Premiere Tosca

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.