Tosca is an immortal opera that has not ceased to stir the hearts of listeners all over the world for more than a century. Puccini dreamed of "Tosca" for almost eleven years, since he met the play of the same name by Victorien Sardou. The king of French playwrights, at one time, wrote it specifically for the actress Sarah Bernhardt, who had a huge success in the role of the main character. A tragic love story set in Italy during a dark reactionary era when Napoleon was seen as a symbol of freedom, aroused the interest of many composers as a possible source for the libretto. However, it was Puccini's music that gave eternal life to the melodramatic figures of Sardou, and today few people can remember the original source.
In the production of Yuri Alexandrov, the operatic masterpiece has found a new life on the stage of the St. Petersburg Opera. This is a performance with luxurious spectacular scenery, where the main emphasis is on actors-singers who have not only beautiful voices, but also a great temperament, perfectly revealed by the director.
Alexandrov's "Tosca" is a timeless story about all those who play, write and compose, about those who do not separate life from art and live in two worlds at the same time. The performance was created in the best traditions of theatrical melodrama. The characters are clearly outlined, the turns in the behavior of the characters are distinct. The villain Scarpia is cruel, cunning and takes everything he wants by force. No reflection, no feelings, just a powerful male desire. Cavaradossi is an artist at any moment of life. His first aria sounds like the quintessence of a creative worldview. It seems that he loves Tosca only because he perceives her as a beautiful work of nature ... After all, even in prison before the execution, Cavaradossi cannot resist sketching a portrait of a lovely little girl on a piece of paper ... Tosca herself is a 100% prima donna, not used to holding back emotions...
