by Jonathan Dean
Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca takes place over the course of some hours, in three precise places close to one another in Rome, not removed from the Vatican (you possibly can nonetheless go go to them and see if the scenic designer did his analysis). Extra so than most operas, Tosca requires fastidiously designed, reasonable surroundings to replicate the authenticity and element of the stage motion. On this article, we take a more in-depth have a look at the real-life venues that impressed the opera.
Act One: The church of Sant’Andrea della Valle (Invoice Mohn, photograph)
This act takes place in a church as a result of: 1) Angelotti, who has simply escaped from Scarpia’s jail, hides in his household chapel, accessed by a particular key held solely by relations. His sister, the Marchese Attavanti, helped him escape and left meals and a change of garments for him within the chapel. 2) Mario Cavaradossi is portray a Magdalene for the altar of the church. (He took the gorgeous blond Marchese as his mannequin whereas she was there arranging Angelotti’s escape, a lot to the annoyance of the jealous Tosca.) And three) the act concludes with the terrific irony of Scarpia, sizzling in pursuit of Angelotti, lusting after Tosca because the assembled churchgoers sing the Te Deum.
Greer Grimsley sings “Va, Tosca” from Seattle Opera’s 2008 Tosca
Act Two: A room within the Palazzo Farnese (Wikipedia, photograph)
This palace, constructed within the 1500s for a pope’s residence, is right this moment the French Embassy in Rome. In 1800, it housed the king and queen of Naples; within the opera, it’s the private headquarters of Baron Scarpia. Actually, this whole act belongs to Scarpia. We witness him torture Mario till Tosca confesses that Angelotti is hiding within the properly in Mario’s backyard, and shiver with dread when Tosca agrees to alternate her sexual favors for Mario’s life. And we’re delighted when Tosca’s eyes mild upon an extra-sharp dinner knife and she or he thinks of a manner out of her disagreeable discount with Scarpia.
Greer Grimsley, Vinson Cole, Carol Vaness, and Paul Gudas sing a scene from Act Two of Seattle Opera’s 2001 Tosca
Act Three: Atop the Castel Sant’Angelo (Carly Griffin, photograph)
Tosca’s ultimate scene takes place within the jail the place Mario awaits his execution. Right now a museum, this monumental fort was constructed over the tomb of the Roman Emperor Hadrian; it acquired the identify “Fort of the Holy Angel” when the archangel Michael appeared there within the plague yr 590, based on legend.
Frank Porretta sings “E lucevan le stelle” from Seattle Opera’s 2008 Tosca
Tosca is on stage Might 3–17, 2025 at McCaw Corridor. Be taught extra and purchase tickets at seattleopera.org/tosca.
