Tosca

La Tosca (or simply Tosca) is a three-act opera by Giacomo Puccini. Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. The first production took place in Rome, on January 14, 1900, at the Teatro Costanzi. The text is based on Victorien Sardou's drama which had been produced in Paris in 1887 and seen by Puccini in Milan, in 1887, with Sarah Bernhardt as Tosca. Puccini immediately asked his editor Giulio Ricordi to buy Sardou's rights, but these were finally bought only in 1893 to be given to Alberto Franchetti, another composer. Illica wrote his libretto, and in October 1894, Franchetti, Ricordi, Illica and Giuseppe Verdi met Sardou to present him the libretto. Verdi was particularly fascinated by this tragedy, but he never would have composed music for it unless it had another ending.

After a few months Franchetti finally admitted he was not able to compose music for the work, so Giulio Ricordi asked Puccini to do it. Puccini was still offended and only Verdi's intercession convinced him to accept. He started working on it in 1896, after the completion of La Bohème; Ricordi set Giuseppe Giacosa to work with Luigi Illica for the libretto, but Giacosa did not perform up to his own standards, and had several personal disputes with Sardou. Puccini too had disputes with Illica, Giacosa and Ricordi put together, in order to suppress a triumphal "Latin hymn" they had proposed for Act III, reducing it to only the eighteen measures of Trionfal... di nuova speme.

In October 1899, after three years of difficult cooperation, the opera was ready. Being a Roman story, it was decided that the prima would be in the eternal town, at Teatro Costanzi. A notable curiosity had surrounded the work, whose preparation had been so long and troubled. Soprano Ericlea Darclée was Tosca, tenor Emilio De Marchi was Cavaradossi, baritone Eugenio Giraldoni was Scarpia. Leopoldo Mugnone served as Director. Queen Margherita, prime minister Pelloux and many composers, among them Pietro Mascagni, Francesco Cilea, Franchetti and Sgambati, were among the public.

The success was complete, even if the difference between Tosca's and Bohème's atmospheres was quite surprising.

It is very briefly the story of a painter and his lover, a famous singer, who die because they have helped an escaped political prisoner avoid arrest; Tosca attempts to seduce the chief of police, who tricks her and is killed by her, but has his revenge after his death.

---

Plot

Scene, Rome.

Time, June 1800.

ACT I

Angelotti, an escaped political offender, seeks refuge in the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle where his family has a chapel. Here his sister, the Marchesa Attavanti, while praying for his release, has unconsciously served as a model to the painter Mario Cavaradossi for his picture of the Castel Sant'Angelo (papal Roman prison) and Cavaradossi gives him some food while Tosca is arriving. Angelotti hides again in his chapel.

Floria Tosca is a singer, beloved by Cavaradossi; she is here to invite her lover Mario to a meeting later in the evening, but having heard voices by the closed door, she jealously imagines an intrigue with a woman, her fears being apparently confirmed by the picture. Appointed the meeting (Tosca: Non la sospiri la nostra casetta – “Our soft nest, hidden amid the trees.”) she departs. (Duet: Quale occhio al mondo – “What eyes are like thine eyes, my queen.”).

Angelotti reappears, and his escape is planned, Cavaradossi gives him the key of his villa, which Angelotti will flee to in woman's dress (that his sister had hidden in the altar). A cannon shot from the fortress (Castel Sant'Angelo) warns that his escape has been discovered and impels him to flee; the painter goes with him.

The sacristan returns surrounded by a laughing crowd of choir boys and acolytes. (Sacristan and chorus: Tutta qui la cantoria! – “Quick! into the sacristy.”) They falsely believe that Napoleon has been defeated and are there to sing a thankful Te Deum, when Scarpia, chief of police, arrives with Spoletta and some of his men in search of the escaped prisoner. In the Attavantis' chapel Spoletta finds the fan of the Marchesa, and the painter's basket emptied of food and wine, which appears suspicious, since Cavaradossi did not have the key to the chapel.

Scarpia suspiciously asks the sacristan about this; when Tosca, also suspicious, returns Scarpia watches her from behind a pillar, while the church fills up and a Cardinal prepares for the Te Deum. Scarpia arouses Tosca's jealousy by producing the fan, and she departs in anger. Ordering his agent to follow her (Tre sbirri, una carrozza...), he passionately avows his love for the singer, then kneels devoutly in prayer. (Scarpia: Va' Tosca, nel tuo cuor s'annida Scarpia; Chorus: Adiutorium nostrum – “Rise to the heavens.”; Scarpia: A doppia mira tendo il voler – “Twofold is the goal I aim at”)

ACT II

In the Farnese palace (now the embassy of France) where he lives, Scarpia is dining, while popular celebrations are heard outside. He sends a servant to invite Tosca when she finishes with her recital. Cynically he sings of pleasure (Ella verrà per amor del suo Mario and Ha più forte sapore la conquista violenta) presuming she will surrender to his power.

Spoletta, his agent, enters with Cavaradossi in custody, Angelotti having eluded him. Scarpia closely questions the painter without result, and sends him to the torture chamber. Tosca arrives and crosses the painter who is brought in a near room (Scarpia: Ed or fra noi parliam da buoni amici – “Now, let us talk of pure friendship”) Scarpia describes to her in detail her lover’s anguish under torture. She can hear his groans, but is powerless to help him. At last, utterly prostrated, she divulges Angelotti’s hiding-place. The painter is brought out, and in his pain and humiliation denounces Tosca for her betrayal of the secret.

Distant drums announce the probable victory of Bonaparte over Vatican forces. Cavaradossi, exulting (Cavaradossi: “Vittoria!”), is dragged away to prison. Tosca tries to follow him, but Scarpia holds her back. She asks him to free Mario, which is his price (Scarpia: Già, mi dicon venal – “Venal, my enemies call me.”) He avows his passion for her and demands her virtue as the price of her lover’s freedom. During the struggle drums are heard. Tosca repulses Scarpia again and again and asks the Lord the reason of all this cruelty against her (Tosca: Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore – “Love and music have I lived for”; Scarpia: Sei troppo bella, Tosca, e troppo amante – “Too lovely art thou”). Spoletta enters to announce that Angelotti committed suicide just as Scarpia’s agents discovered him in the well at Cavaradossi’s villa.

Tosca finally pretends to yield. Scarpia then orders Spoletta to organise for a mock execution of Cavaradossi, and Tosca also extracts a safe-conduct for herself and the painter to leave the country. She waits until he writes it, then, having secured a knife from the table, stabs him as he advances to embrace her (Questo è il bacio di Tosca; "This is Tosca's kiss"). Having piously composed the body for burial, she departs to the sound of drums in the distance (E avanti a lui tremava tutta Roma).

ACT III

Bells announce the beginning of the day while a shepherd sings a stornello in timbre very near to elements of so-called French impressionist music.

Once again Angelotti is back, once again Puccini brings back a tragic atmosphere, of similar depth as in the first scenes; Angelotti is clearly the musical key of the tragedy, much more than Scarpia.

A nearly comic intermezzo regards the sacristan, with choir, before Scarpia arrives. The orchestra is now deep and obscure again, but with energy and power this time, personifying the character of Scarpia the tyrant, the investigator, the judge. Every accent and word of Scarpia is underscored by Puccini to depict a character with a depth of evil that finds comparison perhaps only in Verdi's Otello and Falstaff.

Cavaradossi's questioning is in the style of "conversable", and ends with a notable external voice of Tosca singing a Paisiello cantata, a recalling of baroque as well as a realistic addition, as the story is set in June 1800.

Another period of stile di conversazione is suddenly broken with the Cavaradossi's intermezzo (Vittoria, vittoria), which was attentively awaited by loggionisti (spectators of the higher seat in the theatre, "legato, high notes, consistency of central region, energy and fraseggio.

Act III begins with a memorable Roman symphonic harmony and ends in clamours, having passed through the outstanding E lucevan le stelle.

Anecdotes

Many anecdotes made this opera even more famous and enjoyable, if possible.

• Puccini had a devotion for precision that could not be fought. For the Te Deum Soprano Renata Tebaldi, one of best Toscas at all, was famous for her exaggerated outcries in final scenes; once, in Tokyo, she decided not to jump for the final suicide, but chose instead to exit by the quinte, walking among astonished policemen as only a diva could.

• Famous baritone Tito Gobbi, a very original Scarpia, recalled a prima, or premiere, with Maria Callas, in which he also had to improvise to save the diva in Act II. While he was on the floor, freshly killed, he realised that Callas was walking around the stage unable to find her way out, due to her proverbial myopia (she could wear glasses during rehearsal only, and contact lenses were not available yet). Gobbi tried to point out the exit, but started laughing so intensely that both his laughing and his pointing were seen by public. The morning after the newspapers raved about his memorable portrayal of Scarpia's death throes.

• In 1964, at London's Covent Garden, Tito Gobbi was again with Callas. In the duet of Act II, the soprano went too near to the table, not realising that she was also too close to the candles. Soon smoke could be seen coming soon from her wig. Gobbi, realizing what was happening, anticipated the embrace they would have normally had several minutes later and extinguished the fire with his hand. Not understanding what he was doing, Callas stared at him with a perplexed expression, so Gobbi extended his burnt hand very near to her face and then pointed to the candles. Callas interpolated her own “grazie.”

(Source for anecdotes: Casa Ricordi - freely translated and adapted)

Gobbi also paid tribute to the ferocity of Callas’ acting in this role, noting that he was often afraid during their performances that she really would kill him in Act II.