On the way out of the room, she leaves a crucifix on top of his body. After he hands Tosca a passage of safe conduct so she and Cavaradossi can leave the country, she stabs Scarpia. He is supposedly communicating that the execution should be faked, but in fact is telling him the opposite. Finally, she agrees, and he gives a cryptic message to his henchman. Scarpia offers to spare the painter’s life if Tosca will give herself to him. Cavaradossi is furious with her, but when he learns of a victory by the revolutionary forces, he belts out a cry of victory, leading to the villain sentencing him to death. When Tosca arrives, her lover pleads with her not to reveal anything to the police, but when she hears her lover being tortured in the next room, the diva breaks down and reveals Angelotti’s hiding place. The authorities have captured Cavaradossi and brought him before Scarpia. After she departs, as the members of the church are singing liturgical music, Scarpia declares his lust for Tosca and a plan to eliminate her lover.Īct 2 takes place at the police chief’s quarters at the Palazzo Farnese. When Tosca returns, Scarpia uses the fan to induce her jealousy toward Cavaradossi. They find a fan left by Angelotti’s sister, and Scarpia recognizes her portrait. The evil police chief Baron Scarpia, in pursuit of Angelotti, turns up at the church with his henchmen. The painter calms her fears, and she leaves, followed by Cavaradossi taking Angelotti off to hide at his villa. She spots the portrait of the blue-eyed blond woman and, thinking it is of his latest love interest, flies into a jealous rage. She is a famous opera singer and Cavaradossi’s lover. (Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera)Īngelotti hides when Floria Tosca appears. Vittorio Grigolo as Cavaradossi and Sonya Yoncheva as Tosca in rehearsal. He runs into his friend Mario Cavaradossi, who is painting a fresco of Mary Magdalene, coincidentally inspired by Angelotti’s sister, who came to the church to pray. One of the revolutionaries, Cesare Angelotti, has escaped from prison and is hiding in the Church of Sant’Andrea della Valle. The action takes place in Rome during 1800, after the republic has been overthrown. Emmanuel Villaume conducted the other performances. Then, the tenor dropped out, the baritone became ill, and the substitute conductor was disqualified.įortunately, the Met came up with superb replacements: Sonya Yoncheva as Tosca, Vittorio Grigolo as Cavaradossi, and Zeljko Lucic as Scarpia, and, at the performance I attended on Jan. First, the lead soprano canceled, along with her husband, who was set to conduct. The church in Act 1 is especially impressive.Ĭasting the opera was also a turbulent process. Now, the Met has a new production by Sir David McVicar that is more traditional, so much so that the audience applauds its scenery (by John Macfarlane, who also designed the costumes). In 2009, this was replaced by Luc Bondy’s edgier version, which was booed at its premiere-a rare event. NEW YORK-Based on Victorien Sardou’s play, a vehicle for Sarah Bernhardt, Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca” is a melodrama of romantic obsession, political intrigue, and religious themes. The Metropolitan Opera’s production has had its own upheavals, but ultimately the company presented an evening that was dramatically and musically exciting.įor years, the Met used the popular production designed by Franco Zeffirelli.