Three things to know about Puccini’s “Tosca” performed at the Grand Opera of Avignon

It is one of the most popular operas in the Italian repertoire and can be (re)discovered at the Avignon Theater on April 5, 7 and 9, under the direction of Federico Santi and in a production by Jean-Claude Berotti.

Welcome to Rome, the eternal city that hides the most horrific conspiracies behind its gold and splendor… It is in the image of this two-faced capital by Puccini Tosca, his most outrageous and flamboyant opera. Here are three things to know about this essential part of the singing repertoire.

Before it was opera, Tosca It is a five-act play by playwright Victorien Sardou, starring the great Sarah Bernhardt. At this time, Giacomo Puccini already had several operas to his credit, including Manon Lescout And Bohemian who enjoy international success.

When he attended a play by Sardou in 1889, he was fascinated by the actress and decided to compose an opera based on this drama, which would consist of three acts.

Tosca It was first performed on January 14, 1900 at the Teatro Costanze in Rome. The boldness and violence emanating from it raise criticism, especially in France, but the work quickly becomes a triumph.

Since then, this opera has been performed regularly around the world, giving rise to legendary interpretations. The greatest voices embodied Tosca: Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi, Leontyne Price, Montserrat Caballé… Likewise, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and José Carreras were Cavaradossi’s stars.

The plot takes place in Rome in June 1800, during a turbulent period marked by the French occupation, and revolves around three main characters: the singer Floria Tosca, her lover Mario Cavaradossi, a painter sympathetic to the Republicans, and Baron Scarpia, the President of the Republic. Secret police in Rome.

The action begins when the painter comes to the aid of an escaped political prisoner, whom Scarpia is actively searching for. For her part, Tosca wrongly suspects her lover of having an affair. Taking advantage of the jealousy of the beauty he dreams of conquering, the police chief imagines a terrible scheme to get his hands on the fugitive.

Throughout the twists and turns, love, jealousy and betrayal will mingle in an emotional crescendo, until the tragic outcome.

Universal themes, captivating plot and characters, powerful and moving music… all the ingredients are there to make it Tosca A popular opera whose success has never diminished.

The version presented at the Grand Avignon Opera, in a co-production with the Theater of Trier, is performed by a talented team. In the main roles: Barbara Havemann, who has already played Tosca on several occasions, Sébastien Guez (Cavaradossi) and Andre Heybor (Scarpia), three artists who lead an international career in a very diverse repertoire.

Federico Santi is the musical director. This wide-ranging musician was born in Turin, where he studied composition, conducting, piano and chamber music, and already has an impressive repertoire to his credit, with more than 50 operas.

Finally, the direction was entrusted to Jean-Claude Perotti, who had produced about a hundred works in Europe, both in theater and opera. Here’s what he says about it Tosca : “The spaces and performances here have only one goal: to create visual dislocations and landscapes of harmonious images… Just one example: the discovery of a simple fan can cause a young singer to lose all his features… In this we have a ‘Tosca’ that will be contemporary. As for For fashion, on the other hand, it will be firmly rooted in history. The silhouettes will be drawn in an intense style that will contrast with the colorful violence of moving images. Perhaps in this way we will be able to achieve the urgency, speed and momentum that make the work of Sardo and Puccini such a unique work!

“Tosca” at the Grand Opera of Avignon
Duration 2h30. Sung in Italian and translated into French.
– Friday, April 5 at 8 pm
– Sunday, April 7 at 2:30 pm.
– Tuesday, April 9 at 8 pm.
45 minutes before each performance, the opera offers an insight into the show (free entry upon presentation of a show ticket).
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