In what year was the melancholy written. Tosca by Puccini (Vienna Opera, La Scala, Netherlands Opera)

). The premiere took place at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on January 14, 1900.

Encyclopedic YouTube

1 / 2

✪ Shepherd Aisha Orynbasarova Opera Tosca 11.09.2014 Astana Opera

✪ Afterword to Tosca with correct Russian translation.

Subtitles

Characters

History of creation

The play "Tosca" was written by V. Sardou especially for Sarah Bernard, and the actress was a huge success in it. The premiere took place on November 24, 1887 at the Porte Saint-Martin theater in Paris. Puccini saw the play at the Milan theater Filodrammatico. In a letter dated May 7, 1889, the composer instructs his publisher, Giulio Ricordi, to conduct all the necessary negotiations in order to obtain Sardou's permission to write an opera based on his work. The play aroused interest as a source for the libretto also from Verdi and Franchetti. The latter received the rights to write an opera and even began work. However, thanks to Ricordi, these rights eventually passed to Puccini. The composer turned to the new project for the first time in 1895 during a short break in work on the score of La bohème. L. Illika (1859-1919), who wrote the libretto for Franchetti, was joined by G. Giacosa (1847-1906). On January 13, 1899, in Paris, Puccini met with Sardou and obtained his consent to use the play. Later, the composer agreed with the author of the drama and some changes in the plot. Puccini insisted that all secondary details be removed, the plot was extremely simplified, and the action was accelerated as much as possible. Has undergone changes and image main character: from a diva who considered her love for a freethinker artist a sin, Floria Tosca turned into talented actress and a patriot of Italy.

The premiere took place at Rome's Teatro Costanzi on January 14, 1900. The parts were performed by: Hariclea Darkle (Tosca), Emilio de Marchi (Cavaradossi), Eugenio Giraldoni (Scarpia), Ruggero Galli (Ancelotti), conducted by Leopoldo Mugnone. Present in the hall: Queen Margherita, President of the Italian Council of Ministers Luigi Pell, Minister of Culture Baccelli, Pietro Mascagni, Francesco Cilea, Franchetti, Giovanni Sgambatti. At first, the opera was received without enthusiasm. She was reproached for the lack of originality of melodic ideas, repeating Puccini's previous discoveries, for naturalism, and the scene of torture was especially criticized.

On March 17, 1900, the premiere of the opera took place at La Scala. Conducted by Arturo Toscanini, the part of Tosca was performed by Darkle, Scarpia by Giraldoni, Cavaradossi by Giuseppe Borgiatti.

According to the libretto, the action of the opera takes place in June 1800. The dates given by Sardou in his play are more accurate: the afternoon, evening and early morning of June 17 and 18, 1800.

The action of the opera takes place against the backdrop of the following historical events. Italy has long been a series of independent cities and lands, in the center of the country was the Papal States. In 1796 french army under the command of Napoleon invaded Italy, entered Rome in 1798 and established a republic there. The Republic was governed by seven consuls; one of these consuls, Libero Angelucci, may have been the prototype of Cesare Angelotti. The French defending the republic left Rome, which was occupied by the troops of the Kingdom of Naples.

In May 1800, Napoleon again sent troops into Italy, and on June 14, his army met with the Austrian at the Battle of Marengo. The commander-in-chief of the Austrians, Melas, being confident in his victory, sent a messenger to Rome, but Napoleon received reinforcements in the evening and managed to win, and Melas had to send a second messenger after the first. After these events, the Neapolitans left Rome, and the French took possession of the city for fourteen years.

Act one

Angelotti, a republican escaped from prison, takes refuge in the Roman church of Sant'Andrea della Valle. He hides in the Attavanti Chapel, the key to which was left under the statue of the Madonna by his sister, the Marchioness of Attavanti. Without noticing the fugitive, a sacristan enters the church, who brings food for the artist Mario Cavaradossi who works here. Mario himself appears behind the sacristan: the painting with the image of Mary Magdalene is only half finished. Cavaradossi sings an aria Recondita armonia, where he compares the appearance of his beloved, the singer Floria Tosca, with the features of a saint. The sacristan leaves Mario. Angelotti, thinking that there is no one in the church, leaves the chapel and meets Cavaradossi, his old friend. Their conversation is interrupted by a knock on the door: Floria Tosca demands to be opened. Angelotti hides again. Tosca enters. It seems to the jealous beauty that Mario portrayed her rival in the portrait. Cavaradossi calms her suspicions, and they agree to meet in the evening at his place, after Tosca has performed at the Farnese Palace. Floria leaves. Cavaradossi, along with Angelotti, also leave the church - the artist decided to hide a friend at home.

At this time, news comes to Rome of Napoleon's defeat in northern Italy. On this occasion, the church prepares for a solemn service. Scarpia, the chief of police, who is in love with Tosca, appears. Together with the detective Spoletta, he discovered evidence that Angelotti was hiding here. One piece of evidence is a fan bearing the Attavanti coat of arms, which Scarpia used to arouse Tosca's jealous suspicions.

During worship, many people enter the church. While Te Deum sounds in honor of the victory over Napoleon, Scarpia remains in the church, he is completely absorbed in the insidious plan to send his rival Cavaradossi to the scaffold.

Action two

Farnese Palace. On the same evening, the victory over the French is celebrated here. Scarpia, in his office at the police station in the palace, hears the distant sounds of music and reflects on what happened during the day. With the gendarme Schiarrone, he sends a note to Tosca. Spoletta searched Cavaradossi's house, did not find Angelotti there, but found Tosca there. Cavaradossi is arrested and brought to the palace. His interrogation was unsuccessful. Tosca appears and Cavaradossi manages to secretly tell her that she must keep quiet about what she saw at his house. Scarpia sends the artist to the torture chamber.

Scarpia interrogates Tosca. She is calm, but only until the moment when she hears the screams of the tortured Cavaradossi from the cell. In desperation, she betrays Angelotti's refuge - he hides in a garden well. Cavaradossi is brought back to Scarpia's office. He understands that Tosca told everything. Unexpectedly, news arrives of Napoleon's victory at Marengo. Cavaradossi does not hide his joy. Scarpia gives the order to execute him the next morning. At the same time, he makes an obscene proposal to Tosca.

Tosca is completely confused and depressed by what is happening. Aria sounds Vissi d "arte. But for the sake of saving her beloved, Tosca agrees to sacrifice herself. Scarpia convinces her that he must create the appearance of preparations for the execution of Cavaradossi. He gives Spoletta the necessary orders and at the same time issues a pass for Tosca and the artist so that they can escape from Rome. However, when Scarpia turns to embrace her, Tosca stabs him with a dagger. She hurriedly leaves the palace, taking the pass with her.

Act Three

Sant'Angelo Prison Square. Cavaradossi is taken to the prison roof, where he will be executed. He's writing last letter Longing. The aria of Cavaradossi sounds E lucevan le stelle. Floria appears unexpectedly. She tells about the murder of Scarpia, shows her lover the passes and informs him that the execution will be false. Floria and Mario are sure they are saved.

Soldiers appear, led by Spoletta. Cavaradossi stands calmly in front of them. Shots are fired, Mario falls, the soldiers leave. Only now Tosca realizes that she was deceived by Scarpia: the cartridges were real, and Cavaradossi is dead. The woman, distraught with grief, does not hear that the soldiers have returned. Scarpia's death is discovered, Spoletta tries to delay Tosca. She throws herself from the roof of the castle down.

Italian composers are known all over the world. One of them is Giacomo Puccini (his photo is presented below). This is the author of the opera called "Tosca". It is about this work that we will talk today.

The opera "Tosca", a summary of which is presented in this article, opens with three crushing chords. They are always used further to characterize Scarpia. This character is a sinister chief of police, a merciless, albeit refined outwardly person. He personifies the reactionary forces of Italy. In this country in 1800, Napoleon was considered the apostle of freedom, which was reflected in such a work as the opera Tosca. Summary continues with the opening of the curtain, marking the beginning of the first act.

Beginning of the first act

The curtain rises immediately after the opening chords. The viewer is presented interior view Church of Sant'Andrea della Balle in Rome. A man in tattered robes enters one of its side doors, trembling with fear. This is Angelotti, a political prisoner who escaped from prison. He hides in a church. His sister, the Marquise Attavanti, hid the key to the family chapel, in which her brother is hiding, under the statue of the Madonna. Angelotti is now frantically looking for him. Puccini's opera "Tosca" continues with the fact that this hero, having found him, hastily unlocks the door of the chapel and hides in it. He manages to do this before the sacristan enters with food and things for the artist who works here.

The sacristan comes to Cavaradossi

The sacristan is busy with his own thoughts. He talks about something to himself, going to the artist's place of work. The sacristan is unhappy that the features of one of the parishioners appear in the image of a saint. Perhaps the devil himself controls the hand of this impudent painter. Here comes the artist himself, Mario Cavaradossi. He begins to work on the image of Mary Magdalene. There is a half-finished painting on the easel. Cavaradossi sings the aria "He changes his face forever." In it, he compares with the features of his beloved, Floria Tosca ( famous singer), sketches of his portrait.

An artist discovers a fugitive

The sacristan leaves. The artist discovers Angelotti, who believes the church is empty and decides to come out of hiding. His fear at the sight of the artist is immediately replaced by joy - he and Mario are old friends. Now the artist will not leave a fugitive prisoner in trouble. However, their conversation is interrupted by a knock on the door.

Appearance in the Church of Floria Tosca

Do you want to know how the opera "Tosca" continues? A brief summary introduces the reader to further events. Floria Tosca asks to open the door to the church. Cavaradossi, barely hearing the woman's voice, pushes his friend back into the chapel to hide there. Floria enters. It's amazing beautiful woman dressed superbly. She, like most other beauties, easily succumbs to jealousy. Now this feeling excites in her a portrait that Cavaradossi paints. She recognizes the blond beauty. It takes some work for the artist to reassure his beloved. Floria is not able to be angry with Mario for a long time, and after a conversation they agree to meet at the artist's villa after Floria's evening performance at the Farnese Palace. Angelotti, after her departure, comes out of his hiding place again. He is taken away by Cavaradossi in order to hide at home.

The police chief is looking for a fugitive

The plot of the opera "Tosca" is developing rapidly. News arrives that Napoleon has been defeated in northern Italy. The priests in the church are preparing for the celebration of worship on this occasion. Scarpia enters in the midst of his preparations. The police chief is looking for the fugitive Angelotti. Together with Spoletta, his detective, he finds a lot of evidence that this is where the fugitive is hiding. Among the evidence, these characters in the play discover, for example, a fan with the coat of arms of Attavanti. Scarpia uses it cunningly to arouse the jealousy of Floria, for whom he burns with passion.

worship

The worship service begins. A large procession enters the church. While Te Deum sounds in honor of the victory over Bonaparte, Scarpia stands on the side. The chief of police hopes that he can get rid of a competitor, and uses Floria's jealousy to do this. If his plan succeeds, Cavaradossi will be on the scaffold, and he will receive Tosca. Before the curtain falls, Scarpia kneels in prayer before the cardinal, but his thoughts are consumed by the devil's plan.

Beginning of the second act

In the Farnese Palace in the evening of the same day, the victory over Bonaparte is celebrated. The sounds of music are heard through the open windows of the police station, located right there in the palace. Scarpia is in his office thinking about the events of the day. He sends with Schiarrone, his gendarme, a note to Tosca, and also receives a message from Spoletta's detective. He searched Cavaradossi's house, but Angelotti did not find it there, but he saw Tosca. Spoletta arrested Cavaradossi, who was in the palace.

Interrogation of Cavaradossi and Tosca

While the voice of Floria is playing the solo part, her lover is interrogated in Scarpia's office, but to no avail. When Floria arrives, Cavaradossi manages to whisper to her that the chief of police knows nothing and that she should not talk about what she saw at his house. Scarpia orders the artist to be taken to the torture chamber. The gendarmes carry out this order, and with them the executioner Roberti.

After that, Scarpia begins to interrogate Tosca. The woman maintains her composure, but only until she hears the groans of Cavaradossi coming from the cell. Unable to bear it, she betrays the location of Angelotti. This is a well in the garden. Exhausted by torture, Cavaradossi is taken to Scarpia's office. The artist immediately realizes that his lover has betrayed his friend. Immediately afterwards, news arrives that Bonaparte has won a victory at Marengo. Cavaradossi cannot contain his joy. He sings a song praising freedom. Scarpia orders him to be taken to prison and executed the next morning.

Murder of Scarpia

The police chief then starts a sly conversation with Floria again. During this dialogue, it is included in such a work as the opera "Tosca", the aria of Tosca. Floria sings "Only sang, only loved." It is a passionate appeal to music and love, two forces to which Tosca has dedicated her entire life. A woman decides to sacrifice herself for the sake of her beloved.

Scarpia now explains that since he has already ordered the execution of Cavaradossi, at least sham preparations for the execution should be made. He calls Spoletta and gives him the necessary orders, and also issues passes so that Cavaradossi and Tosca can leave Rome. However, at the moment when Scarpia turns to her, intending to take the woman into his arms, Tosca plunges a dagger into the police chief. The orchestra is playing Scarpia's three chords at this time, but now it is very quiet.

Floria washes her hands, and then takes the passes from Scarpia's hand, places a candle on either side of the murdered man's head and places a crucifix on his chest. The curtain falls as Floria disappears from the office.

Beginning of the third act

Quite calmly begins the final act. An early morning song performed by a shepherd girl sounds offstage. The third act takes place on the roof of the Roman castle of Sant'Angelo. It is here that Cavaradossi should be brought for execution. He is given a short time to prepare yourself for death. He uses this time to write his last letter to Tosca. This is a very touching scene, which appears to the audience in the third act (the opera "Tosca"). The aria of Tosca, which Cavaradossi sings at this moment, is called "The stars burned in the sky."

Passionate duo of lovers

Then Floria appears. She shows her lover the saving passes and tells how she managed to kill the police chief. A passionate love duet looks forward to a happy future. Tosca then says that Cavaradossi should go through the farce of a false execution and then they will run away together.

tragic ending

The calculation led by Spoletta enters. Mario stands in front of him. A shot sounds, the artist falls. The soldiers leave. Floria falls on the body of her murdered lover. She realizes only now that Scarpia deceived her. The cartridges turned out to be real, and Cavaradossi was killed. Sobbing over his corpse, the young woman does not notice the footsteps of the returned soldiers. They found Scarpia's body. Spoletta tries to grab Floria, but the woman pushes him away, climbs the parapet and throws herself down from the roof of the castle. The soldiers, frozen in horror, stand motionless while the tune of Cavaradossi's dying aria sounds.

Thus ends the opera Tosca. The summary that we have outlined, of course, does not even closely convey the full splendor of this work. Definitely worth seeing it in the theatre. Italian composers are considered among the best in the world. Opera created by Giacomo Puccini Once again proves it.

In 1887, the French playwright V. Sardu wrote the drama Tosca for Sarah Bernhardt. The success was so grandiose that the play withstood three thousand performances - and not only the French public liked it. This drama, with its expressiveness and dynamic development of events, seemed to be fertile material for opera stage- and in this capacity in Italy, three composers became interested in her: A. Franchetti and G. Puccini. But he did not realize this idea, and the publisher T. Ricordi made sure that the rights to create the opera Tosca, originally received by A. Franchetti, were transferred to Giacomo Puccini.

The libretto for Tosca was written by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. The composer paid full attention to the process of its creation, making sure that there were no external effects that jeopardize dramatic development. For example, in the second act, the librettists intended to make a quartet (tortured behind the scenes by Cavaradossi, Scarpia, Tosca, Spoletta), but G. Puccini refused this. A number of adjustments to the plot were made with the consent of V. Sardu himself, with whom the composer met in France in 1899: insignificant details were excluded, the action was simplified, becoming extremely dynamic. Only one change proposed by the composer was not allowed by the playwright to be introduced into the plot: G. Puccini wanted to make the finale less tragic, saving the life of the main character, but V. Sardu did not agree to this - and Tosca still dies in the finale of the opera.

The first and only time G. Puccini created an opera on historical plot- the action of "Tosca" takes place in Rome in early XIX century during the Napoleonic Wars. Two themes are intertwined in the work - the struggle against tyranny and the drama of love, opposing cruelty and deceit. The composer sought to describe in detail the place and time of the action - he even found out on what notes the morning bells sound in St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome in order to reproduce this in the prelude to the last act, and the text of the old Italian song, which was indeed sung by shepherds in the vicinity of Rome.

But it is not historical painting which he created (especially in early period creativity). There is only one choral scene in the opera - at the end of the first act, but mainly specific characters live and act on the stage - the artist Mario Cavaradossi, who sympathizes with the Republicans, Scarpia, the cruel and vicious chief of the Roman police, and the only woman among the heroes of the opera, the singer Floria Tosca, in whose character tenderness, and capriciousness, and a tendency to jealousy, and the ability to selflessly love, and even courage coexist. The love line prevails in the opera - even a lyrical arioso is put into the mouth of Scarpia. The work is dominated by cantilena - even when ariose recitation prevails in the vocal part, wide melodies flow in the orchestra. It is noteworthy that one of the most striking themes of the work is the melody of Cavaradossi's aria from final act- first appears in the orchestra. The main dramaturgical principle of constructing the opera is dialogue, which can be either a unity of heroes (Tosca and Cavaradossi) or a confrontation (Scarpia and Tosca).

An important role in the dramaturgy of the opera Tosca is played by leitmotifs. They correspond both to characters (Scarpia, Tosca) and situations - for example, the “theme of the well”, based on a whole-tone scale - it is associated with the death of Angelotti due to Floria's unwitting betrayal. The lyrical theme of the title character is opposed by Scarpia's leitharmony, a static chain of triads built on steps of a whole-tone scale.

G. Puccini completed work on the opera Tosca in 1899. The Roman theater "Constanzi" was chosen as the place of the premiere. The composer was calm about the fate of the work, being confident that "everyone is good: the impresario, the orchestra, the singers, and the conductor." The premiere was conducted by L.Munione, and the title role was played by the Romanian singer Hariclea Darkle. It is to her that the audience owes the appearance of the beautiful aria "Vissi d'arte" in the second act, which the composer wrote at the request of the singer.

At the premiere of the opera Tosca, held in January 1900, the most representative audience gathered: P. Mascagni, A. Franchetti, F. Cilea and others famous composers, members of the government and even Queen Margaret of Savoy herself. The performance took place in a very turbulent atmosphere: the premiere was almost disrupted by a message about a bomb planted in the theater, the police had to search (although there was no bomb in the hall). Contrary to the established in Rome theater tradition, the performance began at the announced time to the nearest minute - and at the request of the late part of the audience, it had to be interrupted and started again.

Contrary to the expectations of G. Puccini, the reaction of the Roman public was very restrained. True success awaited Tosca at La Scala, where it was staged in the spring of that year.

Music Seasons

The premiere of this opera (the fifth in the work of Puccini) took place at the Rome theater "Constanza" on January 14, 1900. The assessments were highly inconsistent. "Tosca" was enthusiastically greeted by supporters. Others reproached her for naturalism, cheap melodramatism, "verist extremes", and excessive "brutality" of the content. On March 17, 1900, Tosca premiered with great success at the La Scala theater directed by Arturo Toscanini.

The plot of Tosca was very dear to Puccini himself as an Italian. It speaks of Italy suffering and fighting for freedom. The action takes place in Rome in 1800. The libretto (J. Giacosa, L. Illika) is based on modern drama French writer Victorien Sardu, written for famous actress Sarah Bernard.

Artist Mario Cavaradossi hides Republican Angelotti, who escaped from prison, in his house. Only the beloved Cavaradossi, the singer Floria Tosca, is dedicated to this secret.

The chief of police, Scarpia, arrests the artist and tortures him severely. Tosca, located in the next room, does not stand up and gives Scarpia the place where the fugitive is hiding. However, instead of the promised pardon, Cavaradossi is taken into custody.

Scarpia, seized with a love passion for Tosca, offers her a deal: the life and freedom of Cavaradossi in exchange for her love. If Cavaradossi refuses, he will be executed. After painful hesitation, Tosca accepts this condition. Scarpia promises that the scene of the execution of Cavaradossi will be played out "for show", the cartridges will be blanks.

When Scarpia approaches Tosca to embrace her, she stabs him to death. Scarpia dies, but his promise turns out to be a lie: during the execution, Cavaradossi dies in front of Tosca. In desperation, she throws herself from the parapet of the prison tower onto the stones of the pavement.

"Tosca" is a work of a truly tragic plan, unlike "La Boheme", it is characterized by a pronounced conflict. Here much resembles the great Verdi, the style of such operas as Il trovatore, Don Carlos, Aida, Othello:

• freedom-loving pathos, tragic intensity, fierce struggle of antagonistic forces;
• the scale of the grand opera;
• flexibility and freedom of operatic forms based on cross-cutting development;
• a natural fusion of symphony and vocal cantilena.

The forces of action and counteraction in Tosca are clearly demarcated. At one pole of the drama is the tyrant Scarpia, the chief of police, who has become a kind of symbol of enslaved Italy. In his musical portrait there is an undoubted connection with the image of Verdi's Iago. At the other extreme - Tosca and Cavaradossi, their love. Of all Puccini's operas, it was in Tosca that the feeling of love found the most complete, generous expression in Italian. predominance love line, the lyrical focus becomes distinctive feature dramaturgy of the opera (even Scarpia sings a lyrical arioso).

The cantilena beginning permeates the entire music of the opera, including the orchestral fabric. Moreover, it is the orchestra that often takes on the leading melodic function. An example is the touching prayer of Tosca fromIIactions. This aria reveals one of the creative secrets composer: the listener is always impressed with a smooth, wide cantilena, and meanwhile the vocal part is built on an ariozny recitation with long “standings” on one sound. It's all about the orchestra, its continuously flowing melody.

It is characteristic that it is in the orchestra that one of the most striking themes of the opera first appears - the melody famous aria Cavaradossi from the last act.

Compared to the refined orchestral style, the score of "Tosca" is distinguished by a richer, thicker manner. The role of copper, gloomy timbres of low stringed instruments is increasing.

The main operatic form of Tosca is dialogue. Starting from the moment of the fatal meeting between Cavaradossi and Angelotti, the whole opera develops on the basis of conflicts, clashes, struggle, or, on the contrary, a close unity of the two actors. Thus, the principle of dialogue becomes the main dramatic principle of Tosca.

The leitmotif system becomes more diverse and rich in Tosca. Scarpia's leitmotif - a sequence of major triads (В-As-E) - is undergoing the most active developmental development. It becomes the source of a number of similar themes that define its darkly tragic atmosphere of the opera. Light ones opposing him lyrical themes(the leitmotif of Longing, the leitmotif of love) remain stable and whole.

Along with the leitmotifs of the main characters (Tosca, Scarpia), there appear the "motifs of situations" characteristic of Puccini. Such is the theme of ominous forebodings in the scene of the interrogation of Cavaradossi, Tosca's "decision theme" before the murder of Scarpia in the finale of the second act, the sinister whole-tone "the theme of the well" associated with Tosca's involuntary betrayal and Angelotti's death.

To convincingly convey the atmosphere of papal Rome, Puccini made a special trip to Rome to listen to the morning bell ringing surrounding churches. For the part of Tosca (the only female part in the entire opera), he found a canzone in the Romanesque dialect.

This is Puccini's only appeal to a genuine historical setting - the era of the struggle against papal reaction that followed the fall of the Roman Republic.

Verdi at one time was also interested in Sardu's drama. He fully approved of Puccini's decision to take on her story.

G. Puccini opera "Tosca"

As the basis of the libretto for his opera Tosca, G. Puccini chose play of the same name V. Sardu. This great story love and betrayal, robed Italian composer into the opera genre, for more than a century it has not ceased to stir the hearts of people around the world. The performance was so loved by the public that today it is the most repertoire in the world.

Summary of Puccini's opera "Tosca" and many interesting facts read about this work on our page.

Summary

The plot of the opera takes place in Rome at the very beginning of the 19th century. In the center of the whirlpool of events is the love of singer Flora Tosca and artist Mario Cavaradossi.

Trying to save his friend, once the Roman consul Cesare Angelotti, from persecution, the artist Cavaradossi hides him in his well. country house. Police Chief Scarpia guesses where the criminal is hiding. To capture him, he follows Mario's lover Flora Tosca, who leads him to the rebel hideout. But instead of a prisoner, an artist goes to prison. To save her beloved from torture, the girl has to give away Angelotti's hiding place. But the merciless chief of police orders to kill Cavaradossi as well. Flora can save him if she gives the villain her love ... She has no choice but to agree to this step. But the policeman is not going to save the artist, he just "pretends" that the execution will not be real. Having received documents from Scarpia to escape, Tosca kills him.

With the onset of dawn, Flora runs to her lover and talks about the upcoming escape. And he also asks to fall “like an actor” when he hears the shooting of “idle”. The soldiers raise their weapons, a shot rumbles, Cavaradossi falls. The girl rushes to her beloved, because the staging is over, and they are free! And only when he sees the bloody body, he understands what really happened. Meanwhile, the soldiers are already running towards the killer Scarpia. Longing is doomed...

Interesting Facts

• Tosca is an opera with one of the most unusual premiere stories. The first performance of the play made a lot of noise. It all started with theater Hall filled with police. Someone reported that a bomb had been planted in the hall. After her unsuccessful search, the performance still began. As soon as the first chords of the orchestral introduction struck, screams were heard in the hall. Their cause was not the threat of an explosion, but a violation of the Roman theatrical tradition: it was customary in the city to start performances late. The audience gathered just with this calculation, and this time the conductor started the opera on time. The spectators who had just arrived were indignant and demanded to start the performance over again. The conductor and soloists had to make concessions. Well, what else can you do!
• In one performance, in the scene of Tosca's fall from the fortress wall, mattresses and pillows were replaced by a trampoline, and before the curtain closed, the singer managed to fly over the wall several times.
• Austrian singer Leoni Rizanekpela sang the Tosca prayer on her stomach. She also did not believe that Tosca could hide the knife in advance, and in the versions of the performance with this singer, a glass of wine was broken, and a shard was stuck in Scarpia's neck.
• Montserrat Caballe has entered the Guinness Book of Records as the only singer to perform the last four notes of the Vissi d'Arte prayer in one breath.
• Ramon Vinay became famous for starting his career as a tenor and ending as a bass player. In the opera Tosca, he performed the parts of both Cavaradossi and Scarpia.
• According to biographers Puccini, V. Sardu's consent to use his work for the basis of the libretto he received thanks to music - the composer performed fragments of his operas for the playwright, and the music captivated him.
• One of the librettists insisted on changing the ending. He offered to abandon the death of the main character and replace the scene of her fall from the roof of the castle with madness. But the playwright did not succumb to persuasion: the girl should rush down from the parapet of the Castel Sant'Angelo. He called the main argument of such a finale the following - it is not good to detain the viewer with a scene of madness before the very end of the performance. And then the maestro intervened in the dispute - he took his copy of the libretto, opened the final scene and showed those present his mark "aria of the coat." So he called the final number, which not all spectators will hear - after all, by this moment most of them will leave the hall and rush to the wardrobe for outerwear. This greatly amused Sardu, and he entrusted the processing last scene to the composer, whom he called "a man of the theater", who knows the preferences of the public better than others.
• The audience reacted rather coldly to the first production of the opera. One of the reasons for such a reaction was called non-original melodies and .... sound and stage sadism. In this case, the audience did not like the scene of torture.
• Puccini by all possible ways tried to convey in his work the atmosphere of Rome at the beginning of the 19th century. Especially for this, with the help of the minister of the temple, Don Panichelli, in his opera brainchild, he recreated the authentic sound of the bells of St. Peter's Cathedral.
• In one of the performances, the role of Cavaradossi was sung by the great Enrico Caruso. The composer's acquaintance with this genius was very interesting. Puccini had absolutely no idea of ​​his vocal abilities, and therefore asked to sing. As soon as Caruso completed the performance of the first aria of the hero, the maestro asked who sent him to him, was it not the Almighty himself?
• In the 20th century in Russia, the opera Tosca was performed under the title The Struggle for the Commune. For the creation of the great Italian, a new libretto was written, its authors were N. Vinogradov and S. Spassky. The action was moved to France late XIX century, where the main characters were a revolutionary and a communard.
• Due to the specifics of the plot, "Tosca" is often used in various works related to the work of special services and detectives. Among the most famous films, where this work is mentioned or music from it sounds - "Deja vu" (1989, dir. Y. Makhulsky), "Surrogates" (2009, J. Mostow), "Pink Doll" (1997, V. Olshvang), "Stalingrad" (2013, F. Boncharchuk), "22 bullets. Immortal" (2010, R. Berry), "Method" (2015, Y. Bykov). It is curious, but the plot twists and turns of the immortal operatic masterpiece are very organically woven into quests and some computer games, such as "Hitman: Blood Money" (2006).

Popular arias

Aria Cavaradossi "E lucevan le stelle" - listen

Baron Scarpia "Va Tosca! Te Deum" - listen

Aria - Tosca's prayer "Vissi D" arte" - listen

Aria Cavaradossi "Recondita armonia" - listen

History of creation

The play “Tosca” by V. Sardou was written specifically for one of the most outstanding actresses in the history of the theater - Sarah Bernhardt. G. Puccini got acquainted with this performance in the Milan theater in 1889, and at the same time he had the idea to write an opera based on this work. However, in those years he was only a novice composer, and therefore did not particularly count on attention from the famous playwright. That is why Puccini entrusted all negotiations with the author of the play to his publisher Giulio Ricordi. But everything was complicated by the fact that the maestro was not the only one who wanted to write an opera based on the plot of "Tosca" - they became interested in the play as a source of libretto G. Verdi and A. Franchetti. As a result, the honor of creating the opera fell to the latter, but thanks to the strong recommendations of Ricordi, he had to abandon this venture.

Puccini began to work directly on the opera only in 1896. At this time he was already well known, his operatic creations " Bohemia" And " Manon Lesko"have already had considerable success. Now the composer already highly appreciated his chances of favoring Sardu. And indeed, he managed to hold several fruitful meetings with him. L. Illika and J. Giacosa were engaged in writing the libretto, the composer himself did not miss the opportunity to work on the plot He held active negotiations with the author and insisted on some changes in the plot - for example, he sped up the action, reduced some secondary storylines and made changes to the fate of the main character. The opera was finished in autumn 1899.