Strong performances highlight emotional ‘Tosca’ from Sarasota Opera
The searing emotional wallop of Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca” marked the opening of Maestro Victor DeRenzi’s 40th Winter Season with the Sarasota Opera.
The hallmark of productions under his guidance has been strict adherence to tradition and stylistically authentic interpretations of everything from stage direction to scenery. Gathering the best vocal talent available and even stretching the means of a regional company, the Sarasota Opera has earned a national reputation for quality that equals its stature as the American home of Giuseppe Verdi.
“Tosca” is one of the most beloved operas of all time largely due to two unforgettable arias and a melodramatic plot colorfully marked by sex and violence. However, as a through-composed score, the lushly evocative orchestral underpinning, complete with motifs for love and evil, is as important to its success as Tosca, herself.
Previous coverage:Opera review: Sarasota Opera stages a ‘Happy’ delight
More:Read more classical music and opera reviews by Gayle Williams
Floria Tosca is a famous singer in Rome in love with the painter Mario Cavaradossi. We meet them in the church where Mario is painting. Soprano Ann Toomey plays the jealous diva to tenor Ben Gulley’s Mario. Unbeknownst to her, Mario is hiding the escaped political prisoner Cesare Angelotti, bass-baritone David Weigel. Later the chief of police Baron Scarpia, baritone Stephen Gaertner, manipulates Tosca’s jealousy and fierce love for Mario to his advantage.
The first act introduces all the characters and key elements that drive this compact melodrama. Gulley negotiated a range of action and voice from small talk with Stephano De Peppo’s Sacristan for levity and fervent plans with Angelotti. However, his heart was in “Recondita armonia” (Hidden Harmony) a little romanza tribute to his love, and with Toomey in “Non lo sospiri” (Do Not Long) and “Qual’occhio” (What Eyes). Hers is the larger, dominating voice, which may not have been Puccini’s intention for the character. We couldn’t help but chuckle at the jealous diva stereotype and Mario’s patient forbearance.
Later in this act, Gaertner revealed Scarpia’s evil guile with a strong, steely voice and cold heart in comparison with Tosca’s lush lines and the pious Te Deum and church procession of the village chorus in the background. Foreshadowing chills ran down the spine as Scarpia sent Tosca on her way and made explicit his lustful plan.
Act II is one of the most riveting scenes in all of opera. Scarpia’s violence is no longer an undertone as he coldly orders torture and squeezes submission from Tosca to the sound of Mario’s screams. The sequence is perfectly paced. We never had to wait too long for the next turn of the screw, but we were holding our breath anyway. As Toomey sang the epic “Vissi d’arte,” (I Lived for Art) we were left soaring with her lines, yet deep with her sense of abandonment.
Although she submitted to Scarpia’s demand in order to save Mario, Toomey was a fierce Tosca delivering that final knife thrust when she had her chance. Scarpia’s death was realistic drama, true verismo. If only Mario’s tortured screams had been as realistic as Scarpia’s jolting death spasms.
The final act, set on the parapet of the Roman Castel Sant’Angelo with stars sparkling in the pre-dawn sky, is slowly paced, leaving us to wait again for the tightly twisted ending. Believing the firing squad will end his life, Mario pens a last letter to Tosca singing the second big hit of this opera, “E lucevan le stelle” (And the Stars Shone). Superb lighting and set gave us a gradual dawn’s light through one last duet where Tosca coaches Mario on the mock execution that Scarpia had promised her. There strength is not in the chemistry, but Toomey and Gulley hit their marks well with the execution and death of Mario.
Stage director Stephanie Sundine brings deep experience to this production, and it shows. Having seen this Tosca in 2015 more details jumped out such as the more realistic body jerks of a dying man. How Tosca missed that and was still surprised is a reasonable question, but her horror was gripping, nonetheless.
From the beautifully appointed set, costumes and light from the team of David Gordon, Howard Tsvi Kaplan, Ken Yunker, and Kellen Eason, to DeRenzi’s musical direction of the accomplished orchestra and chorus, this was a highly effective production and worth every effort to experience.
‘Tosca’
Presented by Sarasota Opera. Runs through March 19.
Ticket information: 941-328-1300; sarasotaopera.org