over his victim.
Scarpia now has two desires, to see Angelotti hanged and to possess Tosca, his
evil desires in contrast to the Te Deum with which the choir now celebrates
victory over Napoleon.
Act II
[2/1] The second act
opens in Scarpia's rooms, on an upper floor. There is a table set and through
the window of the apartment can be seen the courtyard of the palace. It is
night, and Scarpia is taking his supper, and occasionally breaking off in
thought. He looks at his watch impatiently and remarks out aloud on the
usefulness of Tosca in leading him to his victims, Angelotti and Cavaradossi.
He rings a bell and the police agent Sciarrone comes in and in response to Scarpia's
enquiry tells him he has had Tosca sent for. He opens the window and the sound
of music is heard from the lower floor, where the Queen of Naples is giving a
ball to celebrate the recent victory, an event at which Tosca is to sing. He
gives Sciarrone a note to make certain that Tosca will come to him, in order to
save her beloved Cavaradossi. He sings of his lack of romantic charm and his
desire for power. Sciarrone returns and announces Spoletta [2/2], who explains
how he and his men have shadowed Tosca to Cavaradossi's villa, where they found
nothing. Scarpia is angry at this failure to capture Angelotti, but is slightly
mollified when Spoletta tells him that he has arrested Cavaradossi, who surely
knows where Angelotti is. Scarpia paces the room, and then through the window
is heard the victory cantata [2/3]. This means that Tosca has arrived. Scarpia
prepares to examine Cavaradossi, in the presence of the executioner Roberti and
the judge and his clerk.
Scarpia bids Cavaradossi
be seated, but he indignantly refuses. As the interrogation proceeds, the sound
of the choir below is heard, with the voice of Tosca. In irritation Scarpia
shuts the window, and demands to know the whereabouts of Angelotti [2/4].
Cavaradossi claims ignorance and denies having helped the fugitive. Scarpia
tries gentler tactics, wheedling and threatening. Tosca enters, anxious, and
rushes to embrace Cavaradossi, who tells her to divulge nothing of what she has
seen. Scarpia hands Cavaradossi over to the executioner and judge for questioning
in the adjacent torture-chamber, himself remaining alone with Tosca [2/5]. Now,
he says, let us talk, and proceeds to question Tosca, using the fan discovered
in the chapel as a means to arouse her jealousy. He calls to Sciarrone, who
reports that the prisoner has admitted nothing, and then turns back to Tosca
and explains the torture that her lover is undergoing in the next room. A
prolonged groan is heard, and Tosca, in increasing agitation, begs for mercy
and calls out to her lover, who tells her to be brave and keep silent. Scarpia
tells her to speak [2/6] and when she refuses bids Roberti continue the
torture, to Tosca's increasing horror. When she still refuses to tell anything
of what she knows, Scarpia tells Spoletta to open the door to let her hear her
lover's groans and tells him to intensify the torture. Eventually, when she
sees what is happening to Cavaradossi, she gives way, in spite of her lover's
protestations [2/7] and admits that she knows the whereabouts of Angelotti, the
well in the garden, where she had earlier followed her lover in jealousy.
Scarpia commands that
Cavaradossi be brought in [2/8] and Tosca, appalled at what he has suffered,
kneels by his side, in tears. He realises, however, that Tosca has betrayed him
and thrusts her from him, as Sciarrone rushes in, excitedly announcing news of
a new victory for Bonaparte. Cavaradossi greets the news with jubilation [2/9],
while Tosca tries to silence him, and Scarpia threatens execution. Cavaradossi
is dragged away, to Tosca's protests, and she is left alone with Scarpia, who
calmly takes up his wine-glass, polishes it with a napkin and suggests that
together they find a way to save Cavaradossi. Tosca asks the cost [2/10] and
Scarpia demands her honour. She jumps up, aghast, and threatens to jump from
the window if he comes near her. Then she makes a move to appeal to the Queen,
in the apartments below, but carpia makes it clear that such an appeal will be
at the cost of Cavaradossi's life. She tells Scarpia that she hates him, but
this arouses still further his desire for her.
A drum-roll is heard [2/11]
and Scarpia bids Tosca look out of the window to see the prisoners being led to
execution. He watches her coldly, as she passionately declares her devotion to
art and goodness [2/12]. She kneels in supplication to Scarpia [2/13] and begs
for mercy for her lover, but Scarpia remains determined. Spoletta rushes in to
announce that Angelotti has poisoned himself, before he could be captured, and
Scarpia commands that his body be hung on the gallows. Spoletta seeks orders
for the treatment of Cavaradossi, and Scarpia allows Tosca a moment to make her
decision. She nods assent, and Scarpia goes on to propose his plan. Cavaradossi
is to appear to be shot, in the same way as Count Palmieri, but not with real
shot. Spoletta understands his true instructions well enough, but Tosca is
deceived into believing that Cavaradossi will really be allowed to live.
Spoletta leaves to carry out his orders, and Tosca seeks a safe-conduct for
herself and Cavaradossi, a request to which Scarpia readily assents and he goes
to his desk and begins to write [2/14], breaking off to ask Tosca which road
they will take. As he writes, Tosca approaches the table, and sees a knife,
which she takes and hides behind her. Scarpia finishes writing, adds his seal
to the document and seeks to embrace her [2/15], but she raises the knife and
stabs him full in the chest. He curses her, as he falls, and she taunts him, as
he lies dying. She then goes to the table and takes water to wash her hands,
and straightens her hair before the glass. Searching for the safe-conduct, she
finds it clenched in Scarpia's fist, takes it, and is about to leave, when she
turns back and takes two candle sticks, standing on a side-table, and lights
them from the central candelabra, which she extinguishes. She places the
candles at Scarpia's head, takes a crucifix from the wall and places it on the
corpse. A distant roll of drums is heard, as she makes way quietly out of the
apartment.
Act III
[2/16] The third act is
set on a platform on the battlements of the Castel Sant' Angelo. Below the
little staircase that leads to the platform there is a casemate, a room set in
the wall of the fortress, with a table, bench and chair. On the table there is
a lamp, writing materials and a large register. There is a crucifix on one of
the walls, with a lamp beneath it. In the distance can be seen the Vatican and St. Peter's. It is night, with a clear sky, in which the stars shine brightly.
Sheep-bells can be heard [2/17] and the voice of a shepherd-boy, singing his
distant song of love unrequited. The matins bell rings and the bells of other
churches are heard, some distant, some near at hand. A gaoler, carrying a
lantern, comes up the stairs and into the room, lighting the lamp before the
crucifix and the lamp on the table. He goes up to the parapet and looks down
into the courtyard, where executions take place. He exchanges a few words with
the sentry, patrolling the battlements, and then returns to the room and sits
down, sleepy. Cavaradossi is brought onto the platform, escorted by soldiers,
and is brought into the room. The gaoler stands and salutes the sergeant, who
hands his prisoner over [2/18]. There is still an hour to go, before the
execution, but Cavaradossi rejects the offer of a priest, but asks leave to
write a last letter to Tosca, promising the man his last possession, his ring.
Cavaradossi sits down and starts to write, but breaks off to reflect on his
love for Tosca in happier times [2/19].
Spoletta comes up the
stairs, with the sergeant, and followed by Tosca. He tells the sentry to watch
the couple, and leaves them together. Tosca, too full of feeling to speak,
rushes over to Cavaradossi, and gives him the safe-conduct she has taken from
Scarpia [2/20]. She goes on to explain what Scarpia demanded in return [2/21]
and how she had killed him. Cavaradossi marvels that such gentle hands could be
so strong [2/22]. She then reveals to him her plan [2/23] and the mock
execution that she thinks Scarpia has ordered, after which they can escape
together. Cavaradossi tenderly tells her of the bitterness he felt at dying
without seeing her [2/24], but now they will be together. Returning to reality,
Tosca warns Cavaradossi to fall down when the firing-squad shoots, and as the
soldiers of the firing-squad approach, the two lovers sing of their coming joy
and final triumph.
Dawn breaks, and a bell
is heard striking four, the hour of execution that Scarpia had set. Tosca warns
Cavaradossi once again to remember to fall when the men fire. He takes leave of
her, and follows the officer, while she looks on, impatient [2/25]. Cavaradossi
refuses a bandage for his eyes and the ritual of execution proceeds slowly. The
soldiers raise their guns and the officer gives the signal. The men fire and
Cavaradossi falls. The sergeant inspects the body, and Spoletta prevents the
sergeant from giving the coup de grace. The soldiers now withdraw, and
Tosca tells her lover to lie still and not to move until it is safe. She looks
over the parapet and goes back to him where he lies, [2/26] telling him to
stand up and make his escape, but to her horror finds that he is really dead:
Scarpia has outwitted her. Tosca is in despair, and now cries are heard from a
distance, as the murder of Scarpia is discovered and the alarm raised. Spoletta
and Sciarrone mount the staircase to seize Tosca, but she pushes Spoletta, so
that he nearly falls backwards down the stairs. She rushes to the battlements
and leaps over to her death, now to meet Scarpia again before the throne of
God. Sciarrone and some of the soldiers rush to the battlements and look down,
while Spoletta stands aghast, as the curtain falls.
Keith Anderson
