Puccini: Tosca [Blu-ray]

I bought this Tosca at the same time I purchased the new were Covent Garden one also with Kaufman to see what changes have happened to him over the past few years and how he had grown. As it turns out this production is far superior to the Covent Garden one with Gheorghiu, Kaufmann and Tervel. Even though Kaufmann is not a spinto, he can manage this role, with allowances. For the most part he is still using his singing voice in most of his phrases. By the time he gets to Covent Garden he's relying on triple forte for the last half of way too many phrases. That's not good singing and it's not good communication.He sings most of this beautifully, it's unfortunate for him then the stardom and money is not to be found in Wagner Strauss and leader these days.Thomas have some has a beautiful voice that is used most intelligent lady and is many years singing leader show through here very clearly. He knows how to sing with an orchestra to let the orchestra take the lead, then take over again. He is one of the most intelligent and amoral Scorpias that I have experienced, and his characterization is fascinating. He may not war loudly but the look in his eyes is is deadly as the most ferocious predator. At ROHCG, Terfel plays Scarpia as a psycho, which I found repulsive and uninteresting.At first I thought Emily McGee was a bit too over-the-top, but she is both superb as a singer and actress and proved her point. She constantly displayed strengths personality and ego and proves a worthy opponent to Scorpia. She also sings the role for all it's worth, and uses the shape of her mouth her body her cost you all of her dramatic assets to create a really memorable character.I did have some quibbles with the direction of Robert Carson here, but the excellence of the singing and acting simply blows those considerations away for me - there was nothing that was so obtrusive as to bother me. The traditional ROHCG set certainly didn't make up for the poor singing.While I was watching these two Toscas I was also watching another pair, both of which are recommended: a wonderful Tosca on Dynamic that is done with a theatrical feeling; still fully sung, but while singing the actors went about their business and ignored the audience. There was more physicality between Tosca and Scarpia: she wrestles with him and then he virtually picks her up and throws her onto a bit before she sings Vissi d'Arte. As his men are carrying Mario out of the room she is holding on to Mario's leg and gets dragged halfway across the stage. the lighting, costumes and sets are stunning and this production definitely deserves to be seen. It resets the context for more fully operatic productions.I also watched the new Blu-ray of the Dessi/Armiliato/Sgura Tosca and they were all excellent although Armiliato tends to jump to triple forte too quickly. Claudio Sgura reminded me so much of a modern Gobbi, and the whole production was very evocative of the Callas/Gobbi "64 Covent Garden performance. I hope we'll see much more of him.

Often, the success or failure of Tosca depends on whether or not the production's Scarpia is sufficiently evil and cruel to build the tension for the audience to hate him. I could not imagine Thomas Hampson as mean enough to succeed in having an audience hate him. But Hampson is brilliant as Scarpia, his hair slicked back, and wearing his coat as if donning the cape of a Mafia "don." His singing and acting are also quite convincing. Watch for the disgust he shows, as he glowers at a forkful of food, annoyed that Cavaradossi's torture has disturbed his supper.Jonas Kaufmann is one of the most believable Cavaradossis in years. He's younger, convincingly in love with Tosca, and also a credible patriot, willing to risk or lose his life for the rebel, Angelotti. His singing is gorgeous, and he puts across a courageous Cavaradossi while at times still showing vulnerability in his exchanges with Tosca.Emily Magee's Tosca is not one of my favorites, but it's not her fault so much as that of Robert Carsen who apparently made the decision to emphasize Tosca the prima donna, instead of allowing her to also be Tosca the woman. She appears to be overly dramatic--forced to play a spoiled actress, without the balance of being also a woman in love. Carsen seems also to have decided to deemphasize Tosca's religious conflicts regarding sex and murder. He's even staged the expected church scenes in a sparse layout more reminiscent of a movie theater. Yes, weight wise, Magee is one of the heavier Toscas in the past few decades, but a greater liability than her weight is the determination to portray her as a prima donna with all the exaggerations that ride with it. It makes it harder for the audience to identify with Tosca as a woman tortured between love, her career, and her religious upbringing. They deprive her of her humanity, turning her into an over-acting actress (again, NOT Emily Magee's fault!)It is still an exciting and dramatic Tosca that I will enjoy seeing again. But it's the dynamic energy of Kaufmann and Hampson, both in singing and acting that carries the day. They are what make this Tosca work!

This is, in my opinion, the choice Tosca on blu ray. Kaufmann is great, of course, a bad actor nonetheless but vocally unbeatible, master of the mezzo voce. This Tosca is much better than his version with Angela Georghiu, largely because Emily Magee,is all Georghiu has never and will never be: a great actress with a truly, natural voice of impressive range and nuance. Still, Olivero's Tosca will never be surpassed, needless to say, but Magee's is arguably the best Tosca nowadays. Hampson's voice is a bit too light for Scarpia, but even so he's fantastic, really disturbing. This is a production by Robert Carsen shot in Zurich, smart and beautiful as most of his, although not among his very best. Do not expect a traditional one, of course, and, if you are a fan of old-fashioned cardboard productions, you will probably think that "not even Robert Carsen can spoiil this Tosca". For me, his production is smart, an unexpected perspective on the stage,, beautiful in its simplicity, and has some surprising,, very intelligent little twists that really add to the story.

Far better than ROH. Terfel a nightmare as I predicted. Georghiou past her best. Terfel makes faces like a demented rabbit and rolls his eyes using his hairdo as in Flying Dutchman. Terfel not watchable. Thomas Hanpson more believable but not enough heft. Better Scarpias, apart from Gobbi, are Raimondi and London.

not blown away by the scarpia or the staging but both tenor and soprano on great form worth buying this just for that

I love Tosca, but I really wanted to listen to Emily Magee, and was not disappointed. Probably a few issues about interpretation, and the production was dark on the TV. Exceptional cast, super price, and enjoy the singing.

great job!