[Met Performance] CID:310280



Tosca
Metropolitan Opera House, Mon, October 19, 1992

Debut : Raymond Aceto




Tosca (742)
Giacomo Puccini | Luigi Illica/Giuseppe Giacosa
Tosca
Ghena Dimitrova

Cavaradossi
Luciano Pavarotti

Scarpia
Alain Fondary

Sacristan
Fran?ois Loup

Spoletta
Charles Anthony

Angelotti
Jeffrey Wells

Sciarrone
Kevin Short

Shepherd
Franz Musial-Aderer

Jailer
Raymond Aceto [Debut]


Conductor
Christian Badea


Production
Franco Zeffirelli

Costume Designer
Peter J. Hall

Lighting Designer
Gil Wechsler

Stage Director
Lesley Koenig





Tosca received thirteen performances this season.

Review 1:

Peter Davis in New York Magazine

The Metropolitan Opera?s revival of ?Tosca? is a dead thing, bound to disappoint anyone hoping to be thrilled and chilled by great singing actors wringing every drop from Puccini's crafty melodrama. Of course, most seasoned operagoers gave up on that prospect long ago, and they will stay away. The event is really all about Luciano Pavarotti, who makes a personal appearance as Cavaradossi. The great tenor was originally scheduled to sing in the Met's new production of ?Lucia di Lammermoor? later this month, but a more important engagement suddenly presented a conflict: open*ing night at La Scala and Verdi's ?Don Carlo,? to be recorded and videotaped by EMI. Hence this ?Tosca,? in which Pavarotti graciously consented to appear in order not to let down his fans.


?

The faithful should count their blessings. There cannot be much time left to savor this vocal phenomenon, although at the age of 57 Pavarotti still sounds amazingly youthful whenever he sings one of his half-dozen money notes in music that lies comfortably for him. The long trip leading up to and away from these golden moments is less interesting. Like so much of the tenor's singing in recent years, his treatment of a complete opera role has become casual, verging on the sloppy. As Cavaradossi, he ambles amiably through, focusing his energies on the few notes he knows will please, and that seems to be enough for the audience. Behaving more like a bossy housekeeper than a jealous diva, Ghena Dimitrova trumpets out Tosca with steely monotony, and Alain Fondary postures absurdly as Scarpia, often singing off pitch. Aficionados of the monstrous Zeffirelli production will be distressed to learn that the spectacularly unnecessary elevator trip in Act III, from the castle ramparts down to a dungeon and back, has been eliminated.



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