‘Tosca’ will leave you floored
The Metropolitan Opera presents a live revival of Giacomo Puccini’s evocative epic “Tosca,” on the big screen of the Newport Performing Arts Center this Saturday, Nov. 23.
Puccini’s melodrama about a volatile diva, a sadistic police chief and an idealistic artist has thrilled audiences for more than a century. The gritty subject matter, directness and intensity of its score and the crowd-pleasing dramatic opportunities it provides for its lead roles have made it one of a handful of iconic works that seem to represent opera in the public imagination.
“Tosca” takes place in Rome on the morning of June 17, 1800, through dawn the following day. The specified settings for each of the three acts: the Church of Sant’Andrea della Valle, Palazzo Farnese and Castel Sant’Angelo, are familiar monuments in the city and can still be visited today.
Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the electrifying score, which features some of Puccini’s most memorable melodies and a prime example of verismo style. Extraordinary soprano Lise Davidsen stars as the volatile diva Floria Tosca for her first time at the Met. David McVicar’s thrilling production also features tenor Freddie De Tommaso in his eagerly anticipated company debut as Tosca’s revolutionary lover, Cavaradossi, and powerhouse baritone Quinn Kelsey as the sadistic chief of police Scarpia.
Composer Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) was immensely popular in his lifetime, and his mature works remain staples in the repertory of most of the world’s opera companies. His operas are celebrated for their mastery of detail, sensitivity to everyday subjects, copious melody and economy of expression. Puccini’s librettists for “Tosca,” Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica, also collaborated with him on his two other most enduringly successful operas, “La Bohème” and “Madama Butterfly.”
The production, sung in Italian, begins at 10 am with a run time of approximately three hours and 30 minutes with two intermissions. Tickets range from $12 to $28. The Newport Performing Arts Center is located at 777 W Olive Street. For more information, go to coastarts.org or call 541-265-2787.