Floria Tosca and her lover Mario Cavaradossi
Puccini Tosca Opera
Tosca (1900), a tragic opera composed by Giacomo Puccini, unfolds in Rome during the tumultuous political and religious upheavals of the Napoleonic Wars in 1800.
Regarded as a roller coaster of emotions, Tosca weaves a gripping narrative of love, desire, murder, and political intrigue.
Puccini’s opera immerses audiences in the vibrant backdrop of Rome, capturing the essence of the era’s dynamic social and political climate.
Tosca marks Puccini’s exploration into verismo, a style known for its realistic portrayal of various aspects of existence, including violence.
Tosca is a beautiful opera with music that makes people feel like they’re in a love story.
It’s so good that it’s become one of the most loved operas all over the world. The story is a sad one about love and jealousy.
It’s all about Floria Tosca, who is a very passionate opera singer.
She has to stand up to a mean police chief named Scarpia. Tosca is doing everything she can to save her loved one, Cavaradossi, from impending doom.
Creator of the Opera Tosca
Giacomo Puccini, who lived from 1858 to 1924, composed the music for the opera ‘Tosca.’
He was very famous during his lifetime, and his works remain beloved today.
His operas are renowned for their meticulous attention to detail, their capacity to sensitively portray everyday life, their abundance of beautiful and memorable melodies, and their clear and simple style.
Puccini collaborated with two librettists on ‘Tosca’: Giuseppe Giacosa (1847–1906) and Luigi Illica (1857–1919).
This dynamic duo also worked with Puccini on his other enduringly successful operas, ‘La Bohème‘ and ‘Madama Butterfly.’
Giacosa, a dramatist, contributed to the development of the stories, while Illica, a poet, focused primarily on crafting the libretto’s textual content.
Their teamwork made the operas truly special!
The Birth of Tosca: From Playwright to Composer
The inspiration for Puccini’s opera Tosca stemmed from his encounter with Victorien Sardou’s play La Tosca in 1889.
Sardou, a prolific French playwright, enjoyed immense popularity during his lifetime, authoring over 70 plays.
However, few of his works remain widely performed today. La Tosca stands as a notable exception.
Co-written with actress Sarah Bernhardt, the play’s Parisian premiere in 1887 was a resounding success.
Bernhardt’s captivating performance captivated audiences, leading to over 3,000 performances in France alone.
Witnessing La Tosca in both Milan and Turin, Puccini was deeply moved by the play.
Inspired by its potential, he wrote to his publisher, Giulio Ricordi, on May 7, 1889, requesting permission to adapt it into an opera.
Puccini thought La Tosca would make a great opera because it didn’t need fancy sets or costumes, just good music.
Puccini’s Challenges in Securing the Rights
Ricordi sent his agent, Emanuele Muzio, to Paris to talk to Sardou about Puccini’s idea.
But Sardou wasn’t sure. He wanted a French composer to turn his play into an opera, and he wasn’t happy with how his play was received in Italy, especially in Milan.
He also knew that other composers were interested in his play.
But despite all this, Ricordi was able to make a deal with Sardou. He then asked Luigi Illica to start working on turning the play into an opera.
In 1891, both Luigi Illica, who was writing the words for the opera (the librettist), and Sardou, who wrote the original play (the playwright), were a bit worried.
Illica was not sure how to change the play into an opera, and Sardou wasn’t sure about letting Puccini, a new and upcoming musician whose music he didn’t really like, work on his most successful work.
Feeling disrespected and upset, Puccini decided to step back. Ricordi, the person in charge of publishing the opera, quickly found someone else, Alberto Franchetti, to take over.
Puccini Renewed Interest in Tosca
However, Franchetti never felt entirely comfortable with the task, and despite this, Illica still wrote a libretto for him.
Later, Puccini’s interest in Tosca reignited, and Ricordi managed to convince Franchetti to relinquish his rights to the opera.
Specifically, Franchetti gave up his rights in May 1895, which allowed Puccini to resume control of the project.
In August of the same year, Puccini signed a new contract and regained control of the project.
Adapting La Tosca from Playwright to Opera
Sardou’s five-act play, La Tosca, features extensive dialogue and exposition.
The opera captures the play’s core plot but streamlines the story. The original boasts a larger cast and richer details, which are unsuitable for the operatic stage.
In the play, French identities are given to the central lovers. Floria Tosca reflects Bernhardt’s personality, and her Roman-born Cavaradossi is depicted as Parisian.
For the opera’s adaptation, librettists Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa significantly streamlined the play.
They ensured the characters’ motivations and actions resonated within the operatic context.
However, this process wasn’t smooth sailing. Giacosa and Puccini clashed repeatedly over condensing the material, with Giacosa even questioning Puccini’s commitment.
Unlike the recently rediscovered initial draft (created by Illica for Puccini and resurfaced in 2000), the 1896 libretto presented an alternative ending.
Here, Tosca does not meet her demise but rather descends into madness.
In this final scene, she cradles her lover’s head in her lap and experiences hallucinations, imagining herself and Mario on a gondola while requesting silence from the gondolier.
However, this deviation from the play met resistance. Sardou adamantly refused to entertain this alteration, insisting that, as in the play, Tosca must leap from the parapet to her death.
Puccini sided with Sardou, expressing that the inclusion of a mad scene would cause the audience to anticipate the ending prematurely and start heading towards the exits.
Puccini placed considerable pressure on his librettists, leading Giacosa to make melodramatic threats of abandoning the project.
Eventually, after much effort, the two librettists were able to present Puccini with what they hoped would be the final version of the libretto in 1898.
The Characters in Puccini’s Opera Tosca
In Puccini’s opera “Tosca,” the drama unfolds around a cast of vibrant characters, each contributing to the intense narrative.
The main protagonist, Floria Tosca, is a celebrated opera singer renowned for her captivating beauty, impassioned performances, and profound devotion to her lover, Mario Cavaradossi.
Cavaradossi, a painter, is not only romantic but also a fervent republican; his political leanings place him squarely in opposition to the ruling authorities, which adds a layer of danger to his life and love.
Opposing them is the opera’s central antagonist, Baron Scarpia, the menacing chief of police, whose obsession with Tosca and determination to capture Cavaradossi fuel the opera’s tension.
Scarpia’s ruthless tactics and manipulative demeanor make him a formidable figure in the story.
| Role | Voice Type | Premiere Cast |
| Floria Tosca | Soprano | Rome’s star opera singer |
| Mario Cavaradossi | Tenor | A painter and Tosca’s lover |
| Baron Scarpia | Baritone | Rome’s chief of police. |
| Cesare Angelotti | Bass | An escaped political prisoner and friend to Cavaradossi. |
| A Sacristan | Bass | The caretaker of the Attavani family chapel. |
| Spoletta | Tenor | Police agent |
| Sciarrone | Bass | Police agent |
Supporting these leads are several secondary characters that enrich the narrative.
Cesare Angelotti, an escaped political prisoner, seeks refuge in the church where Cavaradossi works, triggering the opera’s ensuing conflict.
The church’s sacristan, portrayed with a touch of comedic relief, contrasts sharply with the darker characters like Spoletta and Sciarrone, Scarpia’s loyal police agents who aid in his malicious schemes.
The jailer at Castel Sant’Angelo and a shepherd boy, who sings a hauntingly beautiful melody offstage in Act III, add further depth and texture to the opera.
Tosca Synopsis in Brief
The story of Tosca happens in Rome in June 1800, according to the libretto, which is like the script for the opera.
Sardou, who wrote the play that the opera is based on, gives us more details.
He says that the events of La Tosca happen in the afternoon, evening, and early morning of June 17 and 18, 1800.
Back then, Italy was made up of many small states. The Pope, who lived in Rome, was in charge of the Central Italian states, known as the Papal States.
But in 1796, after the French Revolution, Napoleon’s French army invaded Italy.
They entered Rome without much resistance on February 11, 1798, and set up a republic.
Act I
In Rome, an authoritarian government is in power. The head of police, Baron Scarpia, doesn’t allow anyone to disagree with him.
One day, Angelotti, who has escaped from prison, hides in a church.
There, he meets an artist named Mario Cavaradossi, who decides to help him.
Cavaradossi is in love with Floria Tosca, a famous singer in Rome. Baron Scarpia has always liked Tosca, and he thinks that Cavaradossi might be helping Angelotti.
This gives him a chance to get closer to Tosca.
Act II
Cavaradossi gets arrested. Tosca goes to Baron Scarpia and pleads with him to free her lover.
In her worry, she tells him where Angelotti is hiding, but this makes things worse for Cavaradossi.
Scarpia tells Tosca that he will let Cavaradossi go, but only if she agrees to be with him.
Tosca feels she has no other choice and agrees. Scarpia tells his men to pretend to shoot Cavaradossi with fake bullets.
When Scarpia goes to hug Tosca, she takes a knife and stabs him.
Act III
Tosca meets Cavaradossi in his cell and tells him to pretend to be shot, and then they can run away from Rome.
Cavaradossi is taken away, the soldiers pretend to shoot him, and he falls down. Tosca realizes that Scarpia tricked her.
Just then, Scarpia’s men find out that he has been killed. They try to arrest Tosca, but she runs away and jumps off a high wall to her death.
For a more detailed synopsis of the opera Tosca, click here!
What is the Story?
At the heart of the story are three central characters: Floria Tosca, a renowned opera diva in Rome; her lover, Mario Cavaradossi, a painter with republican leanings; and the morally corrupt Chief of Police, Baron Scarpia.
Scarpia has harbored a deep desire for Tosca and seizes an opportunity to fulfill his dark ambitions when he suspects Cavaradossi of aiding a fugitive political prisoner.
In a sinister move, Scarpia plans to manipulate Tosca into revealing the whereabouts of the hidden prisoner and implicating Cavaradossi.
By doing so, he aims to achieve his twisted objectives while eliminating his political adversaries.
The stakes are raised when Cavaradossi is captured, and Scarpia presents Tosca with a horrifying ultimatum: she must surrender herself to him or witness her beloved’s demise.
Caught in a harrowing dilemma, Tosca faces an agonizing choice that will determine not only her own fate but also the survival of those she holds dear.
The gripping tale unfolds as these characters navigate the treacherous waters of love, betrayal, and sacrifice.
The Music of “Tosca,” An Opera
By the late 19th century, the prevailing structure of opera was characterized by the “through-composed” form, where the music flowed continuously without distinct set pieces.
However, Puccini deviated from this approach, embracing what critic Edward Greenfield termed the “Grand Tune” concept.
In this concept, Puccini incorporated a limited number of set pieces that stood out from the surrounding music due to their memorable melodies.
Even in the transitional passages that connected these “Grand Tunes,” Puccini maintained a high level of lyricism and seldom relied on recitative.
This focus on memorable melodies extended beyond individual arias.
Opera scholar Julian Budden characterizes Tosca as Puccini’s most Wagnerian score, due to its use of musical leitmotifs—special tunes that remind us of certain characters, things, or ideas in the story.
Unlike Wagner, who evolves his leitmotifs as the story progresses, Puccini uses them more like reminders, referencing characters, objects, and ideas consistently.
One particularly potent motif is a sequence of three powerful and intense chords heard right at the start of the opera.
These chords represent the tyrannical character of Scarpia and the pervasive atmosphere of violence that surrounds him.
Budden suggests that Scarpia’s tyranny, lasciviousness, and desire act as the driving force behind the drama.
There are other leitmotifs in Tosca too. Some directly connect to characters, like Tosca herself and her passionate love for Cavaradossi.
Others paint a picture of the story’s events: the fugitive Angelotti and the brutality of torture depicted in Act II.
A single motif even adds a touch of comic relief by representing the quirky sacristan in Act I.
Note
The music of ‘Tosca,’ an opera, is a prime example of a style called “verismo,” which translates to “realism.”
Although the story of the opera might not always reflect it, the music truly captures this style.
Verismo music features several distinctive elements that are evident in ‘Tosca.’
There are short songs, called arias, filled with intense, raw melodies.
The music evokes a sense of being present in the story’s setting.
Additionally, during particularly dramatic moments, the characters may speak their lines instead of singing them; this technique is known as ‘parlato’ (a term used in opera to describe spoken dialogue).
Thus, even though ‘Tosca’ is a drama, its music adds a touch of real life to the stage.
Music in Act I
Puccini’s opera “Tosca” opens with a bang. The intense Scarpia motif chords erupt abruptly, immediately followed by the agitated entrance of the fugitive Angelotti.
This sets a tense tone for the entire act. A brief moment of lightness arrives with the comedic theme of the sacristan and his interaction with Cavaradossi.
In his aria, “Recondita armonia,” Cavaradossi introduces the opera’s first major melody, hinting that Tosca, not the woman he’s painting (the Marchesa), is his true muse.
Tosca’s entrance, marked by her own distinctive motif, quickly shifts the scene.
Suspicion gives way to expressions of love, despite her underlying jealousy. The couple’s love duet further deepens this sentiment, with its soaring melodies overflowing with sensuality and lyricism.
The narrative takes a turn.
The sacristan and choristers, in a moment of levity, mistakenly celebrate Napoleon’s defeat.
However, Scarpia’s ominous arrival swiftly plunges the atmosphere back into darkness. His interrogation of the sacristan and subsequent interactions with Tosca are underscored by the recurring fugitive motif and the tolling of bells.
This creates a solemn, almost sacred ambience.
As the act reaches its climax, Scarpia’s lecherous thoughts interweave with a grand Te Deum.
This juxtaposition of sacred reverence and his profane desires ends with a dramatic reinforcement of the Scarpia motif, leaving a lasting impression.
Music in Act II
In Act II of “Tosca,” the music mirrors the intense emotional turmoil and dramatic developments unfolding on stage.
Scarpia’s manipulative schemes, underscored by tension-building music, heighten the sense of impending tragedy.
The music accentuates the stark contrast by juxtaposing Tosca’s joyful singing in the distance with the grim interrogation scene.
Her obliviousness stands in stark relief against Cavaradossi’s perilous situation.
The escalating drama reaches a climax as Scarpia proposes a vile bargain to Tosca.
The music twists and churns, mirroring the turmoil within Tosca as she grapples with moral anguish.
Her poignant aria, “Vissi d’arte,” expresses her desperate plea to God for guidance and strength in the face of such harrowing choices.
The orchestration builds as she wrestles with her decision, leading to a moment of shocking violence as she ultimately betrays Scarpia in a desperate bid to save herself and Cavaradossi.
The music’s powerful crescendo accompanies Tosca’s act of defiance, providing a visceral emotional impact as she takes control of her fate.
Her actions, depicted through the music’s evocative melodies and dramatic motifs, reveal the depth of her character and the tragic consequences of Scarpia’s tyranny.
Music in Act III
In Act III of “Tosca,” the music reflects the culmination of the opera’s tragic narrative, immersing the audience in a crescendo of emotion and tension.
The haunting melody of the shepherd boy’s song, “Io de’ sospiri” (“I give you sighs” in Romanesco dialect), saturates the air.
As the tolling of church bells sounds, it casts a pall over Cavaradossi, setting a mournful tone as he faces his impending execution.
Against this backdrop, Puccini’s score masterfully conveys the weight of Cavaradossi and Tosca’s desperate plan to escape their fate.
As Tosca arrives with the forged safe-conduct pass, a swell of music erupts, a mixture of hope and desperation underscoring the gravity of their situation.
The tender duet between Tosca and Cavaradossi, punctuated by poignant arias, captures the intensity of their love amidst the looming threat of death.
Puccini’s orchestration heightens the emotional impact as they envision their future together, igniting a fleeting moment of euphoria before tragedy strikes.
The execution scene marks the opera’s musical climax. Cavaradossi’s fate is sealed with a poignant aria that showcases Puccini’s mastery of operatic storytelling.
The sudden revelation of Scarpia’s betrayal, underscored by dramatic chords and soaring melodies, plunges Tosca into despair.
In a heart-wrenching finale, the music swells with raw emotion as Tosca takes her own life, her final aria echoing with haunting beauty as she embraces death on her own terms.
Puccini’s masterful composition weaves together the operatic elements of love, betrayal, and sacrifice, drawing the audience into a gripping narrative that unfolds through the power of music.
As the final notes fade away, the tragic tale of “Tosca” resonates with audiences long after the curtain falls, leaving them emotionally drained yet profoundly moved by the power of music and tragedy.
List of Arias in Tosca Opera
In Puccini’s opera “Tosca,” each act features a series of powerful arias and set numbers that convey the emotions and conflicts of the characters.
Act I: Aria of Torment and Tender Duets
Act I opens with Cavaradossi’s famous “Recondita armonia” (“Hidden harmony”), where he expresses his inner turmoil and compares the beauty of his lover, Tosca, to the woman he is painting.
This is followed by a tender duet between Tosca and Cavaradossi, “Non la sospiri, la nostra casetta” (“Do you not long for our little house”).
Cavaradossi later reflects on his love for Tosca in “Qual’occhio” (“What eyes in the world”).
The act concludes dramatically with Scarpia’s commanding aria “Va, Tosca!” (“Go, Tosca!”) and the grand chorus “Te Deum laudamus” (“We praise thee, O God”).
Act II: A Descent into Darkness and Desperation
In Act 2, Scarpia reveals his sinister intentions in “Ha più forte sapore” (“For myself the violent conquest”), while Cavaradossi celebrates his victory in “Vittoria! Vittoria!” (“Victory! Victory!”).
Scarpia’s manipulative nature is further highlighted in “Già, mi dicon venal” (“Yes, they say that I am venal”).
However, it is Tosca’s poignant aria “Vissi d’arte” (“I lived for art, I lived for love”) that steals the spotlight, showcasing her inner turmoil and anguish.
Act III: Haunting Melodies and Tragic Culmination
Act 3 begins with the haunting melody of the shepherd boy’s song “Io de’ sospiri” (“I give you sighs”).
Cavaradossi then reflects on his lost love for Tosca and impending demise in the emotional aria “E lucevan le stelle” (“And the stars shone”), followed by the tender duet “O dolci mani” (“Oh, sweet hands”) with Tosca.
The act concludes with Cavaradossi and Tosca’s final duet, “Amaro sol per te m’era il morire” (“Only for you did death taste bitter for me”), which expresses their enduring love before Tosca’s fateful decision and captures the tragic culmination of their love amidst betrayal and sacrifice.
Instruments of the Tosca Opera Orchestration
The orchestration of Tosca stands as a testament to Puccini’s mastery of musical texture and color.
The score calls for a rich ensemble, featuring a diverse array of woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings.
The woodwind section boasts three flutes, with the second and third doubling on piccolo for added brightness and clarity.
Two oboes and an English horn, lending their expressive tones, complement the sound.
The clarinet family is represented by two B-flat clarinets and a bass clarinet, contributing to both melody and harmony.
Deep, resonant tones from the bassoons, including one contrabassoon, provide a solid foundation.
The brass section adds warmth and depth with four French horns. Three trumpets and three tenor trombones lend their powerful voices to climactic moments.
Percussion instruments such as timpani, cymbals, bass drum, triangle, glockenspiel, and six church bells create a dramatic and evocative backdrop.
The orchestration also features a celesta, pipe organ, and harp, adding shimmering textures and ethereal harmonies to the orchestral palette.
Finally, the strings, with their lush and expressive sound, provide the emotional heart of the music.
Through his masterful orchestration, Puccini brings Tosca to life with a vivid and dynamic sonic landscape, capturing the intensity and passion of the opera’s dramatic narrative.
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