Tosca Simulcast - with touches of Eurotrash

First I have to say we thought Saturday's (October 10) simulcast of Tosca at the Hayward Theater (I hope not too many more people will discover this wonderful place to see Opera) was the most exciting, emotional and physical production of Tosca we have ever seen! After reading the Tommasini (New York Times) and Ross (New Yorker) reviews we thought we were going to hate it.


ACT ONE: Too dark, but Karita Mattila and Marcelo Alvarez just tore up the stage with their passionate singing -- you could believe these were two mature lovers who adored each other. It was annoying that the painting Cavaradossi was working on, a Madonna, had one bare breast, nipple obvious. Well, you try to ignore it -- the singing is so good. When Gagnidze comes on as Scarpia, he is gangbusters!!!! A large figure at the head of the stairs with touches of Javert and Mussolini! Great presence, great voice (remember we are talking movie theater here). The Te Deum a bit of a downer with too many people squeezed into a little space. Did Scarpia have to kiss the black Madonna? Oh well, try to ignore that.

ACT TWO: Scarpia is terrific,but do they have to show him dallying with prostitutes? His great aria is sung with one blond lady obviously giving him a blow job. Worst thing in the opera to me. Totally distracting and annoying. Tosca/Mattila is wonderful. The death scene is OK. Wouldn't want to see it that way again, though. And Alex Ross is right, after the murder she just dithers around. Downer.

ACT Three -- kind of a downer watching the soldiers march around pointing their rifles. I liked the productions that show morning sun coming up over the ramparts of the Castel Sant'Angelo -- and it makes the shepherd's song more moving. Again, Mattila and Alvarez tear up the stage, though it somehow deflates his last arias with stage business. The ending is weird with Tosca stuck in mid-air. I'm glad Ross warned us about this. Also, Ross was right that she can't attack the blood-curdling verbal thrusts such as, "Davanti a lui tremava tutta Roma" (I love that Steve Dimick uses this line to prove that Scarpia's first name is Louie). Anyhow, her softer diction slurs over these -- but that's OK, she is a wonderful Tosca. We used to have (probably still do, somewhere in the garage) several old 33 1/3 recordings of Tosca and Leontyne Price won the prize for her shriek of "Mario, Mario" when she discovers he is dead.

Ah, we Tosca nuts are legion.

The intermission interviews were just wonderful too. Loved Susan Graham. Loved that she pointed out that Mattila was wearing brown contact lenses over her blue eyes to make Tosca a latin beauty.

The whole experience restores your faith in art and life.