The Ultimate Don Giovanni!

Hey all! So how have you all been doing? I’m pretty good, I'm great actually, I have lost so much weight it's insane! After I post this I'm actually going to take my new found hot bootie shopping because everything is sort of baggy and weird on me now. YAY!

But anyways, this post is actually about opera for a change. You see a couple of months ago I went to the movie theater to watch the Royal Opera House’s new production of Don Giovanni. This one was actually in my home town, it wasn’t live (obviously) so they had 4 different times for the opera, Saturday and Sunday at 11 in the morning, Monday at 3 in the afternoon and Tuesday at 7 in the evening, not very good ones but I’ll take what I can get.

I went to the mall all by myself driving my bike. As I’ve said sometimes here I do enjoy going to the opera alone. When you take a friend there’s always that feeling of “Oh my God I hope he likes it.” “Should I explain this part?” “Did he understand that part?” “Is he bored?” and also the apologetic mode comes on automatically for me “Don’t worry, the first act is just about to end. Only 2 more arias and a quintet.” “The interviews are funny, the singers are very nice, trust me.” And if I go alone I can immerse myself in the piece, sit back, relax and watch the whole opera in peace.

But of course that didn’t happen right? I did go alone but as for the uninterrupted bliss line of operatic experience, well, it didn’t happen. But I’ll get to that in a second. So I get to the movie theater and am faced with my first problem, the old people. And I don’t mean to be rude, it’s just old people in Brazil and especially in this town are a special breed of impolite and have an inflated sense of self. That’s because there are some pretty stupid laws here that give older people the idea that they can cut in line in front of everyone. According to law every establishment should have an exclusive cashier for senior citizens, pregnant women and handicap people. But the thing was, that cashier was closed and only one girl was selling the tickets, so the old people simply made another line in front of the actual line and cut in in front of absolutely everyone. And every single old person that would show up would prompt their derrières right in front of me.

Anyhow I got to the cinema and they were playing some trailers which made me kind of uncomfortable because there were only old people in that movie theater and the trailers were filled with sex. It’s like watching Game of Thrones with your parents. Trailers aside I really did like what the Royal Opera House came up with for this evening. Because in my very little experience, that was this one time I saw their new production of Les Troyens at the movie theater, it wasn’t very dynamic, there’d just be the opera and nothing playing during the intermissions. But this couldn’t have been more different.

They had this great montage with interviews with all of the singers and showed the rehearsal process and how Kasper Holten, the stage director, came up with the concept for this production. It was about 15 minutes long and it was really cool and very informative. Then we had our host for the evening, none other than the legendary Bryn Terfel! And he was such a great and charming host, as he filled everyone in with the story he also absolutely and completely charmed me. But the overture starts and YAY, it’s Mozart time!

Now I love Don Giovanni, it is hands down my favorite Mozart opera. So I almost know the whole thing by heart and let me tell you I was not disappointed at what I saw. The wonderful orchestra of the Royal Opera House took us away from reality with that astounding overture and before it was over the curtains went up. The set was very interesting, it was a construction with some stairs and some doors with two stories, very simple, all white but add to that some truly remarkable projections and you have magic. During the overture some names started appearing of the walls and later we find out that there were 2065 female names by the end of the overture projected on stage.

We see Leporello in front of a door on the second floor and he sings his mini aria complaining how the boss always gets all the fun and he, well, doesn’t. Leporello was played by Alex Esposito, I had never heard of him before but he gave a fine performance, very funny and very hands on in making this role physically believable. During his aria he took a chalk from his pocket and started writing ‘Anna’ on the door and there was this perfectly synchronized projection following his hand writing. VERY COOL.   

Don Giovanni opens the door quite literally zipping his pants up and Donna Anna follows him and she’s not the face of one who has been bedded against her will. And you know what? I truly prefer productions that portray Anna as a woman who was seduced and did have mind-blowing sex with Don Giovanni and now wants a second round or something. They flirt and kiss and this was turned into a very hot scene actually. The lady playing Anna, Malin Byström, was absolutely spectacular! She had this gorgeous darkish soprano voice that I would think was too heavy for Mozart but she proved me wrong and delivered vocal heavens! Plus she looked gorgeous!

Taking the role of the Don by storm was my personal favorite baritone for the job, Mariusz Kwiecien. Now you all know I’m a huge fan of Mariusz, apart from being a top notch performer he is one of the sweetest and nicest singers I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting (and also one of the most attractive ones). He is just so good as the Don! He was my first Don Giovanni back in 2011 at the Met in HD. I do actually remember the first time I went to NYC going to Lincoln Center and seeing a picture of Mariusz as the Don and thinking “Holy shit, this man is perfection”. Anywho Anna’s dad arrives and kinda ruins the party, she flees. Don Giovanni kills him but again, I’ve seen so many endless versions of this opera all with different takes on how the Don feels about killing the Commendatore. The one I like the most was the one they actually used for this production, he kills the Commendatore but not because he wants to but because he has to and does not feel so great about it afterwards.

After that we have that funny recit to break the ice “Leporello, ove sei?” and the two men flee the scene of the crime. Then Anna arrives with her fiancé, Don Ottavio, the guy looked like he was barely 30, which I find kind of risky when it comes to this role. I’ve seen time and time again young tenors screeching this role thinking it’s right for them because “It’s Mozart!”. I actually had a pretty enlightening conversation about that with Gerry Finley (God bless his heart what a wonderful guy!) a couple of months ago and he pointed out that even though it’s easy to read the music it doesn’t mean that it’s easy to sing it. Well this guy looked young and VERY nervous (you would be too if you were being streamed live to all over the world from the stage of the ROH) but he managed to sound ok, although his nervousness blocked the whole character thing and all I could see was a nervous tenor singing the notes just right. But I’m not a very big fan of tenors as a rule so I might be picking on him too much because he’s the only one in the production for me to pick on.

Anna gave an absolute show during the duet, such a beautiful voice! Her type of voice is one of my favorite kinds of female voices, I cannot abide super light high sopranos (maybe just Diana Damrau, but she’s a lyric coloratura, right?). Also when Anna comes back she’s sporting this GORGEOUS black overdress that is, excuse the pun, to die for! Ottavio, looked a bit lost and Anna completely torn between processing her feelings towards her midnight stranger to acknowledging her father’s death.

After that my favorite character in Don Giovanni (and maybe one of my favorite characters in all opera) makes her first appearance. Véronique Gens was playing Donna Elvira, she looked kind of beat up and wet but since she was wearing a sort of rain coat I guess that’s what they were going for. I had never seen this singer before this production and I gathered she’s a mezzo since she was doing the mezzo version. Although her voice wasn’t as powerful as Anna’s she did make up for it with her amazing acting. And again this production read another character just the way I liked it, because some might treat her as a recent conquest of Don Giovanni who is still smitten with him but is able to overcome her feelings by act 2. This one is so not the case and I love it. One of my favorite moments in the first act is when Elvira realizes Giovanni is calling on her (“Signorina”) and she promptly replies “Don Giovanni! Sei qui, mostro, fellon, nido d’inganni!” and in normal productions she would either throw something his way or just hit him. But as this Elvira approached him with her insults it seemed as if his presence drugged her and right after she finished her recit she grabbed him and kissed him. SO COOL! I must confess I’m a fan of passionate stuff and passionate characters so there you go.

And as we all know she’s so taken with him to trust him again and off he goes away from her. Then we have one of my favorite arias that I actually know by heart and by the way by this point I was mouthing/singing softly along to everything. Damn I love this opera! The little book aria is just so hilarious and I love the way every singer who plays Leporello has their own special way of delivering it. Like Luca Pisaroni who is one of the best Leporellos ever has a very personal way of playing this character that is just so amazing. He’s already said that it is one of his favorite roles (if not THE favorite), he was also my first Leporello back in 2011. But Esposito did a fantastic job and I laughed as he stressed new things and used and abused of his acting chest to bring Leporello to life.

The couple sitting next to me would not stop talking, they were talking about the opera but still it was SO IRRITATING and their comments were SO ridiculous. At this point they were arguing that they thought Leporello was a part of Don Giovanni’s imagination, his conscious. They were basically saying that the Don was Pinocchio and that Leporello was Jiminy Cricket. Plus they saw that I was mouthing along so they started trying to guess the next lines based on the subtitles which was rather pathetic since A- that translation REALLY sucked and B- they clearly did not speak Italian, at all.

Anyway after they leave we are brought to Zerlina’s and Masetto’s wedding. Zerlina was played by Elisabeth Watts and Masetto by Dawid Kimberg and they looked so adorable together. Zerlina was much shorter than him but she had feisty air and Masetto was one of those big guys that really can't hurt a fly, kind of Ron Weasley, they looked so cute together.

Did I mention that the stage actually spins? And it’s so amazing how much change they can inflict by simply spinning and changing the lights. The Don spots the party and instantly has his eye set on the girl in the white dress, I think he must think it amusing to seduce a girl out of her engagement on the day of her wedding. Bet he has a special list for those, as well as for nuns. It’s cheerful party and as soon as Zerlina spots the Don she’s intrigued, I mean, who wouldn’t be with a guy that attractive undressing you with his eyes, especially when you have an over seized Ron Weasley for a fiancé.

Anyways, Don Giovanni invites everyone over to his place for a super duper party just so he can be alone with her Zerlina, you gotta give the guy credit for not measuring expenses in order to bang her. Of course Masetto won’t leave quietly and I think it’s so Amadeus Mozart the bit when he says “Faccia il nostro cavaliere cavaliera ancora te”, like he will ride you like a horse. Wow, ok, slow down cowgirl. Sorry about that, I just love the sexual connotations in this opera and they are so ALL over the place!

Then we have that recit followed by “La ci darem la mano” which was one of the first duets I ever sang (said every single female opera singer in the world). I love this duet and it can be done in so many ways and I have to say that again they brought out the exact take on it that I liked. Zerlina is not stupid and gullible, she knows what’s going on and the prospect of being married to a nobleman beats the love and care of peasant Ron Weasley, it just does. The duet was filled with soft touches and promises in part A but as soon as Zerlina cries “Andiam” it escalates real, real quickly and by the end he’s already lifting up her skirts.

And it would have totally happened if Donna Elvira hadn’t walked into them and started calling him names like a crazy person. I love it how the Don is not the least affected by her outburst and promptly makes up an excuse as to why she’s making such accusations that A- seem plausible and B- make Zerlina fell great about herself. What a freaking player, hun? And I know I’m getting a little bit out of production here but the last one they did with Joyce as Donna Elvira when she says “Io sono a tempo di salvar questa misera, innocente dal tuo barbaro artiglio” I just loved the way she said ‘misera’ and ‘innocente’ and the way she looks at Zerlina because she kind of spat it as if saying that Zerlina was everything but miserable and innocent. Gotta love Joyce!

Another small song I really like is “Fuggi il traditor”, Gens did pretty well and I particularly liked her coloratura they were very well treated. She leaves like the mad woman she is but is sure to take Zerlina along with her. The Don is starting to get uneasy about not being able to finish the deal with the peasant bride but his focus in quickly drawn to the couple Ottavio and Anna. Now this whole scene was done in the most interesting way, while Ottavio wasn’t looking the Don made sure he would hit on and flirt as much as he could with the very willing Anna. Very cool because Ottavio is so darn slow and boring in this production anyway. Well, he is slow and boring in most productions anyways.

After they’ve had their trio and the Don gives Anna one last hot kiss on her knuckles and departs. Now for her "Don'Ottavio, son morta" Donna Anna has a real interesting moment because only a moment ago she was quite willingly melting under Don Giovanni’s touch and all of the sudden she’s conflicted for the first time. She gives into her more lustful feeling leaving Ottavio with a ‘I pity you look’ while he wails away one of the most irritating songs ever.

I know, it’s Mozart, and I know its Don Giovanni aka my favorite Mozart opera, BUT, MA, "Dalla sua pace" irritates me thoroughly. Maybe it’s because since it’s a Mozart aria many tenors from my school thought it was ok for them to try and screech it and that kind of traumatized me. Maybe Mozart wrote this aria like this to really mess up with the tenor because it’s a very difficult piece. 

I say this because it wouldn’t be the first time that Wolfie did that, you know that great aria called Come Scoglio from Cosi Fan Tutte? Well, Wolfie wasn’t a big fan of the soprano who played Fiordiligi and he knew she had a habit of rising her head up for high notes and lowering it down for the low notes. That’s why he wrote phrases like "Far che cangi affetto il cor" like this: Far (in middle voice) che (one octave up) can (goes down again) gi (goes up again) affe (down) tto (up) il cor (normal). Just to see her make a fool of herself, and people still ask me why I love Mozart! The guy writes something to fuck up with someone and it still sounds like a goddamn master piece! Mozart is DA man!

Anyways, that’s why I find that A - Dalla sua Pace was created to haunt and torment tenors. This tenor in particular as I’ve said before appeared to sweat a lot and was very nervous. Adding to the fact that Ottavio is a total idiot and in this song you can hear how absolutely blind Ottavio is. Although that depends on the production, in this one he looks like a complete fool. And if I'm being totally honest here I don’t think this guy was old enough to be playing this character. There I’ve said it.

After that we go back to the Don who is kind of annoyed by the fact that he hasn’t gotten laid in the past… 8 maybe 12 hours. I do love this little exchange Leporello and the Don have of telling each other the news of what’s happened. They really did seem like best buddies in this production which I find quite good. They get each other and the Don knows that if he wants to get laid he’ll have to throw a party or something. Lucky for him there’s already one happening in his estate as he speaks! This next aria (commonly known as the Champagne Aria) is one of my personal favorites and many people’s favorite I guess. They did this AMAZING effect where the Don is standing in a doorway and the projections start appearing and spinning, it was quite impressive to see in the movie theater and I can only imagine it was even more striking in the opera house. Luckily, there’s a video!

After they leave we meet up with the soon to be married couple Masetto and Zerlina. And here she’s trying to apologize because she almost ditched him for a sexier, healthier and wittier dude. In this production Masetto is also kind of daft, a little slow and Zerlina who is quick and witty takes complete advantage of that to seduce him during her aria Batti, batti o bel Masetto. Although it’s a lovely tune I’ve grown quite tired of it because I’ve been singing it for what it seems like forever but what I think ruins it for me is the fact EVERY SINGLE SOPRANO IN THE PLANET sings this aria.

When she finishes the aria it’s all good until they hear the Don’s voice and she kind of freaks. He’s having the so talked about party! Interestingly enough in this scene in which the Don is supposed to make Zerlina feel ashamed she actually turns the tables around and trick him. I found that most refreshing for when the dance music starts and people start to dance Zerlina takes the Don up stairs. Then our good (slightly boring) trio of Avengers appears all masked up, Donna Anna, Donna Elvira and Don Ottavio, they plan to crash the party and expose the Don for what he truly is. They sing about it for about 5 minutes and I must confess that’s not one of the opera’s high lights for me. Leporello spots the trio of masquerades and invites them in, they come in and everything is running as the Don wants. Leporello is distracting Masetto, 99% of the party is drunk and Zerlina is heading upstairs with him with a malicious smile on her face. When she starts to take her clothes off the Don does believe he’s won the lottery until she cries “Gente, aiuto! Aiuto, gente!” and the Don is like “WTF?” and flees.

The boring trio takes this opportunity to reveal their true identity and starts throwing insults all over the place directed at the Don. But he is too clever and quickly grabs Leporello saying he was the one who was trying to have his way with Zerlina. At this point everyone is singing insults to the Don saying his mask has finally come off ,traditore, scellerato amongst other names are used and seeing that there’s no way out the Don flees.

End of act one. I didn’t comment more about the couple sitting a few chairs from me who insisted in talking throughout the whole thing but let me just make it clear that they wouldn’t shut it for a minute. People in the movie theater were quite mad. But anyhow, at intermission we had this wonderful interview with Kasper Holten and even more wonderful because Bryn was conducting it. It was really a shame that this wasn’t live because live stuff does give me butterflies in my stomach knowing that it’s happening at that moment but I guess I should be thankful that it had reached me somehow in Brazil, nonetheless in my home town.

The interview was again very fun and lighthearted. I do LOVE Kasper’s work and especially when he’s given the opportunity to work in a piece he truly LOVES like last year with Eugene Onegin that he did a masterpiece and now with Don Giovanni. You can see that the guy knows the piece inside out and has been thinking about each of those characters for years and now he’s given the chance to show his view and his take on the Don Juan masterpiece.

They took some questions from twitter and since it’s been almost two months I don’t really remember them. But I do remember one directed to Bryn asking if he would be tempted to play the Don if he did this production and he said “No”. But not because of the production but because he never felt he was the right person to play this role, he felt much more comfortable playing Leporello.

Well act two and I find myself another seat away from the talkative couple. But as soon as they start their chitchat this man turns around and raves at them to shut the fuck up. It was so glorious! I loved that man! Even though I heard him say, “Oh, I don’t know. I like this opera but I like operas that have more orchestra like La Traviata. This one has barely any orchestra” and “Oh yes, Anna Netrebko and Elina Garanca are both from Russia”. I always say that if you don’t know stuff don’t say anything, you will sound STUPID.

Anyhow, this first part of the second act is one of my favorites! So the Don is now having to persuade Leporello to stick around but Leporello won’t have any of it. The Don then offers him some money and Leporello is quickly back to his side. But he does plead to the Don to “Purché lasciam le donne” (So long as we leave the women alone) and the Don’s response is one of my favorite line in the whole opera “Lasciar le donne! Pazzo! Lasciar le donne! Sai ch’elle per me son necessarie più pan che mangio, più dell’aria che spiro!” (Leave the women? Idiot! Leave the women! Don’t you know they are more necessary to me than the air that I breathe or the bread that I eat?) to which Leporello replies “E avete core d’ingannarle poi tutte?” (And still you deceive all of them?) and the Don simply says “È tutto amore. Chi a una sola è fedele verso l’altre è crudele: io, che in me ento sì esteso sentiment, vo’ bene a tutte quante: le donne poi, che calcolar non sanno, il mio buon natural chiamano inganno.” (I do it becaue I love them! Who is faithful to one is cruel to the others. I’m a man whose heart is so large that I love all of them, Women simply don’t understand me. They think that my natural generosity is some sort of deceit.)

And even though I laugh and go “son of a bitch” every time I hear that recit, I also get it. He is the kind of person that can’t really compromise to only one person and I get that because one of my best friends is just like that. She grows bored of having the same person and needs to constantly change, in today’s world that’s really ok, but back then things were more complicated. And the Don had to lie in order to get what he wanted, do you know how many girls he would have bedded if he’d been honest and said he only wanted to spend the night with them? A lot of women still but certainly not 2065. I know I might sound like a horrible person defending Don Giovanni but whatever, I don’t care!

Anyways, the Don now needs Leporello to pretend that he is in fact the Don to distract Donna Elvira while the actual Don seduces her chamber maid. This trio is truly hilarious, it consists in Leporello being out there dressed as the Don mouthing what the Don is saying to Donna Elvira and her in the balcony having an inner battle as to what to do, should I stay or should I go? I think the music written for this is so gorgeous. The clash between Donna Elvira’s melancholy doubts, the Don’s false declarations of affection and Leporello’s attempts to restrain his laugher is truly the work of genius. Mozart, God bless his heart!

One thing that did disappoint me a little bit was the recit right after this trio when Leporello pretends to be Don Giovanni to a very willing Donna Elvira. He hid more than he hit on her and that frustrated the scene for me a little bit because along with the trio it’s one of my favorite moments in the opera.

After Leporello and Donna Elvira leave the Don is alone by the balcony and starts to serenade. Seriously, if a guy like that ever sang “Deh viene alla finestra” to me I don’t even dare to think what I would do. It’s one of my favorite arias in this opera, my favorite for the Don DEFINETLY. It’s smooth and it’s full of promise and contained passion. And Mariusz is like utter perfection singing this, he IS the Don. Charm and charm and charm and you’re lost! What was most certainly unnecessary was that the chamber maid came down the stairs while he sang to her and at the end of the aria she took all her clothes off and was stark naked on stage. That did win some gasps from the audience and God why make the lady take her clothes off? Just to show how persuasive Don Giovanni can be? If she’s grabbed him and kissed him or made some sort of let’s do it gesture it would have sent the same message. I don’t know, I think that since this is set in Spain I just don’t see any Spanish woman doing that. Maybe the Italians would do that but not Spanish women, they are very proud and far too self-certain to have to resort to taking their clothes off to attract the attention of a gentleman. Italians are more careless in that matter and I don’t mean it in a bad way, what I mean is that Italians would have totally have been carried by the heat of the moment and take their clothes off like that in front of him on the street. But the Spanish women would have probably gestured for him to come up and THEN taken her clothes off.

Anyways as we all know the Don’s rondevu is cut short by the annoying Masetto and the naked girl is kept in the corner covering herself with her own dress. Anyways, the Don pretends to be Leporello and to be fighting for Masetto’s cause to kill the Don. But the moment he turns around the Don beats him up and flees. Zerlina finds her poor, poor, stupid fiancé and tell him he’ll make him feel better with her magic medicine (aka I’ll let you touch my boobs and I’ll kiss you wherever you want). Vedrai Carino is another lovely aria that I know back and forth and am oh of tired of listening to because everyone thinks it’ alright to sing it. But anyways…

Then we go back to Donna Elvira and Leporello who undoubtfully have been having their fun. But Leporello is quite tired of her and is eager to be free of her affections. This is one of those Mozart things that starts off as a duet, then another duet and before you know it it’s a huge sextet with complicated lines for everyone involved. And as more characters appear each one has a door and the projections come in a way as if they are all walking in hallways, it’s really quite amazing. You see as Leporello is trying to escape Masetto grabs hold of him and Donna Elvira starts to plead in his defense. But the other members of the sextet are not as forgiving and want “Don Giovanni” dead. Seeing no way out Leporello reveals his true identity to everyone’s surprise and to Donna Elvira’s misery. I do pity her, poor woman. Sometimes I’m even led to believe that she knew that it wasn’t Don Giovanni all along but living a little fantasy for a bit is better than sitting alone in her room. Well that really depends on the production.

After this fun sextet everybody comes at Leporello with fifteen hundred stones accusing him of doing the things the Don did as well as the other things the Don did discussed as Leporello, quite a lot of stuff. But Leporello wouldn’t be working for a man such as Don Giovanni if he wasn’t cunning and before you know it after uttering some confusing excuses he flees like the wind.

Then we go back to tenor terror. I’m sorry I might be sounding rather mean and the guy wasn’t all that bad but I felt he was not ready for this kind of job. Not ready for such a role in such a house in such circumstances. I’m not even gonna comment on the aria, let’s just skip that because that’s also not my favorite piece of music ever.

After that we do get some juicy singing from Donna Elvira and she did such a marvelous job. This aria is absolutely heart breaking, a woman clearly so in love with a man she knows will never feel the same for her. And still she loves him and seeks him, it’s very sad and when translated into music absolutely gorgeous. This is definitely one of those arias I would LOVE to sing.

When Donna Elvira leaves Leporello appears to meet Don Giovanni next to a cemetery. As they tell each other what’s happened they can hear a sinister voice coming from the graveyard. While Leporello wets his pants the Don is quite intrigued. In this production they have a bust of the Commendatore as the vessel from which he communicates with the Don in this scene. Even though Leporello is scared half to death he does as his master commands and invites the Commendatore for dinner in the behalf of his master. The Don isn’t half amused by all this and actually throws the bust from the second floor it comes apart in a million pieces on stage.    

On the original libretto the Don and Leporello leave so Donna Anna can come in and deliver her big aria. But in this most intriguing production the Don stays behind and watches the exchange between Anna and Ottavio. While Ottavio I trying to persuade her to think about their engagement Anna is resolute in not thinking in anything but her father’s death. But in this production it’s quite different because even though she’s indeed thinking about her father she’s also still pondering on her encounter with the Don. So after he shoos Ottavio away and starts singing her aria the Don appears and yet again wants to draw her near to him. But it is at this point that she realizes he is not what she needs, he is not what he wants. He was necessary for her to open up her eyes to see that there’s so much more out there and that she could make her choices herself. I find this one of the best interpretations of this aria/moment and yet this is the first time I’ve seen it used. And by the way, the singer was amazing. What a magnificent voice, she was simply DIVINE! She got quite an ovation and well deserved!

Finally last scene and we are back at the Don’s estate where he is dinning. We have that whole scene where he eats and Leporello is starving and he boasts at all life’s pleasures etc… Donna Elvira appears, she wants to give him another chance, she’s so in love but he’s rude and kind of an ass to her. And again, she can’t really change him because she feel for who he is, if he does change he will not be the man she feel for therefor she is condemned to suffer. She leaves just in time for the Commendatore to arrive. From the many, many interpretations of this scene that I’ve seen this has to be one of the best.

They don’t even come face to face, the Don is on ground floor while the Commendatore is right above him on the first floor. They have their exchange and Leporello pleads and pleads for his master to stop. The idea of this was that in this end the Don wouldn’t be sent to hell by a ginormous fireball but would go to his personal version of hell, to be alone. As the scene proceeds all the projections of names start to fade, Leporello leaves and even the Commendatore. At the end he is in hell, he is alone, nothing around him but plain white from the stage. He gets to his knees and cries out in the moment where he should be engulfed by the fires of hell but nothing happens and he is alone. He looks at the audience and you can see that this loneliness is worse than any other punishment for the man who has broken the hearts of 2065 women. The End!

Holy shit, that was the very BEST production of Don Giovanni I’ve ever seen! So incredible, the crowd went wild and I was delirious! It was really quite an experience. I love the ROH, after the Met it’s my favorite Opera House. Wow, this post is SO ENORMOUS! It took long enough to write I can tell you that. Well I’m gonna be off now, thanks for reading!  

Eugene Onegin Revalation

Well, I told you guys I had Eugene Onegin playing in my head nonstop, no surprise at all that I make a post about it. This was the first Russian opera I ever saw, with French subtitles, so I had to have the libretto with me. I really liked the first version I had seen of it, with Renée Fleming and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, that very famous production from the Met, 2008 I think. But yesterday, I had an absolute revelation in regards to this piece. I had always loved the music ever since the beginning, the Letter Aria and the ending duet being my absolute favorites. But as I listened to the broadcast of this season’s Royal Opera House’s production on BBC3 yesterday I was taken far away.

I think I ought to start out with the first thing I saw of this production, which was the rehearsal of one of the scenes in that wonderful program the ROH did of 10 hour straight of how life worked in the Opera House.

So we have the director, the fantastic Kasper Holten, one of my favorite baritones who plays Onegin, Simon Keenlyside and Krassimira Stoyanova the soprano who plays Tatyana. So in this video we have a rather warm welcome from the director who makes us feel at home right from the beginning. He introduces the cast and artistic team who will be working that day on the scene where Onegin goes to talk to Tatyana about her letter. (Btw check out the cute conductor!)

Something I really loved about this video is the different languages boiling all over, Kasper does warn us of that, but is just so interesting to see how they speak in English, German and quote in Russian and still work normally, real opera rehearsal atmosphere. It is so fantastic to be able to see the rehearsal and get all the explanations behind the gestures and musical choices, you can almost now see the story how THEY want to tell it through the staging and movements much more clearly in rehearsal and in performance time.

And not to forget this is a highly creative moment so they change some things and find out more about the characters as they rehearse and see what fits better with the production. For me it was such a breath of fresh air to have someone playing Onegin not as a snobbish man, especially in this scene, but as an insecure young man who doesn’t really know much about life and is really afraid. And that he REALLY doesn’t mean to hurt her, that for me is marvelous, even though it is all the same awful for Tatyana. Especially when Holten asks Simon to have a “I wish I had the courage to do this” kind of attitude, then you can see good shinning through the character and that he really means it when he says that he’s not good enough for her, it’s not just an excuse.

Kasper Holten and Simon Keenlyside in reheasal

Kasper Holten is such an attentive and creative director, I absolutely loved the way he works, he guides the singer through the scene underlining little details that in the big picture make such a big difference. He draws a fair image of what he wants for the character (so cool when he says “You go over here and you say ‘Fucking hell’”) but lets the singer paint that image and that I think is a kind of perfect collaboration between director and singer. Plus the discussion about the character of Onegin in that scene that we get to hear is so enlightening, that helps us see the essence of the character and to actually understand them a bit more. The way they discuss about the text and music, you can see the singer sees it in a way, the director another but they try together to bring something genuine to the table, that speaks to both. Plus Simon concluding that “He’s gay!” at the end is priceless!  

First video of the actual performance I saw was of course the ending and then the Letter Scene. But I’m going to talk about the 4 videos I liked the most in chronological order. So the opera begins, before the music starts you know that this is a different kind of production. The conductor comes in and after we are in darkness for about 30 seconds the lights start slowly coming on on stage.  Tatyana comes on stage, no music, just her holding a letter that she reads before throwing on the floor, this is the “old” Tatyana, as you see she’s wearing a rather royal looking dress, and that letter must have been Onegin’s letter to her. I image this is just after the last scene of the opera, their confrontation and her refusal of him, as she’s very distressed. Then she looks rather nostalgic and fetches a book inside which there’s a letter, most probably her letter to Onegin, when she opens the letter to reread it the overture starts.

What I love about this production is that every bit of orchestral music is interpreted in a way on stage to tell the story and show us a little bit more about the characters. Orchestral moments that are normally used for scene or costume changes become a big part of the story thanks to this new staging.  

Krassimira Stoyanova is absolutely fantastic, she hasn’t opened her mouth yet to sing but you can see that she’s a great artist. Reading through Tatyana’s letter she’s recoiling old feelings with that “I was so young and naïve” look. Her acting takes us through a journey, just her gestures and actions together with the music paint (to me at least) what’s going on in her head, after she’s done with the letter I feel like there’s a “what if” moment for her but in a more day dream kind of way. Onegin (Simon Keenlyside)appears and she’s once again alarmed, she closes the doors and so does he, they take their time to stare at each other, him defeated (but I can see one little ray of hope) and her changing from resolute to not so sure anymore. It’s really rather lovely in a weird way, she motions at his direction but then changes her heart as if thinking “No, I can’t do this!”. And then decides to show him how she saw it all happen.

And that’s the big catch of this production; this is not exactly how it happened, but how Tatyana remembers it and how she’s now telling it to him. Another great thing about this production is that there are actually two other actors who play Tatyana’s young self and Onegin’s young self, they are both dancers so Simon and Krassimira still sing all the parts but sometimes share their scenes with their doubles.

The big doors open to reveal now a hay field and young Tatyana reading and Olga, her sister in the swing. Young Tatyana (couldn’t find her name anywhere!) is a wonderful actress, from the very first scene she conveys most of Tatyana’s characteristics, a naïve, passionate, daydreamer who needs nothing more than a book to please herself. Her sister teases her taking away her book and as Tatyana runs in pursuit of her “old” Onegin and Tatyana watch them with a melancholic nostalgic gaze. We hear Tatyana and her sister sing as she and Onegin (he has a “ah, so this is how she sees it” look on his face) leave leaving young Tatyana to her books, the older Larina and Filipyena sing about their youth while Tatyana and Olga sing of spring. Now we have Krassimira as her younger self in the same dress as the dancer with her sister, she goes on and picks up a book to read, Larina takes it away but just as she leaves Tatyana recovers it.

We can hear the voice of the peasant leader in the distance and Tatyana seems to travel far away to the sound of his voice and the chorus’s.  The chorus appears and as they sing the lights dim on them, come right up on Tatyana who is sitting on a chair and there he is, just above the chorus, young Onegin who has just arrived. Right after we see young Tatyana who looks at him and all the pieces seem to fit for her AND THE VIDEO ENDS! This is true torture!

One day I will watch this whole production, but for now these videos are all I have.

Next up is one of my favorites, the letter scene, both Tatyanas on stage, they both are dressed  to be in the same time line, but Krassimira seems to narrate more while her younger self quite literally twists with all that is happening to her. Krassimira lays down pen and paper as she sings the very beginning of her aria and after “Everywhere, everywhere I look, I see my fatal tempter! Wherever I look, I see him!” (sorry I’m not writing in Russian because I simply can’t haha) her younger self rushes to the pen and paper and starts writing. Krassimira seems to analyze the letter as her younger self writes it and says it’s no good so her younger self throws it away. And it’s interesting how she makes it as if old Tatyana is not only telling the story but also reliving all those feelings.

Now the music written for this aria is so absolutely incredible, the way the theme is played out changing from instrument to instrument is absolutely hypnotizing to me. As the theme starts playing Tatyana starts writing again and older Tatyana takes off her letter, already written and as she sings actually reading it (as opposed to writing it, which is what she does in this aria). She looks at her younger self when she starts off with “O yes, I swore to lock within my breast this avowal of a mad and ardent passion.”. It is so interesting how she almost consoles her younger self, running her hand over her head in an almost motherly way while she sings “I would have found another, have proved a faithful wife and virtuous mother...”

The music changes and so do the actions on stage, what is great about this production is that everything that happens on stage is so unusual but at the same time fits in perfectly with the story. As Tatyana professes her love to Onegin, young Onegin appears to young Tatyana and they exchange at first tender touches and it becomes increasingly more physical but still lovingly. As they continue to hold each other, we see the older Tatyana looking at them as she sings, and you can see that that image of them together is Tatyana’s ultimate day dream of them after he’s accepted her letter and love. When he leaves we are left with a still in dream zone young Tatyana and a sad looking older one and the theme is heard again. The synchronization of music and action in the production are so perfect, this is like the perfect production for me, everything is done just the way I like, shouldn’t change a thing.

The way one Tatyana hugs the other one as she sings those penetrating words of young and aching love is inspired. She decides to bare her soul in that letter, to actually almost give her soul to him in those words she writes. And the explosion, in the orchestra, in Krassimira’s voice and eyes as she repeats “I implore”, and the orchestra parts get so grand, just as grand as her feelings, she’s bursting with feeling, which is masterfully transmitted through the music. Now she knows that she can’t fight it, she has to tell him, and as she finishes with “alas, the scorn I have deserved!”  we have one of the most heartfelt orgasmic orchestra explosions in history (in my opinion haha). Young Tatyana finishes the letter and they are both so overcome with their emotions, it’s too frightening to read it again and Krassimira takes the letter from her younger self’s hand as the aria ends.

Next up is right after Onegin has killed his best and only friend Lensky, he takes his friend’s pistol and almost shoots himself with it but decides otherwise. As he takes a little bottle of, what I imagine is vodka, and drinks it all up, just as he it gets to his mouth the waltz starts; this is another musical acting moment where it is so synchronized. Now this orchestral music is usually used for the setting of the ball, or something merely superficial, and what they’ve done here is absolutely amazing. We have about 8 good looking slim dancers passing by him and of course he soon forgets about his dead best friend who remains there down stage until the very end of the opera as a ghost of what he’s done I think.

And as the music progresses, he flirts with each dancer and they dance (meaning that they engage in some sort of relationship) and at first the girls are happy, then they start to run away from him, but then there’s always another. Some of them cling to Lensky’s dead body or lie beside him, he’s momentarily upset but then another one comes to distract him. As he gets hold of a rather flirtatious and playful one she immediately grows weak and falls, he’s shocked, but on comes another one who embraces him ever so lovingly. At first he doesn’t understand, but just as when he’s surrendering to her she also falls, crumbles into nothing. And then another one the same thing, and it’s so amazing how fantastically choreographed this was, it was choreographed on the music so it flows and tells a story of how everything he touched turned to dust.

The big theme comes back as all of the girls approach him and he decides to change strategy. To enjoy them as best while he can and then just dispose of them when they crumble, but some of them come back to fall to pieces right in front of him, reminding him ultimately of what he’s done to his best friend. The girls continue to flirt but he doesn’t want any of that anymore, he avoids them, they leave as the scene ends leaving behind a rather beaten up Onegin.

And the last scene I’m talking about is of course the last scene of the opera that had me pulling my hairs by the end (I’m serious). Both Tatyana and Onegin on stage, she’s just profaning how she felt when she saw him, I’m not sure if he can hear or not, he seems nervous, very much like young Tatyana when it was her heart on the line. They see each other, it’s explosive almost, as she rushes in his direction he gets down to his knees and starts kissing her hands most desperately. This is really getting me nervous, at points I’m like “Jesus, what’s going to happen?” even though I’ve seen this opera a million times and I know how it ends, it’s just more powerful than me!

I’m like how can she NOT forgive him after that his heartfelt “O spare me, have pity! I was so mistaken; I have been cruelly punished” . But how I adored the fact she takes out HIS letter to HER when he sees it he probably feels the exact same feeling she felt when he returned HER letter to HIM. Now it’s time for her to give him a piece of her mind on the matter, and it’s nice how he reacts quite ardently to her accusations, there’s a real exchange going on, not just a bunch of bitter words she throws his way. He finally gets to respond with words almost mirroring a young Tatyana in depth of feeling. Tatyana herself can’t really believe that he’s come around and starts weeping, he closes the distance between them telling her her tears are more precious to him than anything in the world.

Now, at this moment when I was listening to the broadcast I was like “Who the hell has the audacity of laughing at this moment” because I heard a giggle. Little did I know that it was actually young Tatyana coming on on stage with young Onegin as an image of could have been for them as Tatyana sings her heart aching “Ah! Happiness was within our reach, so close! So close!”. And this is truly a gift because she regards the happy couple with sadness and wish and Onegin regards them as something they could still become. As he takes her hand and joins her in singing that very same line he tries to show her they can still be together.

But Tatyana is an honorable lady, and since she’s married for her there is no way she and Onegin can be together, and so as she asks him to leave he pours out yet again the most heartfelt bucket of devoted words to her. This gets my blood running faster and faster, because we know they love each other, so for me it’s infuriating that they can’t be together. He grabs her from behind in an almost desperate move to change her heart and she confesses that she still loves him in music that is dignified for this moment (yet another explosion).

And after the explosion comes a calmer Onegin thinking that everything is settled now, but how could it be? Just as Tatyana is refusing to be with Onegin uttering “I shall always be true to him.” BAM her husband appears, I was very shocked at that, I got a little desperate you know, thinking “What is he doing here? He’s not supposed to be in this scene! Oh my God, what’s going to happen now?”. And to makes things worst his finding out everything is so depressing, the look of disappointment on his face is absolutely awful and makes me feel so bad for him! And as Onegin professes how she must be with him it gets even worst and Tatyana is in the worst position ever!

She fights firm to maintain her dignity even though she’s listening to the only words she longed to hear, I admire her immensely, I would have never had the strength to do what she does. He pleads and pleads and I’m turning into a puddle of nothing, almost shouting “Just give in, for Christ sakes!”. But we should never forget her husband is there, and now he’s distraught with what he has seen and heard. But Onegin is shouting he loves her, but she’s resolute about what she’s to do and sinks to her knees as she sings her last line “Farewell for ever!”. And this, I think, is the saddest moment in the entire opera; after her high note dies out she grabs a book and starts reading it and weeping. Oh my God that is so awful and depressing, as Onegin sings his last bit he sees that even though she’s there a breath away from him she can never be his, he’s lost his chance. THE END, nobody dies but everyone in the audience of depression.  

Throughout the whole process of watching all this and reading the libretto I feel like I understand a bit more this master piece that Tchaikovsky created.

Now this post I liked, I can go to bed with a clean conscience hahaha

Tosca Feelings

Ok, first of all I know I should be posting the La Boheme thing, BUT something happened. My teacher gave a very special assignment, to write about anything we’d like for our final grade. First I thought I’d just use something from the blog, I got plenty of options, but then I thought I’d be much more productive if I actually wrote something new and posted it here as well as handing it in for my professor. I wrote it primarily in English, since as many of you know I can express myself better in, and am still going to translate it to portuguse and probably cut a little bit of it, because it’s 7 pages long. I tried to be objective but that doesn’t really work when I’m talking about things I love and this opera is my favorite Puccini opera and this is my favorite production of it, so here it goes. Good luck ;) Ah I’m gonna leave the video here should anyone want to watch it.

Tosca, an opera by the Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, is one of the great master pieces in all music history. The action takes place during a real day in history, the 17^th of June 1800 in Rome, when from morning to dawn a chain of events unfolds which leads us to ultimate tragedy. The story revolves around Floria Tosca, a prima donna who is in love with the painter Mario Cavaradossi. But since this is opera things aren’t so uncomplicated, the third end of this love triangle is one of opera’s truly evil characters, Baron Scarpia. In this article the production in particular that will be reviewed is the Royal Opera House’s 2011 production.

As Floria Tosca we have the Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu who is famous for her performances in Puccini opera, she actually made her Royal Opera House debut in the role of Mimi from Puccini’s La Boheme in 1992. As Mario Cavaradosi we have the German tenor Jonas Kaufmann who has an extensive repertoire that ranges from Mozart to Wagner, going by Verdi, Puccini, Strauss and many others. And finally the amazing Welsh bass baritone Bryn Terfel as Baron Scarpia, Terfel also has the most exquisite repertoire singing from Wotan (from Wagner’s Ring Cycle) to Leporello (from Mozart’s Don Giovanni).

The maestro Antonio Pappano drops a remarkable quote just before he goes into the pit to conduct Tosca “The beginning of Tosca one of the great openings in all music. Three very, very simple but iconic chords, that speak of Rome, oppression, power, lust, everything!”

And so the opera begins with those chilling chords described by the maestro, Puccini does not take his time to write an overture for this piece, for after we hear the chords the curtains opens and the story begins. Of course you could think of the one minute of orchestral music which follows the chords as an introduction but that is hardly the case for the music presented demands action and seems to narrate what’s happening on stage. The curtains reveal the church of Sant’Andrea della Valle where a runaway political prisoner, Cesare Angelotti, seeks safety. He finds the key to the chapel hidden by his sister by the feet of the statue of the Madonna and there he hides.

The Sacristan enters, he prays frantically, and is followed by the painter Mario Cavaradossi. He is working on a painting of Mary Magdalene and introduces himself musically with a beautiful aria, “Recondita armonia” in which he describes the differences between his lover, Floria Tosca and the lady he has been painting. Kaufmann’s rendition of the aria is divine, his dark colored voice puts away all kinds of stereotyped thoughts one might have of how a tenor sounds. It is interesting to notice how while he describes the painting with some enthusiasm, when he speaks of his lover his voice is filled with power, joy, love and devotion. This aspect can be found in the music itself but Kaufmann’s interpretation of it makes it more explicit and shows the public Cavaradossi is truly head over heels in love with Tosca, in particular when he sings “L'arte nel suo mistero le diverse bellezze insiem confonde; ma nel ritrar costei il mio solo pensiero, Tosca, sei tu!” (The mystery of art blends two beauties together. But while I paint her, all my thoughts are of you. All my thoughts, Tosca, are of you!). The sacristan doesn’t approve of Cavaradossi’s ways and leaves.

As soon as the sacristan has left Angelotti reveals himself and asks for Cavaradossi's help. Tosca’s voice is heard and Cavaradossi tells him to hide back in the chapel.

Tosca arrives and is already suspicious of her lover having heard whispered voices and hurried footsteps on her way in. Tosca is a very passionate woman, a very loving partner but also extremely jealous of her lover. And because of this aspect the interpretation of this iconic character can go downhill if the performer does not know how to handle and show Tosca’s characteristics. But Angela Gheorghiu is the perfect performer for the part, apart from her golden voice which fits the role quite rightly; she manages to deliver a very believable Tosca, not an over done diva but a real person with real intense feelings, an artist.

Tosca is quite convinced Mario is hiding someone from her and he pleads to convince her otherwise with loving words. Tosca is easily convinced of his innocence and offers her flowers to the Madonna. The instrumental music written for this particular moment when Tosca prays is brief but delightful, it speaks of peace and bliss the right introduction to Tosca’s first aria “Non la sospiri la nostra casetta”. In this Tosca delights on the memories of them together and what’s to happen that evening since she’s got everything arranged for them to meet at their villa. Cavaradossi is worried for he has promised to help his runaway friend but manages to hide his concerns.

Gheorghiu sings this Puccini repertoire masterfully, having many, many years of experience up her sleeve she lets herself flow along with the melody and captures every subtle nuance of the text and music. She delights in every word and note, giving us just the right amount of bliss when she sings “Arde a Tosca folle amor!” (Tosca burns with desire) and then is joined by Kaufmann’s passionate “Mi avvinci nei tuoi lacci, mia sirena!” (You’ve caught me in your snare, my siren).

They kiss and Cavaradossi is almost able to send her away when she notices what he’s been painting, a blonde blue eyed young woman. Tosca’s suspicions are raised again and after she recognizes the woman as the Marchesa Attavanti she’s sure Cavaradossi is seeing the other woman and that it was she who was there just before Tosca herself arrived. She is enraged and is about to destroy the painting when Cavaradossi explains the lady had been there the day before praying for so long he ended up painting her face on the Magdalena figure.

He reassures Tosca of his fidelity telling her how her dark eyes are so superior to the blue ones in a bittersweet aria that then turns into a luscious duet. Kaufmann and Gheorghiu have a unique kind of chemistry; the way they regard each other is deep and full of feeling. Every gesture seems to come from within with an almost immediate response from the other with the perfect amount of energy. It’s a truly exquisite exchange. And as soon as Cavaradosi starts singing his passion filled aria Tosca is overcome with pleasure and love, forgetting about the quarrel. They delight in each other’s embrace, but she asks him to make Magdalena’s eyes dark, like hers. So we see they go through this road quite a few times, with Tosca’s unexpected bursts of jealousy and Cavaradossi’s soothing words when he says “Mia Tosca idolatrata, ogni cosa in te mi piace; l'ira audace e lo spasimo d'amor!” (My Tosca, I love everything about you. Your flashes of anger and your pangs of love). Having gotten all the praises and loving words she came for Tosca leaves reminding Cavaradossi to make the eyes dark.

She leaves and Angelotti comes out of his hiding. Just as he is telling Angelotti to hide in his villa there is a cannon signal meaning the police know Angelotti has escaped, they both flee the church rapidly. The Sacristan is back and is followed by Baron Scarpia who releases the order to search the entire church for his fugitive while he interrogates the Sacristan. If Trefel’s Scarpia could be described in one word it’d be frightening. With very little gesture he manages to suck all of the oxygen from the room by simply standing there with his eyes wide open always in alert.

And as the Sacristan speaks Scarpia is able to connect Cavaradossi to the runaway and figure out he must be helping him get away, plus he finds a fan Angelotti left behind that belonged to his sister. Scarpia is not only interested in re arresting his prisoner but is also quite obsessed with the singer Floria Tosca, who he knows is Cavaradossi’s lover and will use all means to get what he wants.

Tosca arrives back to tell Cavaradossi they can’t meet that night but as she learns he has fled goes back into her melancholy thinking he’s betrayed her. Scarpia seeing the woman is naturally the jealous sort snakes his way into her confidence to try and convince her that what she fears the most is actually true. This duet, unlike the previous one Tosca just had, is tense and feels as if Tosca is fishing not for compliments but for proofs she doesn’t really want to see, but Scarpia shows them in a way one would be left with no doubt Cavaradossi was indeed betraying her, especially when Scarpia shows her the fan. Both performers have great energy and Terfel’s Scarpia seems to cling to every word Tosca says with desire and want while Tosca is more and more desperate. The more miserable Tosca gets the more Scarpia is delighted and the closer Scarpia gets the more disgusted Tosca is. She finally decides to confront Cavaradossi in their villa thinking he’ll be there with his other lover and leaves.

Scarpia is left alone to sing one of the most achingly gorgeous arias of all time “Va, Tosca! Nel tuo cuor s'annida Scarpia!”, he tells his man to follow Tosca and when they all leave raves about his plan to win Tosca over whether she wants it or not. Terfel lets the music do its job of showing exactly who his character is; his acting is punctual and absolutely fitting for the role. Scarpia is much more than a villain, he is truly evil and that is expressed in his gigantic voice that can be clearly heard over the chorus and the eighty piece orchestra. The act ends with Scarpia’s promise to get what he wants no matter the cost.

Act two as the first measures are played the curtain opens to reveal Scarpia’s apartment in Palazzo Farnese. The scenery is truly magnificent; all candle light with big windows showing that day’s twilight and an enormous sculpture of a warrior angel pointing his spear down dominates the room but doesn’t stand out to the point of total distraction. Scarpia is waiting for Tosca to arrive, he is serene, his plan is working.

To truly show Scarpia’s twisted nature he gets the aria “Ha più forte sapore la conquista violenta” to express exactly what he likes. He’s not the romantic sort, he wants to conquer what he desires, squeeze it dry and then throw it away. Spoletta, Scarpia’s right hand, tells him that even though he didn’t find Angelotti he brought Cavaradossi as his prisoner. As Scarpia starts interrogating Cavaradossi Tosca’s singing voice can be heard at the distance which confuses and distracts Cavaradossi and Scarpia delights at the man’s suffering. Cavaradossi and Scarpia seem like two snakes hissing at each other, none gives in, and Cavaradossi says nothing. Scarpia was predicting this kind of attitude and just as Tosca arrives he sends Cavaradossi to further interrogation in a special room, the lovers only get a few moments to see each other as he is taken to another room.

One thing that is interesting to notice is that as soon as Scarpia’s focus changes from Cavaradosi to Tosca his eyes gleam showing a bit of all the intense unholy feelings he holds towards her. And Cavaradossi notices this and starts to fight against Scarpia’s man having seen in Scarpia’s gaze his true goal, this to me is true artistry, because those same signs can be heard in the music beneath them and is perfectly interpreted in their acting.

Tosca is wearing a gorgeous dress, cream colored embroidered with silver and pearly small stones with a high Pride and Prejudice waist, long gloves and jewels that would make the Queen of England jealous. In other words, she looks divine, and Scarpia quite literally eats her up with his intense lustful gaze. Scarpia starts questioning her about how she confronted Mario with the fan and she assured him it was silly jealousy and that Cavaradossi was quite alone when she met him. Scarpia is not quite sure she’s telling the truth and turns to more unorthodox ways to getting information.

What’s interesting about this scene is that it starts quite serene; both are very serious but polite. But as it proceeds both characters civil mask fall and just as Scarpia shows what kind of monster he really is, Tosca shows him how insanely desperate she is and how easily he can get to her nerves. As Scarpia explains just what sort of torture Cavaradossi is being put through Gheorghiu actually speaks instead of singing “Sogghigno di demone!” (You sneering demon). As she hears Cavaradossi’s cries Gheorghiu’s expressions of hate mingled with concern and desperation do the character justice.

Gheorghiu plays Tosca in this moment as a person that’s beyond desperate, her eyes are wide opened, and she can’t even believe that that is actually happening to her. The first signals of someone who is slipping out of their sanity and taking decisions that are unlike her, the music moves in the same way, the melody feels round, as if she’s spinning out of her sanity.

Tosca is being bombed with Scarpia’s anger and we the cries from Cavaradossi. The whole situation tortures Tosca’s mind to the extreme and she finally gives in and the music accompanies her on that. All this time the melody was hanging never going anywhere and as she says she’ll tell him what she knows the melody finally descends. It is quite heart aching as she utters “No! - Ah! Più non posso! - Che orror! Cessate il martîr! È troppo il soffrir!” (No! I can’t take it anymore! Stop this agony; it’s too much to bear!) She actually throws herself against the book case, where the room Cavaradossi is, crying and pleading for Cavaradossi’s consent for her to speak, but he does not give her that permission. But she is quite over the edge now, desperate, as Tosca herself says, Scarpia is torturing her as well as Cavaradossi, she tells Scarpia where Angelotti is hiding and the torture immediately stops.

They bring the fainted Cavaradossi in, he’s got some nasty wounds on his face and she denies telling Scarpia anything. But Scarpia sends out an order quite loudly to where Angelotti is and Cavaradossi promptly turns against Tosca, telling her she’s betrayed him and cursing her. Another brief and yet so emotional moment for Tosca, she’s just been through hell having to hear the love of her life being tortured and he turns against her, there’s no floor beneath Tosca’s feet at this moment.

But news reach them of Napoleon's victory at Marengo; Cavaradossi gloats, telling Scarpia that his rule of terror will soon be at an end, before being dragged away by Scarpia's men. He has signed his death warrant, way to go Mario!

Scarpia and Tosca are again left alone and he tells her there is a way she can save her lover, if she gives herself to him. She’s disgusted and refuses his advances but the more she hates him the more he wants her. Terfel makes his “lust declaration” in an intense almost animal way that really shows the essence of his character, a predator who needs to conquer his prey no matter the cost.    

Tosca is distraught, this is rock bottom for her, and with that comes one of the most iconic arias in the whole history of opera. As Gheorghiu sings “Vissi D’arte” her eyes are like pools of sadness but her voice is pure legato bliss she asks God why he has abandoned her. Her long masterfully well sustained tormented long notes seem to penetrate our very souls and we feel as she feels, betrayed, abandoned and lost.

Scarpia is not amused and asks her to make a decision, and as Tosca begs for his mercy he gives into her desires. They make a bargain, if she gives herself to him, Scarpia will give her a free passage out of the Papal States, but as for Cavaradossi since he’s defied Scarpia in public he must be executed, but he promises Tosca that it will be a faked execution, not a real one. As they seal their deal Scarpia’s eyes are terrifyingly wide with desire but Tosca stands firm and tells him to write the safe passage to her right then.

As Scarpia writes Tosca is quite defeated, she does not want to give into Scarpia, but she is no fool, she knows their fate lies in his hands. As Scarpia gets ready to attack and the music starts building up, getting more and more intense, Scarpia says “Tosca, finalmente mia!” (Tosca, finally mine!) touching Tosca’s back and as soon as that sentence is done she stabs him hard with a dinner knife. He immediately starts calling out for help, but he himself has shut all doors, Tosca who is overcome by anger and revenge screams “Questo è il bacio di Tosca!”  (This is Tosca’s kiss). Gheorghiu’s eyes, that only moments ago were filled with sadness, now shine in a mad way, she’s actually enjoying what she’s doing she asks “Ti soffoca il sangue?”  (Are you chocking on your blood?), she grabs him by the hair and makes him stare at her when she mocks him as she says “E ucciso da una donna!” (Killed by a woman!). She stabs him quite a few times screaming “Muori dannato! Muori, Muori!” (Die, damned you! Die!). After he’s quite dead, Tosca starts to look for the passage he’s written for her to leave, it is only after she takes the blood soaked note from his grip that she realizes what she’s actually done. But what’s remarkable is that she pays the respects towards the body, puts up candles but not in one glance or in one movement does she show she regrets what she’s done.

We start the third act quite differently with a long passage of instrumental music, very calm and serene music to imitate the early morning that’s to come. We are taken to the roof of Castel Sant’Angelo as the guards bring the defeated Cavaradossi the music changes and gets dramatic melancholic lines. Cavaradossi is sure he’s going to die without ever seeing the face of his beloved Tosca ever again, and so he offers the officer his only possession, a ring, so a note can be delivered to Tosca after his execution.

The officer agrees and Cavaradossi writes his final farewell singing the aria “E lucevan le stelle...”as he remembers his happy days with Tosca. Kaufmann is the master in dynamic, he can start a phrase forte and end pianissimo in a long high note, steal your heart and then bring it back to you.  At one moment his voice is sounding tender and warm, thinking of Tosca, then bang, reality, it grows frustrated and saddened. Kaufmann’s acting follows suit so you can actually see as well as hear all these states he’s going through.

And just as we think the music is going downhill with Cavaradossi it suddenly changes into a brighter tune as Tosca appears. They embrace and Tosca hands him the passage she’s gotten and explains what she had to do to get it, and also that she’s killed Scarpia with her own hands. Again there is no sign of regret in Tosca’s ways as she narrates how she stabbed Scarpia in the heart. Mario is at first quite surprised but can see she’s troubled and tells her how her hands will only now serve for tender duties, never more for this kind of vile business. They have another tender moment in which you see that wonderful chemistry these two performers have work its magic; they are absolutely connected just like a real couple in love.  

Tosca delights in telling Cavaradossi how his execution will be faked and he must fall down when they shoot and soon they’ll escape and run away together. One thing I find quite interesting about this duet is that the orchestral parts give us an idea that they are describing a mere dream and nothing more and that pretty soon they will wake from that beautiful dream of love. And oddly enough Tosca does speak of a time when they both will have passed away in a blissful way “Finché congiunti alle celesti sfere dileguerem, siccome alte sul mare a sol cadente” (until together we shall fade away, beyond the sphere of earth, as light clouds fade, at sundown, high above the sea).

They continue their passionate exchange and again, their eyes locked with each other in a way you can almost see a string connecting them. The joy of two artists being together united by love and art is clearly expressed when they both sing in unison “Armonie di colori. Armonie di canti diffonderem! Trionfal, di nova speme l'anima freme in celestial crescente ardor. Ed in armonico vol già l'anima va all'estasi d'amor.” (Harmonies of color... And harmonies of song! Triumphant, the soul trembles with new hope in heavenly increasing ardor. And in harmonious light the spirit soars to the ecstasy of love.)

Tosca and Cavaradossi quite literally laugh at the executioner as Cavaradossi says he’ll act “come la Tosca in teatro” as the shooters arrive they pretend to be desolated and Cavaradossi is tied up to be shot as the Sun rises. As they get ready to shoot him the music grows into an intense mix of angst and hope, Cavaradossi is shot and falls down. As the shooters slowly leave she warns Mario not to move, the music is dragging as slowly and tensely as the pace of the shooters. As soon as they are again alone she calls out to him in a manner as if all the hard ache has been taken from her back, but the feeling does not last for long, for Mario has indeed been shot and lies dead in front her his beloved Tosca.

It is then that Tosca goes back into the place she was when she stabbed Scarpia, desperate and irrational, but now she’s lost everything. As she rushes to the edge of the roof top the soldiers’ voices can be heard as they have found Scarpia’s dead body and know Tosca was responsible. They reach the roof top just in time to see Tosca as she screams “O Scarpia, avanti a Dio!” (Oh Scarpia, before God!) and she jumps, killing herself as the music explodes, the first rays of Sun appear and the curtain closes.

Tosca is the ultimate tragedy having all its principal characters die in awful ways, and most of them killed by the leading character. But it’s also the ultimate melodrama, it has everything, love, passion, lust, power, politics, religion, torture, murder, execution and finally suicide all wrapped up in the most masterfully composed music.

Principal cast and conductor Tony Pappano at curtain call (picture by Irina Stanescu)