Tosca
Director Christopher Alden boasts in the program notes that the finale to his Tosca is a body strewn stage where the “atmosphere hovers between Beckett and Tarantino”. Where his significant re-interpretation of the opera succeeds on some levels, its excesses suggest the director could indeed be happier working in a more absurdist genre.
Arts Centre, Melbourne
Opera Australia
Wednesday, April 14, 2010.
Director Christopher Alden boasts in the program notes that the finale to his Tosca is a body strewn stage where the “atmosphere hovers between Beckett and Tarantino”. Where his significant re-interpretation of the opera succeeds on some levels, its excesses suggest the director could indeed be happier working in a more absurdist genre.
Tosca was first performed in 1900 and set quite specifically in the Italy of 1800. Most productions up to now have been happy to stick to the original plot and setting – a taut psychological drama taking place in three distinct locations. One can assume this is because the opera works very well in its original form .As with Shakespearean plays Tosca embodies timeless themes – in this case the tragic consequences of an unchecked power of a morally corrupt church and state – that resonate with audiences whatever the setting.
For this new to OA production the entire action occurs in one setting. A derelict basement vestry, decorated with imposing posters of the Forza Italiano, implies we are in Berlusconi’s Italy – just how Berlusconi would feel about this reference we don’t know, perhaps he will sue – and immediately throws up puzzles for the audience.
Firstly, it is not clear from what authority the Baron Scarpia derives his tremendous power, and just how the armed conflict referred to in the libretto fits in with modern politics. To cope with the incongruity I imagined this as a Balkan War inspired conflict, within a fragmented country ruled by despots and religious hypocrites. But we were still in Italy, hmmm.
Secondly, the naturalism of the acting is at odds with not only Puccini’s music, but the requirement for the audience to believe that characters sharing the single space can somehow not see each other. The intellectual construct, that such horrors occur through the turning of a blind eye by others, works well, with the police officers implacably reading newspapers throughout the torture and rape scenes. But the fantasy of Tosca’s final scene with Cavaradossi is unclear and requires the observer to guess what is going on, unless you have time to read the synopsis beforehand. Additionally, important musical and dramatic moments are diminished throughout by distracting background business, and extraneous plot devices require intermission audience conferencing to make sense of the confusion.
The setting does work in underlining the complicity of the church in many of life’s atrocities; and the psychological thriller aspects – personified by the character Baron Scarpia and the ordinariness of the lovers Tosca and Cavaradossi who get caught up in the brutal politics of the time – resonate with contemporary issues of rape in war, secret renditions and torture.
Despite my dislike of much of the direction this production is still worth seeing, if only to catch John Wegner as Scarpia. Wegner’s richly coloured and assured singing lifts the general standard by several degrees, and he imbues his character with a commanding physical presence and sadistic menace.
As Tosca, Nicole Youl is charming, displaying strength through the wide vocal range demanded of the part; and Rosario La Spina as Cavaradossi warmed to his role as the night progressed. However the directorial emphasis on naturalism impacted on Youl and La Spina establishing the required passionate chemistry between their characters.
In the smaller roles Jud Arthur (Angelotti), Warwick Fyfe (Sacristan), and Graeme Macfarlane (Spoloetta) were all solid. Special mention should be made also of Sian Pendry, who as the Marchesa Attavanti gets to sing little, but does some fine scene stealing top-of-the-chapel acting.
The Opera Australia chorus sang with their usual full throated fineness, and the orchestra Victoria, under Shao- Chia Lu were mostly accurate.