Metropolitan Opera, New York, 3 October 2024
Giacomo Puccini: Tosca
At the turn of the 20th century, Giacomo Puccini stunned the world with Tosca, a cinematic opera unlike any other. Its meticulously crafted yet compact libretto – full of political drama – and its beautiful melodies make it a perfect work for opera houses around the world to perform season after season without tiring audiences.
Polish soprano Aleksandra Kurzak had the difficult task of embodying the title character, Floria Tosca, and she succeeded tremendously. It’s incredibly difficult to find a performer with both the vocal richness for the role and the acting ability to bring the character to life, and Kurzak managed to master both aspects impeccably. Her ‘Vissi d’arte’ in the second act was an absolute showstopper.
The big surprise of the evening was rising star SeokJong Baek’s portrayal of Tosca’s lover, Mario Cavaradossi. The South Korean tenor sang the revolutionary painter with a powerful, resonant voice that floated easily above the orchestra and stole the show every time he was on stage. His chemistry with Kurzak’s Tosca was also quite good, especially in the Act I duet.
Rounding out the cast were Georgian baritone George Gagnidze as Scarpia, menacing and imposing whenever he was on stage, though occasionally overpowered by the orchestra, and Patrick Carfizzi, a Met veteran in supporting roles, who was a convincingly comic Sacristan.
Chinese conductor Xian Zhang was in charge of the musical direction of the work, and while her reading was solid and coherent, she didn’t add anything overly interesting to the interpretation of the work. The Met Orchestra’s inherent quality and familiarity with the score ensured that Tosca‘s sweeping melodies and dramatic tensions unfolded naturally, providing a reliable foundation for the singers to flourish.
The real locations in Rome where the action takes place are majestically rendered on stage in the Met’s current production, first staged in 2018 by Scottish director David McVicar. The production boasts a level of detail similar to the Met’s classic productions of the 80s and 90s, but less stuffy. When such a production is paired with such a capable ensemble of singing actors, Tosca is bound to be a success.
