Met's HD Bare-boned "Tosca" Returns -- Cleaned up -- Mostly!

You really can't kill Giacomo Puccini"s Tosca because of its hauntingly luscious score and exciting story line, but the Luc Bondy production certainly tried when it premiered in 2009. At the time, the Met audiences which had been accustomed to Zeffirelli's version with its clever replicas of the actual venues in which the action takes place, booed. And when we saw it, up here, in its HD transmission, we did the same! 

Those extremely rare reactions for New York opera audiences (which are far more tolerant than their Italian counterparts, for instance) were not caused by the singing, but were responses to Richard Peduzzi’s barren, ugly sets, and by the open vulgarity displayed.

In Act 1, Caravadossi's painting of Mary Magdalene had one breast totally exposed, and Scarpia was directed to kiss a statue of the Madonna. Now the painting still has the exposed breast, but scaffolding almost hides it, and Scarpia merely kisses the hem of the Madonna's gown, although he still hugs the figure.

In the second act, the audiences rebelled against Scarpia being “serviced” by three truly most scantily dressed prostitutes, with one having her face most suggestively buried in his crotch. Happily that last has been eliminated. It was no way "to attract younger opera audiences" in my humble opinion. After all no opera goer attends expecting to see a peep show!

So now we are given a less offensive production which allows us to enjoy the thrilling score, the vocal performances and the acting, which in this case was formidable and extremely effective. Puccini would have approved!

All was in the capable hands of the Italian conductor Riccardo Frizza, who drew its usual wonderful sonority from the Met’s outstanding orchestra

The biggest surprise was the totally winning performance of  Roberto Alagna, who gifted us with a dashing, yet remarkably human and vulnerable Carvaradossi. His vocal  rendition was letter-perfect, his acting very moving.

Frankly with his having been the weak link as Radames in last season’s Aida, I did not expect such a stellar performance. The  famous French tenor fully deserved the standing ovation that greeted him in the house and the enthusiastic applause he elicited from our audience that well knows he could not hear it.

George Gagnidze, who comes from the Republic of Georgia, made a truly evil and repulsive Scarpia, both in his acting and vocal prowess.

The title role fell to our American soprano, Praticia Racette, who you may recall, was the charming Host in last month’s HD of The Nose. She is a born actress with a strong presence and formidable vocal delivery.

Thus we had a triumphant trio for the leads. In the lesser parts: the fugitive Angelotti was Richard Bernstein; the buffo Sacristan, John Del Carlo; the conniving Spoletto, Eduardo Valdez; the jailer, Ryan Speedo Green. All were decidedly helpful to make this Tosca a vocal and thespian pleasure. If only they had had a grand set for this usually “grand” opera!

The informative intermission features, hosted by the super-star Renee Fleming, introduced me to something new. I was surprised that the fugitive Angelotti descended into the church, lowering himself down a long rope. How could they allow a singer to do that, no matter how athletic, I wondered. Well, turns out he had a stunt double. And the double has been on call for the Met doubling for years. Just like the movies! 

It is this rope-descender who is the catalyst for the whole exciting plot. He, a fugitive from the clutches of the evil and lecherous Police Chief, Scarpia, is hidden by his liberal friend, Caravadossi, When the latter is arrested, Scarpia tricks, Caravadossi’s loving but jealous paramour, the Diva Floria Tosca, into revealing the hiding place, when she can no longer stand Cavaradossi being tortured.

At a sudden announcement of Napoleon’s victory at Marengo, Caravadossi seals his fate as a “traitor” via a dynamic outburst against the current regime. As he is dragged off to face quick execution, Tosca agrees to Scarpia’s lecherous advances, in return for safe conduct for herself and Caravadossi. Scarpia tells, that a mock execution, however, has to take place the next dawn.

Once the safe conduct is written, instead of yielding, Tosca stabs the villain to death. Alas, he tricked her again, the bullets the next day are real, Caravadossi is dead. She is accused of Scarpia’s murder and dramatically leaps to her own demise.

This sounds super dramatic and ridiculous when summarized like this, but it really works and can move one to tears!

Puccini (1858-1924) became interested in making this story into an opera, in 1894. It is based on the 5-act play Tosca, that Victorien Sardou had written expressly for Sarah Bernhardt. She performed it for many years to great success. (Apparently she hurled herself off the parapet once too often, injuring herself so badly that one leg had to be amputated.)

According to the informative Met Program Notes by David Hamilton, Puccini, a perfectionist, did much research, attended a Bernhardt performance, and visited Sardou more than once, before deciding he really wanted to tackle it.

Seems there was some hanky-panky about who was going to compose this obvious plum. Alberto Franchetti, a less famous composer with the same publisher as Puccini -- the famous Ricordi --  was deceitfully convinced by the publisher to abandon the work, as soon as the more money-making composer made his decision. Aren’t we lucky that Ricordi was avaricious!

So with librettists Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, Sardou’s dense 5-act play was reduced to the opera’s 3-act libretto. Sardou’s play has long been forgotten. Puccini’s Tosca is a staple in virtually EVERY opera company all over the world!

Here are some reactions of  fellow Westchesterites: 

Phyllis Farber of White Plains, is delighted that she and her husband, because of the HDs affordable price, can expose themselves to operas for which they would not spend hundreds at the actual house. She mentioned the “interesting” Nixon in China and The Nose, as examples. She especially appreciates the intermission features, also was astonished at the Angelotti rope descent, but once informed, was very conscious that Tosca’s leap was done by a double. (Weren’t we all!)

Marcia Wallace and Martin Rubenstein of Purchase, have been attending a lot of the HDs for several years. Turned off by opera initially, Mr. Rubenstein said:” Now we sit, transfixed for hours, enjoying the experience. The HDs  have made us devotees!” He especially appreciated Alagna’s performance as outstanding.

Marcia Wallace recalls the Bondy version four years ago. “I was not  really offended by the extreme vulgarity, I thought it was amateurish.”

Dr. Judith Moskowitz, a Psychologist, who lives in Ardsley, has been an opera buff for over 40 years. She considers opera “ the most comprehensive art form in existence. It appeals to every sense; is the complete theatrical experience.”  She was “enthralled  by this Tosca, which had an intensity I have rarely seen.” She thought Fleming a “delightful hostess” and appreciated the information of the stunt doubling.

Jeff Goldstein of Ossining, had come to see his very first Tosca. Never a true opera fan (but a great Broadway devotee) he was “viscerally disappointed. I was waiting for something to happen that would be the great spectacle that makes opera so special. I think of the Met as giving us incredible staging and magnificent sets.” It did not happen for him here. “I guess this is minimalist,” he said. But he much appreciated the “magnificent singing.”

Ruth Stein of Scarsdale, drank it all in as superb theater. “I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing and was not turned off by the minimalist settings. They only highlight the magnificence of the Puccini opera itself.” She especially praised the singing; attends the HDs regularly; feels their existence will “save opera, that may have been a dying art form, by attracting a younger audience.”

Catch the Encore of Tosca Wednesday, Nov. 13th, at 6:30 PM, at WP City Center Cinema 15 or NewRoc’s City 18.