There are also a limited number of premium seats available in zone A. The large grass area in front of the stage will form the open-air picnic-style seating area with plenty of space for you to make yourself comfortable on the ground. Large screens will also relay the performance and microphones will be used for high quality sound. Drawing on the rich musical heritage of an iconic South London venue, it features headline gigs from Dizzee Rascal & The Outlook Orchestra, Supergrass, The Streets, Max Richter, and ENO, with more to be announced.
Tosca opera series#
Tosca is part of the South Facing Festival, a brand new outdoor concert series coming to Crystal Palace Park this summer. Richard Farnes conducts the award-winning ENO Orchestra and Chorus, and a cast featuring Natalya Romaniw as Tosca, David Junghoon Kim as Cavaradossi, and Roland Wood as Scarpia. With its dramatic story line and richly romantic score, it is one of the world’s best loved and famous operas. She climbs the battlements and, crying that she will meet Scarpia before God, leaps to her death.Puccini’s Tosca is a roller coaster story of love, lust, murder and political intrigue. Tosca urges Mario to hurry, but when he fails to move, she discovers that Scarpia’s treachery has transcended the grave: the bullets were real.
Tosca opera how to#
Mario caresses the hands that committed the murder for his sake (“ O dolci mani“), and the two hail the future.Īs the firing squad appears, the diva coaches Mario on how to fake his death convincingly the soldiers fire and depart. Suddenly Tosca runs in, filled with the story of her recent adventure. Writing it, overcome with memories of love, he gives way to despair (“ E lucevan le stelle“). Mario is led to the roof of Castel Sant’Angelo prison to await execution he bribes the jailer to convey a farewell note to Tosca. The voice of a shepherd is heard as church bells toll the dawn. When he embraces her, Tosca stabs him with a knife, wrenches the document from his fingers and, placing candles at his head and a crucifix on his chest slips quietly out. Scarpia prepares a document of safe-conduct for the lovers. The baron pretends to order a mock execution for the prisoner, after which he is to be free. Tosca, forced to decide, agrees to Scarpia’s proposition. Spoletta interrupts: faced with capture, Angelotti has killed himself. Fighting him off, she protest her fate to God, having dedicated her life to art and love (“ Vissi d’arte“). Tosca yields to Scarpia in exchange for her lover’s life. Mario shouts his defiance (“ Vittoria!”). Mario is carried in realizing what has happened, he rages at Tosca, but the gendarme Sciarrone rushes in to announce that Napoleon has won the Battle of Marengo, a defeat for Scarpia’s side. Unnerved by Scarpia’s questioning and Mario’s screams, she reveals Angelotti’s hiding place. She enters as her lover is being taken to an adjoining room for torture. The spy Spoletta arrives, not having found Angelotti to placate the baron, he brings in Mario, who is interrogated while Tosca is heard singing at a royal gala downstairs. In the Farnese Palace, Scarpia anticipates the pleasure of bending Tosca to his will (“ Ha piu forte sapore“). Scarpia has the diva trailed, scheming to get her in his power (“ Va, Tosca!“). Thinking Mario faithless, Tosca tearfully vows vengeance and leaves as the church resounds with the Te Deum. When Tosca comes back looking for Mario, she encounters Scarpia, who shows her the Attavanti crest on a fan he has just found. Their excitement is silenced by the entrance of Baron Scarpia, chief of the secret police, in search of Angelotti. Napoleon’s army is supposed to have suffered defeat, and the Sacristan returns with choirboys who are about to sing a Te Deum. When she has left, Mario summons Angelotti as a cannon signals that the police have discovered the escape the two flee to Mario’s villa. Recognizing the Marchesa’s likeness in the painting, she explodes with renewed suspicions, but he reassures her (“ Qual’occhio al mondo“). She jealously questions Mario, then prays and reminds him of their rendezvous that evening (“ Non la sospiri la nostra casetta“). Mario contrasts the beauty of the blond Marchesa with that of the woman he loves, the raven-haired singer Floria Tosca (“ Recondita armonia“).Īngelotti ventures out and is recognized by Mario, who gives him food and hurries him back into the chapel as Tosca is heard calling outside. He is interrupted by Mario Cavaradossi, who has come to work on his portrait of Mary Magdalene – inspired by the Marchesa Attavanti, Angelotti’s sister. At the sound of the Angelus, the Sacristan enters to pray. Cesare Angelotti, an escaped political prisoner, runs into the church of Sant’Andrea della Valle to hide in the Attavanti family chapel.