Still, it seems that any suggestion that the Bondy production isn’t putrid in all respects strikes you as an “overstatement.”

(In case you’re wondering, I myself found the Bondy production uninspired and dull–a true dud, with the unexpected effect of making Zeffirelli’s frou-frou nonsense look good in comparison.)

Wrong as Manon Lescaut, and wronger still as Tosca, and most of all, that wrong, wronger, wrongest schmatte she’s donned in the terzo atto. Looks to have been purchased on the banks of the Tiber at the famous outdoor Roman flea market, Porta Portese.

All wrong.

However, the measure of what is right is not a gamble if there is good judgement. That is more relevant. Forget the dress.

of course it could be either way

first how about assenble three leads who can sing it

then make a good production for 90% of the actually important stuff

then after all that worry about changing dresses or not. Of course if they did the rest no one would be splitting hairs about a costume change!

It woudl be far more interesting than the singing I’ve been hearing lately at the MET.

I’m usually bothered by the change in costume mainly because of the incident in Act 2 where Scarpia tells Tosca that she has no time to get the queen to intercede. That – and the drums – always give me the feeling that the execution is imminent, or at least must appear as such to Tosca. Going home to change doesn’t quite agree with Tosca’s state of hysteria that I would expect.

Now the timeline by La Cieca tells me that indeed Tosca does have time to go home and collect her things. Actually, it makes sense that she would go home not only to change but to collect her things, arrange for a carriage, etc.

So I guess either way can be justified by the opera’s libretto. What happens in the Sardou play is interesting and illuminating but I’d rather have the opera stick to its libretto. For example, I wonder why or how Tosca knows about Angelotti’s hideaway. Mario knows it’s not smart to let Tosca see or know about Angelotti in Act 1. Why would he trust her with that information? Instead, I would have my Tosca say “Nel pozzo nel giardino” not as a revelation but as a question or guess. (I don’t know where he is. Try the well, that would be my guess. Just stop torturing Mario.) Cavaradossi did say earlier that she doesn’t know anything, why not take that as the truth? And her asking for his consent to talk doesn’t necessarily mean that she knows where Angelotti is but that she knows the place and can help them in their search.

That’s the appeal of Tosca. Seemingly a straight and simple plot line but one that allows every soprano to make something special out of it.

The unprofessional Shaw, during that video: clearly tried to set out, to out-sing Marton and came off a bad second …or third best. There is special tension between the Tosca and Scarpia there- alright, but it is because of Shaw’s upstaging stage antics…..not the ‘natural development of the 2 characters in an opera called Tosca.
I admit the sets were fabulous, totally real life-like , and enormous. Used for some 25 years….and seeing them later (without that old balling -cow Shaw, I might add) set out on a vast much larger stage………..wow!
If anyone wants undeniable proof of the above-mentioned friction, just watch the curtain call of that video! …Shaw the prick goes over to kiss Marton’s hand, …and with a angry ‘sharp as daggers’ look, gladly Marton glares and pulls her hand out of his. Shaw was what you would call ‘a provincial hack’ who stayed around with undue influence to benefit himself, for far too long.
Even today speaking to people that performed closely with him back in the 50′s, he was notorious for all sorts of back stabbing antics, behind the scenes.
Then he went to Covent Garden and reputedly tried more of the same caper…. before returning to Australia. ‘ Being totally over -rated ..he was a case for a disdainful comment whenever he was listed to appear…..of ‘Ah! HIM, again!’

Are you listening Vicar of Wakefield? Shaw is after all, one of your glorified ‘to be mentioned & remembered’ singers. Don’t put yourself down Vicar, lease!

http://media.tmsmail.us/pop_tms_sfopera/Tosca2009.jpg

I totally agree, having only seen the PBS broadcast.

The characters seemed caricatures: the ditzy Actress, the kinky Cop, the weaselly Henchman, the airhead Tenor (hmm, that last one…)

When Tosca is fretting just as Mario faces the firing squad, she says something like “I know it’s a farce …” It struck me that was the basis for this staging. And the production was built out from that idea – a farce.

Not to say that this version was played for laughs, but that it was presented more as a black comedy than a thrilling melodrama.

Or maybe it was just my mood at the time.