Puccini: Tosca **
The Royal Opera, 11th January 2016
Nothing sweeps away the Christmas excess of multiple Nutcrackers like the biting chords denoting the villainous Baron Scarpia at the start of Tosca. I have a sneaking fondness for Puccini’s ‘shabby little shocker’, back for a brief run at the Royal Opera. The libretto is so detailed, perfectly matching action to musical phrase, that it’s difficult for a director to put a foot wrong. Jonathan Kent’s 2006 production is handsome enough, but a clumsy revival and poor singing did little to get the blood pumping.
Amanda Echalaz (Tosca) and Roberto Frontali (Scarpia)
© ROH | Catherine Ashmore
Read the full review on Bachtrack.