Puccini’s ‘Tosca’ tells the tragic story of opera singer Floria Tosca, who fights to save her lover, the lone artist Cavaradossi, from death by the villainous police chief Scarpia. The tale is one of doomed romance, and the audience is left in shock when Tosca is forced to ‘resort to deadly means’, which leads to her inevitable downfall. One might place it in the realms of Shakespearian romantic tragedy, in which our two protagonists are doomed from the very start, powerless to the fates.
Puccini’s emotive, captivating music brings this violent drama to life on stage, and the convincing cast of actors and singers made this production absolutely unforgettable.
The immense detail and quality of the set design, which changed after each interval break, added to the grandeur of the production and transformed the stage into an immersive and totally convincing atmosphere of pain, love and tragedy. Both the visual aesthetic and physical use of on-stage props and set pieces made the production feel authentic, even indicating realism at points, despite the dramatic flair and nature of opera productions.
A direct view of the orchestra pit only enhances the experience of live opera, and emphasised the genius of Puccini as a scorer and writer.
The cast conveyed the story with conviction, filling the London Coliseum with their singing, captivating the audience; it is impossible to look away from the stage. The opera was sung in English, making the storyline clear to follow, further aided by subtitles displayed above the stage making this production more accessible for viewers.
Opera has been a symbol of privilege and 'high culture', limited to only the wealthiest, yet these connotations are deliberately being dismantled by theatrical companies in their efforts to offer free tickets to all performances at The English National Opera for young people under the age of 25. If you’ve never seen a live opera performance before, or if you have and you loved it, this is an experience you can’t miss. All it costs is your time!
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