Tosca Tantalizes Chicago's Lyric Opera
Violeta Urmana As Tosca
By: Susan Hall - Jan 31, 2010
Tosca
by Giacomo Puccini
Lyric Opera of Chicago
January 29, 2010
Cast featuring Violeta Urmana
Tosca tempts. The Lyric Opera performed Tosca in its inaugural season. Over fifty years ago, the current General Director, William Mason, sang the offstage role of the Shepherd.
This year, in challenging economic times, the Metropolitan, San Francisco and Houston have all mounted Tosca productions. Everyone knows Tosca draws audiences. Puccini chose the story for this reason, even though he knew he'd be pilloried by critics for being sadistic and sensational. Why not? It has always been a crowd favorite. For Puccini, following in Verdi's footsteps, the audience is always right.
Violeta Urmana has taken on the title role in Chicago and her voice is more suited to its demands than Deborah Voight's. (Voight performed the role at the Lyric last fall). A subscriber for 56 years remarked that Voight's voice is not sufficiently Italianate. Among other things, that could be said about the Met's Tosca. The role needs to be sung from the inside out and, in that regard, Urmana is a consummate actress.
Adrianne Pieczonka sang Tosca to acclaim in the San Francisco Opera's summer season 2009 and Patricia Racette is performing it at the Houston Grand Opera. They are both good choices for the role with lovely voices and deep dramatic ability.
Singing in all three principal roles at the Lyric was extraordinary. Urmana started her career as a mezzo, and has a particularly dark, luscious tone in the lower registers. Marco Berti as Mario, in his Lyric debut, took a while to warm up, but his third act turn was remarkable, not only in the showpiece "E lucevan le stelle," but for the entire act.
It was Lucio Gallo as Scarpia who stole the show. His baritone is deep and clear, his acting both subtle and striking. This is the role that makes or breaks the opera. The combination of these powerful voices and superb acting makes for a wonderful Tosca.
The candles-and-crucifix routine ritualizing Scarpia's murder, which was missing at the Met, is back. Turns out this was not Puccini's direction, but one developed by the actress Sarah Bernhardt in her stage portrayal of Tosca. Audiences have come to expect the apostasy.
Maria Callas' wardrobe may have helped Urmana channel one of her great predecessors, but the imperial robes she wore in Aida were more becoming. No doubt Urmana is lovely to look at.
The sets were bought by the Lyric from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden's 1964 production. Zeffirelli designed them and he stirred up controversy about the Luc Bondi production in New York.
The Met's principal benefactress, Mercedes Bass, suggested to General Manager Gelb that he put on a season of Zeffirelli-only productions. He passed. I hope she got to Chicago for this one.
As a visitor from out of town, I am stunned by the beauty of the house. Interestingly, it was built by an electricity magnate who wanted a democratic opera house, located in and supported by a commercial office building. He had five goals for the house: safety, excellent sight lines, comfortable seating, gracious surroundings, and premium acoustics.
The sound certainly is premium. Balconies do not curve around and approach the stage. This means if you are sitting in the orchestra you don't have sound muffled by overhangs in some seats. The rake of the orchestra also helps sightlines. The set back of the balconies enhances listening. These are serious issues for an audience. The Lyric satisfies on all counts.
Additional visual pleasures are provided by the sheer beauty of the hall, a mix of art deco and art nouveau. It's politically incorrect to say that the house has the feeling of a mosque.
Tosca's main goal is to get a 'safe-passage conduct' note from the beastly Scarpia so that she and her beloved Mario can get out of town free. The Lyric has provided a wonderful "safe passage conduct" in this production.
Try the Lyric. Elixir of Love is up next, and sure to give pleasure and fun.
Upcoming dates for Elixir of Love: February 2, 5, 7, 10, 13, 19, and 22.