Puccini, Tosca, 'Live to sing, live to love', Maria Callas.

今日はプッチーニの「トスカ」マリアカラスの歌声を聞いていきましょう。(English) Today we will listen to Puccini's "Tosca" Maria Callas singing.

Puccini, Tosca

Information:

First performed on 14 January 1900 at Teatro Costanzi, Rome.

The play of the same name by Victorian Sardou

Book Luigi Illica, Giuseppe Giacosa

Duration 1h 50 min.

Tosca is an opera by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924).

The play is beautifully sung with some of his operas' most popular and famous arias.

Character details:

Floria Tosca (Soprano): famous singer

Mario Cavaradossi (tenor): painter and Tosca's lover

Baron Scarpia (baritone): Superintendent of the city of Rome

Angelotti (bass): former governor of the Roman Republic, escaped political prisoner

Spoletta (tenor): Scarpia's deputy

Domitori (bass): Guardian of the church of St. Andrea della Valle

Synopsis:

June 1800: as Napoleon's army gained ground in Europe, the Roman Republic was abolished, and the Papal State restored.

Cavaradossi (painter) helps Angelotti (escaped political prisoner, former head of the Roman Republic) to run away.

When this is discovered, Cavaradossi is captured by Scarpia (Inspector General) and sentenced to death.

Tosca (Cavaradossi's mistress) kills Scarpia and tries to save her lover, but tragedy awaits her.

Cavaradossi is executed, and Tosca follows him to commit suicide.

All three main characters (Tosca, Cavaradossi and Scarpia) lose their lives.

Act 1: Synopsis of Tosca

Rome, June 1800

As the French army under Napoleon gains momentum

1)

Angelotti enters the church

Church of Sant'Andrea della Valle

An escaped prisoner, Angelotti, flees into an empty church.

Finding the key hidden by his sister, he unlocks the door and enters the chapel.

2)

Angelotti: Former Consul of the Roman Republic, escaped political prisoner.

He was Consul of Rome until shortly before the opera's opening when he was overthrown and imprisoned on the restoration of the Papal States.

Domitori then appears, followed by the painter Cavaradossi.

When Cavaradossi removes the cover of the half-finished painting, we see the image of a woman who has just entered the church to pray.

3)

Cavaradossi admires the beauty of his mistress, comparing her to the model's painting. (Recondita armonia)

"Recondita armonia"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyh7r1uOhM0

Placido Domingo sings: Recondita armonia

4)

Domitori sees that the bread in the basket hasn't diminished and asks, "Are you fasting?"

Cavaradossi replies, "I'm not hungry".

Domitori leaves.

5)

Angelotti reunites with his friend Cavaradossi

After Domitori leaves, Angelotti (an escaped prisoner) appears before his friend Cavaradossi.

Cavaradossi promises to help Angelotti escape.

6)

Cavaradossi's mistress, Tosca, appears.

Angelotti takes the food and wine from the basket and quickly hides.

7)

The love duet between Cavaradossi and his mistress Tosca.

A jealous Tosca suspects she has locked her door and demands a woman be there (Mario, Mario, Mario!).

Cavaradossi manages to deceive her and tells Tosca of his love.

And after tonight's concert, they promise to go to the villa together.

"Mario, Mario, Mario!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3MJBRMsOS4

Luciano Pavarotti & Shirley Verrett - Mario, Mario, Mario! / Tosca

8)

Cavaradossi and Angelotti flee the church

As Tosca leaves, Cavaradossi gives Angelotti directions to her villa as an escape route.

He also advises him to hide in the garden in case anything happens.

Just then, the cannon of the castle sounds to announce the escape.

The two hurriedly leave the church.

9)

The church gatekeeper arrives to announce the victory of the war but is disappointed that Cavaradossi is not there.

Domitori celebrates the victory with the boys.

The appearance of the brutal Superintendent General Scarpia

After a while, Superintendent Scarpia arrives looking for Angelotti.

A brutal Scarpia begins to search the church for any sign of Angelotti.

10)

The guard notices that "the chapel door is open" and reports it.

Scarpia also finds a fan with the crest of the Attavanti family.

Attavanti... the model for the painting, sister of the escaped prisoner Angelotti.

Later, he also notices that his basket is running out of food.

Scarpia suspects that Cavaradossi is involved in the escape of an escaped prisoner.

11)

Having her men follow Tosca

Tosca appears.

Seeing Cavaradossi gone, a jealous Tosca suspects him of betrayal.

Scarpia shows Tosca the fan belonging to the Attavanti family, which fuels her jealousy.

Tosca becomes furious and leaves the church.

Scarpia has his underling Spoletta follow her.

Act II: Summary of "Tosca

12)

Cavaradossi is severely tortured.

Scarpia's room in the Palazzo Farnese

Scarpia's underling, Spoletta, returns.

Then he says: "Angelotti missed, but I got Cavaradossi".

13)

Cavaradossi is severely tortured but keeps saying, "I know nothing".

However, when Tosca can't stand her lover's torture, she confesses that Angelotti is in the well in the garden.

14)

Cavaradossi is imprisoned

Freed from torture, Cavaradossi is furious that Tosca has revealed her whereabouts.

However, news arrives of the defeat of the war (the loss of the army with Scarpia).

15)

Cavaradossi shouts victory.

An enraged Scarpia shouts, "Condemned man, the gallows awaits you," and has his men lead him outside.

Cavaradossi is condemned to death and imprisoned.

16)

Tosca stabs Scarpia

Tosca begs Scarpia to help Cavaradossi.

Scarpia demands her body in exchange.

Tosca sings of her torment (Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore) and accepts her request.

"Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore" (Live for song, live for love)

Maria Callas sings Puccini: Tosca - 'Vissi d'Arte' at Covent Garden 1964

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk5KrlxePzI

17)

Scarpia orders his subordinate Spoletta to "pretend to be shot and let Cavaradossi live".

Spoletta leaves the scene.

18)

He does not, but orders to "not shoot Cavaradossi".

Tosca also demands "a free pass for two people to escape".

An incident occurs when Scarpia finishes writing her handprint and tries to embrace Tosca.

19)

Tosca kills Scarpia with a knife.

Tosca wrests the free pass from the dead Scarpia and leaves her room.

Act III: Summary of "Tosca

20)

Cavaradossi's most beautiful arias

Roof of the Castel Sant'Angelo

Cavaradossi is imprisoned.

Cavaradossi gives his jailer Tosca's ring and writes a letter.

In the middle of the letter, she is deeply moved and sings about love, despair and the preciousness of life. (E lucevan le stelle)

"E lucevan le stelle" 

Puccini, Tosca, 'The stars do not shine', Luciano Pavarotti. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hbqW31pb4o

21)

Tosca appears.

She shows Cavaradossi the free pass, tells him about her past and confesses to having killed Scarpia.

And she asks, "There will be a mock execution, so if you are shot, go down".

They both rejoice at their freedom.

22)

Death of Cavaradossi and Tosca

Ready for execution, Cavaradossi walks to the scaffold.

When shots are heard, Tosca goes to Cavaradossi, who has fallen.

But the shot wasn't blank; Cavaradossi was already dead.

The "fake execution with blank guns" was a lie.

23)

At this point, the news arrives that 'Scarpia has been murdered! The guilty party is Tosca!

In despair, Tosca kills herself by throwing herself from the roof, thus ending the tragic opera.

Opera Tosca in three acts. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pIkoNltvCQ

Summary of Tosca.

Tosca (Cavaradossi's mistress) kills Scarpia and tries to save her lover, but in the end, tragedy awaits her. Cavaradossi is executed, and Tosca follows him to commit suicide. All three main characters (Tosca, Cavaradossi and Scarpia) lose their lives.

Synopsis and commentary of Tosca (Puccini) 

https://tsvocalschool.com/classic/tosca/

Tosca (Puccini)  - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tosca

Maria Callas and Tito Gobbi at Covent Garden, 9.02.1964-Tosca, prod Franco Zeffirelli, atto II.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnFlg1z1hPc

Maria Callas Giuseppe Di Stefano Tosca full opera (1952 live, WITH SCORE)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZm-oWqBS-s

Maria Callas: "Tosca" act.2 (5/5) "Murder Scene."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7ghElp-NGw

Maria Callas: the biography of the legendary opera singer | Music Documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRpzRSy_tvE&t=3800s

Opera synopsis list (table of contents)

https://tsvocalschool.com/classic/opera-story/

Andrea Bocelli - Tosca

https://www.andreabocelli.com/operas/tosca/