Love, jealousy, hate, death – these are the themes of many operas and so it is with Tosca, the most famous opera composed by Giacomo Puccini. It premiered in the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on January 14, 1900. The one the professor viewed in class took place at New York City's Metropolitan Opera in March of 1985, starring Placido Domingo (tenor) as Mario Cavaradossi, Hildegard Behrens (soprano) as Floria Tosca and Cornell MacNeil (baritone) as Baron Scarpia.
Tosca is an opera consisting of three acts. In Act I, the setting reveals an enormous church with bright lights that emphasize the mood for a place of romance. The salmon-colored dress of Floria signifies her love and romance for her loved one, Mario Cavaradossi. His costume is
Scarpia: "Ed or fra noi parliam da buoni amici" – "Now, let us talk like good friends." Quite a foolish move to make not knowing Floria would stab a knife through his chest with her "sweet and innocent" hands. Chocking on his own blood you can see his fear of death. His acting is quite remarkable, which makes him one of the best evil and powerful actors of the Tosca Opera.
The orchestra was magnificent; the music itself flows amazingly with the scenes and drama that take place. It fits right into the anger, tension and fear of the characters. For example, when Scarpia arrives, the orchestra becomes deep and obscure, but with energy and power at the same time. The orchestra does quite well at being a part of the romance and warmth between one another as well.
Watching the opera was an experience in itself. I never expected an opera to be so emotionally well expressed. I was impressed of the acting and how they sang so loud without any amplification. Even though I didn't know the language, it was a beautiful piece by its non-verbal dramatic actions. The subtitle was a big help, but still wasn't enough to get the play, for me. After I did some research on the play, I understood it better. The opera was a lesson learned for not trusting people easily, being more self-secure and making the right decisions.
The story is a tragic romance where love, jealousy, hate, and death are the themes of an opera. I didn't have many expectations when watching