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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.
Search by season: 1992-93
Search by title: Tosca,
Met careers
- Christian Badea [Conductor]
- Ghena Dimitrova [Tosca]
- Luciano Pavarotti [Cavaradossi]
- Alain Fondary [Scarpia]
- Fran?ois Loup [Sacristan]
- Charles Anthony [Spoletta]
- Jeffrey Wells [Angelotti]
- Kevin Short [Sciarrone]
- Franz Musial-Aderer [Shepherd]
- Raymond Aceto [Jailer]
- Franco Zeffirelli [Production]
- Peter J. Hall [Costume Designer]
- Gil Wechsler [Lighting Designer]
- Lesley Koenig [Stage Director]