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Cast
ACT I. Rome, 1800, The Church of Sant' Andrea della
Valle
Cesare Angelotti, an escaped political
prisoner, rushes into the church to hide. An old
Sacristan shuffles in, praying at the sound of the
Angelus. Artist Mario Cavaradossi enters to work on his
portrait of Mary Magdalene, inspired by the Marchesa
Attavanti (Angelotti's sister), whom he has seen but
does not know. Taking out a miniature of the singer
Floria Tosca, he compares her raven beauty with that of
the blonde Magdalene. The Sacristan grumbles disapproval
and leaves. Angelotti ventures out and is recognized by
his friend and fellow political liberal Mario, who gives
him food and hurries him back into the chapel as Tosca
is heard calling outside. She jealously questions him,
then prays, and reminds him of their rendezvous that
evening at his villa. Suddenly recognizing the Marchesa
in the painting, she explodes with suspicion, but he
reassures her. When she has gone, Mario summons
Angelotti from the chapel; a cannon signals that the
police have discovered the escape, so the two flee to
Mario's villa. Meanwhile, the Sacristan returns with
choirboys to sing in a Te Deum. Their excitement is
silenced by the entrance of Baron Scarpia, chief of the
secret police, in search of Angelotti. When Tosca comes
back, Scarpia hints that Mario is secretly seeing the
Marchesa. Thinking her lover faithless, Tosca tearfully
vows vengeance and leaves as the church fills with
worshipers awaiting the Cardinal. Scarpia, sending his
men to follow her to Angelotti, schemes to get the diva
in his power.
ACT II. The Farnese Palace
Scarpia anticipates the sadistic pleasure of bending
Tosca to his will. Tosca asks the price of her lover's
freedom. Scarpia will accept only Tosca's submission.
Tosca sobs: she has devoted her life to love, music, and
piety. Why does God repay her with misery? As she
struggles to free herself from Scarpia's embrace,
Spoletta enters with the news that Angelotti has
swallowed poison when arrested. Ashamed, Tosca signals
that she will submit to the Baron, on condition that
Cavaradossi be set free at once. Scarpia explains that
he cannot grant a pardon; he can only release
Cavaradossi by faking his death in a mock execution.
Tosca demands that Scarpia provide a note of safe
conduct for herself and Cavaradossi to leave the
country. While he is writing, Tosca fortifies herself
with a sip of wine and spots a long sharp knife on his
dinner table. Scarpia seals the note. His outburst of
joy,”Tosca, finally you are mine!” ends with a shriek of
anguish. “This is Tosca's kiss!” she cries, plunging the
knife deep into his heart. Scarpia crashes to the floor.
Wrenching the document from his stiffening fingers, she
places candles at his head and a crucifix on his chest,
then slips away.
ACT III. The Castel Sant'Angelo
The voice of a shepherd boy is heard as church bells
toll the dawn. Mario awaits execution; he bribes the
jailer to carry a farewell note to Tosca. Overcome with
memories of love, he gives way to despair. Suddenly
Tosca rushes in. Mario caresses the hands that committed
murder for his sake and the two hail their freedom. She
has a coach and money waiting, with the guarantee of
safe conduct. The firing squad appears. The diva coaches
Mario on how to fake his death convincingly; the
soldiers fire and depart. 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. Spoletta charges in to arrest Tosca for Scarpia's
murder. She cries out, “Oh, Scarpia, we shall meet
before God,” as she leaps to her death.
Act One
The Church of Sant'Andrea della Valle
Angelotti,
an escaped political prisoner, takes refuge in a side
chapel of the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle in Rome.
An elderly sacristan comes to tidy up, followed by
Cavaradossi, a painter, who is at work on a portrait of
the Madonna. Cavaradossi compares his Madonna's
blonde-haired, blue-eyed charm with the dark beauty of
his lover, the famous singer Floria Tosca. Angelotti
emerges from hiding to find Cavaradossi, his political
ally, who promises to help his friend escape from Rome.
Angelotti hides again at the sound of Tosca's voice from
outside. Tosca jealously demands to know why the door
was locked. Cavaradossi reassures her, and they join in
a passionate duet.
Once Tosca has gone, Angelotti
reappears and he and Cavaradossi plan his flight. A
cannon shot from the Castel Sant'Angelo announces the
discovery of Angelotti's escape. They exit. The
sacristan enters followed by clerics and choir boys, all
excited by rumors of Bonaparte's defeat. Baron Scarpia,
the chief of police, arrives with his henchman Spoletta
in search of the escaped prisoner. Tosca returns, and
Scarpia plays upon Tosca's jealousy in hopes of
discovering Angelotti's. When she leaves to seek her
lover, Scarpia has her followed. As the crowd intones
the "Te Deum," Scarpia vows to bring Cavaradossi to the
gallows and Tosca into his arms.
Act Two
Scarpia's study in the Palazzo Farnese; that evening.
Alone at dinner, Scarpia reviews his plot. Spoletta
reports that he and his men trailed Tosca to the villa
and found no trace of Angelotti, but placed Cavaradossi
under arrest. Cavaradossi is brought in and questioned.
Scarpia has sent for Tosca, and she enters as
Cavaradossi is taken away to be tortured. Upon hearing
his anguished cries, Tosca reveals Angelotti's hiding
place. Cavaradossi is dragged into the study. His anger
at Tosca's betrayal turns to joy when Sciarrone
announces that Bonaparte has actually defeated Melas at
Marengo. The enraged Scarpia sends Cavaradossi back to
his cell.
Tosca asks the price of her lover's
freedom. Scarpia will accept only Tosca's submission.
Tosca sobs to herself in a celebrated aria: she has
devoted her life to music and piety, why does God repay
her with misery? As she struggles to free herself from
Scarpia's embrace, Spoletta enters with the news that
Angelotti has killed himself rather than be arrested.
Ashamed, Tosca signals that she will give in to the
Baron, on condition that Cavaradossi be set free at
once. Scarpia explains that he cannot grant a pardon; he
can only release Cavaradossi by faking his death in a
mock execution. Tosca demands that Scarpia provide a
note of safe conduct for herself and Cavaradossi. While
he is writing, Tosca catches sight of a sharp knife on
his dinner table and, unnoticed, takes it. Scarpia seals
the note, then turns eagerly to embrace the trembling
diva. “This is Tosca's kiss!” she cries, plunging the
knife deep into his heart. Scarpia cries out for help as
Tosca curses him. She takes the safe-conduct pass and
slips out of the room.
Act Three
The
Castel Sant'Angelo; dawn of the following day.
Soldiers bring Cavaradossi to the ramparts of the
fortress. He reflects on his love for Tosca. Tosca
rushes in with the note of safe conduct and the story of
Scarpia's violent death. Cavaradossi praises her
courage, saying that her gentle hands were not meant for
murder. Tosca instructs him in the plan of the feigned
execution: after the gunshots he is to lie still until
she gives him a signal. Though she believes the
execution to be a farce, Tosca is filled with anxiety as
her lover is led before the soldiers. They fire and
Cavaradossi falls to the ground. Tosca whispers to him
to remain motionless until everyone has gone. At last
she tells him it is safe, but he does not respond. With
a piercing scream, Tosca realizes Scarpia's final
deceit. She weeps over Cavaradossi's body as Spoletta
and Sciarrone, having found the Baron murdered, burst in
to arrest her. Too quick for them, she runs to a
parapet, "Oh Scarpia, we shall meet before God!" and
hurls herself to her death.
Posted: Friday, March 4, 2011
Rimrock Opera
presents Puccini’s Tosca
Rimrock Opera presents
Puccini's Tosca, an edge-of-the-seat action tale set amid political
dissent in 1800 Rome. Performances are April 30 and May 1 at the
Alberta Bair Theater.
Floria Tosca's lovers, Mario
Cavaradossi and Baron Scarpia, one of the most malevolent villains
in all of opera, are catapulted into a love-hate-terror triangle
while Puccini's grippingly enchanting music rockets the audience to
a heart stopping double-twist ending.
Cassandra Norville
sings Tosca with Jeffrey Grant Kitto as Cavaradossi. Scarpia is sung
by Douglas Nagel, who also produces and directs.
A Billings
native, Norville received a Bachelor of Music Degree from the
University of Montana, followed by a Master of Music Degree from the
New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Having performed
worldwide, Norville, now makes her home in Phoenix, Ariz. with her
family.
The cast is rounded out with Daren Small as Angelotti,
William Mouat as Sacristan, Derek Larson as Spoletto and David Otey
as Sciarrone. Tosca also features youth from Rimrock Opera's Chorus
for Kids (ROCK), under the direction of Amy Logan.
Maestro
Andy Anderson, Artistic Director of Mobile Opera in Alabama since
2008, conducts the Rimrock Opera Orchestra.
On Anderson's
debut with Mobile Opera, conducting Lucia di Lammermoor, the Mobile
Press Register commented on Maestro Anderson's "impressive debut."
Paul Horsley, of the Kansas City Star said, "To hold together like
this and make it fun for performers and listeners is a rare gift."
Purchase your opera tickets for the Saturday, April 30, 7:30
p.m. or the Sunday, May 1, 3 p.m. performance at the Alberta Bair
Theater box office or call 406-256-6052.
Review: Rimrock Opera Company's "Tosca" a fiery feast
By JACI WEBB
Of The Gazette Staff
| Posted: Saturday, April 30, 2011 11:00 pm
As
Tosca, Billings native Cassandra Norville proves that beauty
survives in the ugliest of times.
A packed Alberta Bair
Theater took in the first of two performances Saturday night of the
Rimrock Opera Company’s production of “Tosca.” They were treated to
a polished production with a 90-member chorus and strong
performances by leads Norville, Jeff Kitto as Tosca’s lover
Cavaradossi, and Douglas Nagel as the evil Baron Scarpia.
The
opera is performed in Italian with the English translation projected
above the stage. It is performed again Sunday at 3 p.m. at the ABT.
Bathed in red light and flanked by 20-foot-tall paintings
showing other beautiful women under pressure, Norville performed
such a stunningly beautiful aria in the second act that the audience
erupted into applause in the middle of the scene. Norville’s soprano
voice was crisp, yet filled with emotion as she got down on her
knees beseeching God to help her.
“I have lived for art, I have
lived for love,” Tosca pleads to God during the scene.
Tosca is a
devout woman who questions her fate and that of the handsome artist
Cavaradossi. The anguish on Tosca’s face is reflected by the
dramatic paintings on either side of the stage in the second act
showing women being ravaged by men as Scarpia is about to do with
Tosca.
“Tosca” is set in 1800 as Napoleon is marching on
Rome. The opera has been embraced by audiences because of its
inventive orchestration. The characters are introduced by short
musical phrases. The orchestration leads the action in “Tosca,”
which is one of the most frequently performed operas and one of
Giacomo Puccini’s best-loved works.
The opera, under the musical
direction of Andy Anderson, opens inside the Church of Sant Andrea
della Valle. Cavaradossi is putting the finishing touches on a large
painting of a blond-haired woman with blue eyes. When Tosca sees the
painting, she insists that the woman’s eyes be changed to black, the
color of her eyes.
“Calm your soul, I love you,” Cavaradossi
repeats to the jealous Tosca.
Kitto’s challenging tenor role has
him singing at one point lying on the floor groaning after Scarpia’s
men have tortured him in order to find a political prisoner he is
hiding.
Nagel’s Scarpia is a force — easy to hate because of his
ruthless ways, but magnetic to watch because of his swagger and
dynamic baritone.
“You can shout and scream at the actors in
a two-beer civil manner,” Nagel told the audience during a brief
introduction at the start of Saturday’s show.
It seemed the only
character the audience wanted to jeer at was Nagel’s because he is
so despicable.
Busloads of students from Harlowton and Fort
Belknap attended the Saturday night performance along with 30 Rocky
Mountain College students, making the ABT full to the back row of
the balcony.