Issue No. 611
Culture
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7 - 13 November 2002 Issue No. 611 Culture |
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Rumours and death
Amal Choucri Catta attends a variable Tosca
Tosca; Cairo Opera Orchestra, cond. David Crescenzi; dir. Abdallah Saad; Main Hall, Cairo Opera House, 23-27 October, 8pm
The plot is sombre, the action violent, the drama ends in tragedy for the three stars of this grim opera directed by Abdallah Saad, and yet everyone likes it. And this relatively new production, premiered last season in Cairo, seems to be particularly appreciated by many of its performers.
On the opening night, as on consecutive nights, war was in the air. Likewise jealousy and cruelty, as the Cairo Opera Orchestra, under the baton of young Maestro David Crescenzi, struck the three impetuous chords that open "Tosca", Puccini's three-act opera based on the five-act drama French playwright Victorian Sardou wrote specially for Sarah Bernhardt. The libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luidi Illica failed to neglect any of the violent scenes described in the original plot; nor did Puccini cut corners in dealing musically with vengeance, murder, execution and suicide. Tosca relies on three main characters for the development of a rather complicated plot, sung in Italian, with a simultaneous Arabic translation projected on a small screen beside the stage. Doubtlessly a great help to the Arab spectator, but of no help whatsoever to those who understand neither of the two languages. Yet the audiences appeared intent on enjoying the shows, particularly those with Italian soprano Simona Bertini in the title role.
It was a glorious morning as the curtain rose, revealing the interior of Rome's church of Sant'Andrea della Valle, where preparations are underway for a mass celebrating Italy's victory over Napoleon, dutifully carried out by a jovial sacristan who seemed to be complaining about everyone and everything. The church is a meeting-place for many visitors, starting with Cesare Angelotti, brother of the Marchesa Attavanti. A political prisoner, he has escaped from the castle of Sant'Angelo and is seeking refuge at the Attavanti chapel, where he recognises his old friend, the painter Mario Cavaradossi working on a portrait of Maria Magdalena. Cavaradossi gives him the keys to his residence, assuring him it will be a secure hiding place.
Here the political background is somewhat cloudy, and the spectator could all too easily be confused as to what is really happening: this is June, 1800, and rumours of the defeat of Napoleon at the battle of Marengo have just reached the public. Italy is overjoyed and the sacristan resumes his work in church, while the celebrated singer, Floria Tosca, pays an early visit to Cavaradossi. Her jealousy is aroused when she recognises the Marchesa Attavanti as the model for the portrait of Mary Magdalene, but Cavaradossi succeeds in dissipating her suspicions, and she leaves after having agreed to meet him at his home that same evening.
Floria Tosca is a prima donna, an important personality in the world of art and music: one would think her costume might match her reputation. Regrettably this was not the case: her pink satin gown and wrap had too much of the nightgown about them for a lady of her importance. The Italian set and costume designer, Salvatore Russo was luckier elsewhere: the red gown, chosen for the second and third acts, was much more adequate. Similarly with most of the costumes and sets from the last scene of Act One, specially those of the priests, the choir boys and the Bishop of Rome.
As a cannon signals Angelotti's escape from prison Baron Scarpia, chief of police, appears in church, searching for Angelotti. With his assistant, Sopletta, he finds a number of clues, including the fan of the Marchesa Attavanti, which he uses to arouse Tosca's jealousy. The diva had returned to church for the celebration and Scarpia, who has always desired her for himself, convinces her that Cavaradossi and the Marchesa had fled.
Scarpia is doubtlessly the most fascinating personality in this opera, which concentrates on three main characters: Cavaradossi, the painter, romantic hero and freedom fighter, Scarpia, the brutal tyrant, and Tosca. She is the intermediary between good and evil, and is finally pushed to committing a crime. In Act Two, at the Farnese Palace, Scarpia receives a report from Spoletta, according to which he failed to find Angelotti at Davaradossi's villa. He has nevertheless arrested the painter and brought him to the palace where he is being questioned. Scarpia, an elegant "bon vivant" alternately interpreted by the Italian baritone Alfio Grasso and the Egyptian Mustafa Mohamed, who sometimes calls himself Hossam Mustafa, recklessly uses Tosca for his own ends. She is summoned to his home and while being interrogated Cavaradossi, who denies all knowledge of Angelotti, is tortured in the next room. Unable to bear his agony, Tosca discloses Angelotti's hiding-place in the dried-up well of Cavaradossi's villa. Tosca pleads for her lover and Scarpia agrees to release him if she, in turn, agrees to yield to him. She realises this is the only hope, the only way out of the impasse, and agrees. After having sung her famous aria "Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore", she realises she could never give herself to Scarpia and while the chief of police writes the safe-conduct pass, enabling herself and Cavaradossi to leave the country, she seizes a knife on the table and stabs him, screaming "take a kiss from Tosca" as he falls to his death. She takes the safe-conduct from his lifeless fingers and, according to custom, places a chandelier on either side of his head and a crucifix on his breast. Then she rapidly leaves the room, while the curtain falls. This is one of the most dramatic scenes of the opera: Tosca is acting in silent agony and her actions must be absolutely convincing. Of the two Toscas in this run, the Egyptian soprano Iman Moustafa and the Italian Simona Bertini, the latter was visibly much more at ease in this difficult role.
We were likewise, presented with two Cavaradossis: the French tenor Jean-Francis Monvoisin and the Egyptian Walid Korayem. The latter was, in every respect, a better performer than his French counterpart. In Act Three, which takes place on the roof of the palace Sant'Angelo, he gave us a beautiful version of the heartbreaking "E lucevan le stelle", before Tosca appears with the safe- conduct, telling him that he will, nevertheless, have to go through a mock-execution, after which they will escape. In this desperate, rather brief Third Act, Tosca also tells Cavaradossi to play his part convincingly, while the soldiers, led by Spoletta, come marching in. They fire, Cavaradossi falls and they depart. Tosca rushes to the inanimate body of her lover and realises that Scarpia has deceived her. Cavaradossi is dead.
In the meantime, news of Napoleon's victory at the battle of Marengo has turned Scarpia and his men into war criminals. This doesn't stop Spoletta, who has discovered the murdered Scarpia, from coming after Tosca. In despair she jumps to her death over the parapet and the final curtain falls on the last chords of Cavaradossi's beautiful melody.
In this sad tale we were nevertheless glad to see some of the older singers among the members of the excellent opera choir keeping, under the direction of Aldo Magnato, a perfect balance between themselves, the orchestra and the soloists. The same could not be said about the orchestra: the young maestro's baton, over-enthusiastic at times, managed to drown the soloists' voices.
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