Tosca

Tosca
By Puccini. Opera Australia. Director: John Bell. Conductor: Andrea Molino. Arts Centre Melbourne, State Theatre. Nov 12 – Dec 13, 2014.

This was a lavish production. Minimalist was nowhere to be seen as every set towered over the performers. In Act 1 the church of Sant' Andrea della Valle looked magnificent with layers of gold on the walls and in the gaol of Act 3 a guard patrolled the upper level.

Setting the opera in Nazi Germany worked well. I particularly liked the “shepherd boy” being a young Jewish lad inside the gaol, with an uncertain future. In the second act Scarpia molests an embarrassed female officer in front of the other soldiers.

This was a truly international cast with an Austrian Tosca, Mexican Cavaradossi and an Italian Scarpia. However, the Australians weren’t overshadowed with bass Steven Gallop an impressive Angelotti and baritone Luke Gabbedy an excellent Sacristan.

Claudio Sgura was a menacing Scarpia. His big voice was beautifully produced and his height allowed him to command the stage. Diego Torre has not the ideal figure for the romantic hero Cavaradossi, and it was a shame his Tosca was taller, but everything was forgiven when he released those glorious top notes. His Tosca, Martina Serafin, seemed to have the right voice for the role, but did not have the same freedom with her top notes.

The production was well thought out. There are stretches of instrumental music in Tosca where things need to happen and they did. The orchestra was in fine form.

A good night at the opera.

Graham Ford

Image: Caludio Sgura as Scarpia and Martina Serafin as Tosca. Photorapher: Jeff Busby.

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