1 reception , performance history
1.1 premiere
1.2 subsequent productions
1.3 critical reception
reception , performance history
premiere
enrico caruso cavaradossi. passed on role @ premiere, sang many times subsequently
by december 1899, tosca in rehearsal @ teatro costanzi. because of roman setting, ricordi arranged roman premiere opera, though meant arturo toscanini not conduct puccini had hoped—toscanini engaged @ la scala in milan. leopoldo mugnone appointed conduct. accomplished (but temperamental) soprano hariclea darclée selected title role; eugenio giraldoni, father had originated many verdi roles, became first scarpia. young enrico caruso had hoped create cavaradossi, passed on in favour of more experienced emilio de marchi. performance directed nino vignuzzi, stage designs adolfo hohenstein.
at time of premiere, italy had experienced political , social unrest several years. start of holy year in december 1899 attracted religious city, brought threats anarchists , other anticlericals. police received warnings of anarchist bombing of theatre, , instructed mugnone (who had survived theatre bombing in barcelona), in emergency strike royal march. unrest caused premiere postponed 1 day, 14 january.
by 1900, premiere of puccini opera national event. many roman dignitaries attended, did queen margherita, though arrived late, after first act. prime minister of italy, luigi pelloux present, several members of cabinet. number of puccini s operatic rivals there, including franchetti, pietro mascagni, francesco cilea , ildebrando pizzetti. shortly after curtain raised there disturbance in of theatre, caused latecomers attempting enter auditorium, , shout of bring down curtain! , @ mugnone stopped orchestra. few moments later opera began again, , proceeded without further disruption.
the performance, while not quite triumph puccini had hoped for, successful, numerous encores. of critical , press reaction lukewarm, blaming illica s libretto. in response, illica condemned puccini treating librettists stagehands , reducing text shadow of original form. nevertheless, public doubts tosca vanished; premiere followed twenty performances, given packed houses.
subsequent productions
antonio scotti, exponent of role of scarpia
the milan premiere @ la scala took place under toscanini on 17 march 1900. darclée , giraldoni reprised roles; prominent tenor giuseppe borgatti replaced de marchi cavaradossi. opera great success @ la scala, , played full houses. puccini travelled london british premiere @ royal opera house, covent garden, on 12 july, milka ternina , fernando de lucia doomed lovers , antonio scotti scarpia. puccini wrote tosca [a] complete triumph , , ricordi s london representative signed contract take tosca new york. premiere @ metropolitan opera on 4 february 1901, de lucia s replacement giuseppe cremonini change london cast. french premiere @ opéra-comique on 13 october 1903, 72-year-old sardou took charge of action on stage. puccini delighted public s reception of work in paris, despite adverse comments critics. opera subsequently premiered @ venues throughout europe, americas, australia , far east; outbreak of war in 1914 had been performed in more 50 cities worldwide.
among prominent toscas emmy destinn, sang role regularly in long-standing partnership tenor enrico caruso. maria jeritza, on many years @ met , in vienna, brought own distinctive style role, , said puccini s favorite tosca. jeritza first deliver vissi d arte prone position, having fallen stage while eluding grasp of scarpia. great success, , jeritza sang aria while on floor thereafter. of successors, opera enthusiasts tend consider maria callas supreme interpreter of role, largely on basis of performances @ royal opera house in 1964, tito gobbi scarpia. production, franco zeffirelli, remained in continuous use @ covent garden more 40 years until replaced in 2006 new staging, premiered angela gheorghiu. callas had first sung tosca @ age 18 in performance given in greek, in athens on 27 august 1942. tosca last on-stage operatic role, in special charity performance @ royal opera house on 7 may 1965.
among non-traditional productions, luca ronconi, in 1996 @ la scala, used distorted , fractured scenery represent twists of fate reflected in plot. jonathan miller, in 1986 production 49th maggio musicale fiorentino, transferred action nazi-occupied rome in 1944, scarpia head of fascist police. in philipp himmelmann s production on lake stage @ bregenz festival in 2007 act 1 set, designed johannes leiacker, dominated huge orwellian big brother eye. iris opens , closes reveal surreal scenes beyond action. production updates story modern mafia scenario, special effects worthy of bond film .
roberto alagna cavaradossi, royal opera house, 2014
in 1992 television version of opera filmed @ locations prescribed puccini, @ times of day @ each act takes place. featuring catherine malfitano, plácido domingo , ruggero raimondi, performance broadcast live throughout europe. luciano pavarotti, sang cavaradossi late 1970s, appeared in special performance in rome, placido domingo conductor, on 14 january 2000, celebrate opera s centenary. pavarotti s last stage performance cavaradossi @ met, on 13 march 2004.
early cavaradossis played part if painter believed reprieved, , survive mock execution. beniamino gigli, performed role many times in forty-year operatic career, 1 of first assume painter knows, or suspects, shot. gigli wrote in autobiography: these last moments on earth, , die . domingo, dominant cavaradossi of 1970s , 1980s, concurred, stating in 1985 interview had long played part way. gobbi, in later years directed opera, commented, unlike floria, cavaradossi knows scarpia never yields, though pretends believe in order delay pain tosca.
critical reception
the enduring popularity of tosca has not been matched consistent critical enthusiasm. after premiere, ippolito valetta of nuova antologia wrote, [puccini] finds in palette colours, shades; in hands, instrumental texture becomes supple, gradations of sonority innumerable, blend unfailingly grateful ear. however, 1 critic described act 2 overly long , wordy; echoed illica , giacosa in stating rush of action did not permit enough lyricism, great detriment of music. third called opera 3 hours of noise .
the critics gave work kinder reception in london, times called puccini master in art of poignant expression , , praised wonderful skill , sustained power of music. in musical times, puccini s score admired sincerity , strength of utterance. after 1903 paris opening, composer paul dukas thought work lacked cohesion , style, while gabriel fauré offended disconcerting vulgarities . in 1950s, young musicologist joseph kerman described tosca shabby little shocker. ; in response conductor thomas beecham remarked kerman says puccini can safely ignored . writing half century after premiere, veteran critic ernest newman, while acknowledging enormously difficult business of boiling [sardou s] play down operatic purposes , thought subtleties of sardou s original plot handled lamely , of happens, , why, unintelligible spectator . overall, however, newman delivered more positive judgement: [puccini s] operas extent mere bundle of tricks, no 1 else has performed same tricks . opera scholar julian budden remarks on puccini s inept handling of political element , still hails work triumph of pure theatre . music critic charles osborne ascribes tosca s immense popularity audiences taut effectiveness of melodramatic plot, opportunities given 3 leading characters shine vocally , dramatically, , presence of 2 great arias in vissi d arte , e lucevan le stelle . work remains popular today: according operabase, ranks fifth in world 540 performances given in 5 seasons 2009/10 2013/14.
Comments
Post a Comment