Outdoor voice

We see the excited crowd at the Arena di Verona, the ancient structure lit by enormous stadium lights, the passing of candlelight through the audience, and tourists snapping pictures. The flash bulbs keep popping, right through the performance. And as the opera unfolds, there is that feeling of watching a tired Broadway cast walk through yet another Phantom or Rent on a dreary Tuesday.

At first glance, this DVD of a 2006 performance of Tosca looks promising. At the podium, Daniel Oren leads a solid performance. Fiorenza Cedolins and Marcelo Alvarez star as the doomed couple, with Ruggero Raimondi as Scarpia. None of them are at the top of their game.

Cedolins is in respectable voice. She knows the part well, and without sounding forced, never finds her luster either. She sings from the gut, imparting a good deal of vocal drama, but those hoping for arching phrases in the “Vissi d’arte” will be disappointed.

Alvarez does better as Cavaradossi. His tenor is rich and dark, and his high notes soar into the arena – his “Vittoria” is effortless and endless. Recent discussions have suggested that singers are toning down their performances for cameras; never fear, Alvarez has the subtlety of Norma Desmond, and his “acting” could be seen from the moon. By the Bondy production in New York, this tendency seems to have calmed and his interpretation deepened, but his voice is noticeably fresher here.

Ruggero Raimondi gives a sturdy performance as Scarpia, although clearly past his prime. If the voice lacks the power it had in the past, it maintains the authority. His characterization is the most complete of the principals.

But the real downfall is the production, which is large in size and small in drama. Hugo de Ana leaves a gigantic Roman bust onstage throughout all three acts. Despite this anachronism, everything else is the worst of traditional: overly decorated period costumes (Cedolins can barely move in her hideous Act II number), park and bark blocking (with plenty of wandering thrown in for good measure), and yes, the bit with the candles. For such a tightly wound thriller, there is remarkably little tension, and it’s easy to see why the singers never reach their potential.

But maybe none of that maters; the crowd loves it. They take pictures constantly, and the applause is tumultuous after every major aria. There is nothing astonishing, and certainly nothing thrilling– I guess you had to be there.