Giacomo Puccini wrote Tosca during the height of his fame in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Tosca was written several years after his La Boheme, possibly the most recognized opera of all time, was first produced in 1894, and four years before his reknown Madama Butterfly was first performed in 1904. Since its premiere at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900, Tosca has been one of the most popular operas in the great lyric repertory, and one of the most popular of Puccini's operas. Its powerful theatrical impact, the recognized melodic and dramatic drive of its music, and the triple starring roles-soprano, tenor, baritone-are the successful ingredients of a work that in its original theatre version by Sardou could never have hoped for so much success even though the great Sarah Bernhardt-the star of the play-had made it one of her great roles. And it was she, the French actress, who first brought Tosca to the cinema, in a film made in 1908, a film that, predictably, did not satisfy her (at the time, the divine Sarah was already 64 years old) but nonetheless showed-as did the success of Puccini's opera-that Tosca could reach an audience beyond the theatrical stage.

SYNOPSIS

ACT I. Cesare Angelotti, an escaped political prisoner, rushes into the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle to hide in the Attavanti chapel. As he sequesters himself, an old sacristan shuffles in, praying at the sound of the Angelus. Mario Cavaradossi, a painter, enters to work on his portrait of Mary Magdalene-inspired by the Marchesa Attavanti (Angelotti's sister), whom he has seen but does not know. Taking out a miniature of the singer Floria Tosca, he compares her raven beauty with that of the blonde Magdalene (" Recondita armonia"). The sacristan grumbles disapproval and leaves. Angelotti ventures out and is recognized by his friend and fellow liberal Cavaradossi, who gives him food and hurries him back into the chapel as Tosca is heard calling outside. Forever suspicious, she jealously questions him, then prays, and reminds him of their rendezvous that evening at his villa (" Non la sospiri la nostra casetta?"). Suddenly recognizing the Marchesa Attavanti in the painting, she explodes with renewed suspicions, but he calms her (" Qual' occhio al mondo"). When she has gone, Cavaradossi summons Angelotti from the chapel; a cannon signals that the police have discovered the escape, so the two flee to Cavaradossi's villa. Arrive the Baron Scarpia, chief of the secret police, in search of Angelotti. When Tosca comes back to her lover, Scarpia shows her a fan with the Attavanti crest, which he has just found. Thinking Cavaradossi faithless, Tosca tearfully vows vengeance and leaves as the church fills with worshipers. Scarpia, sending his men to follow her to Angelotti, schemes to get the diva in his power (" Va, Tosca!").

ACT II and III. In the Farnese Palace, Scarpia anticipates the sadistic pleasure of bending Tosca to his will ("Ha più forte sapore"). The spy Spoletta arrives, having failed to find Angelotti; to placate the baron he brings in Cavaradossi, who is interrogated while Tosca is heard singing a cantata at a royal gala downstairs. She enters just as her lover is being taken to an adjoining room: his arrogant silence is to be broken under torture. Unnerved by Scarpia's questioning and the sound of Cavaradossi's screams, she reveals Angelotti's hiding place. Cavaradossi is carried in; realizing what has happened, he turns on Tosca, but the officer Sciarrone rushes in to announce that Napoleon has won the Battle of Marengo, a defeat for Scarpia's side. Cavaradossi shouts his defiance of tyranny (" Vittoria !") and is dragged to prison. Scarpia, resuming his supper, suggests that Tosca yield herself to him in exchange for her lover's life. Fighting off his embraces, she protests her fate to God, having dedicated her life to art and love (" Vissi d'arte"). Scarpia again insists, but Spoletta interrupts: faced with capture, Angelotti has killed himself. Tosca, forced to give in or lose her lover, agrees to Scarpia's proposition. The baron pretends to order a mock execution for the prisoner, after which he is to be freed; Spoletta leaves. No sooner has Scarpia written a safe-conduct for the lovers than Tosca snatches a knife from the table and kills him. Wrenching the document from his stiffening fingers and placing candles at his head and a crucifix on his chest, she slips from the room.
The voice of a shepherd is heard as church bells toll the dawn. Cavaradossi awaits execution at the Castel Sant'Angelo; he bribes the jailer to convey a farewell note to Tosca. As he writes, he is overcome with memories of love and gives way to despair (" E lucevan le stelle"). Suddenly Tosca runs in and shares the story of her recent adventures. Cavaradossi caresses the hands that committed murder for his sake (" O dolci mani"), and the two hail their future. As the firing squad appears, the diva coaches Cavaradossi on how to fake his death convincingly. The soldiers fire and depart. Tosca urges Cavaradossi to hurry, but when he fails to move, she discovers that Scarpia's treachery has transcended the grave: the bullets were real. When Spoletta rushes in to arrest Tosca for Scarpia's murder, she cries to Scarpia to meet her before God, then leaps to her death.

    

 

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