Ellen Kent’s lavish production of
Giacomo Puccini’s 'Tosca', with the
Ukrainian National Municipal Opera, Kyiv, was a rich and splendid spectacle,
which had the audience laughing, crying, and for those who had never been to an
opera before (like me) on the edge of the seats in anticipation.
Set in Rome in 1800, 'Tosca 'is a tale of love, lust and
betrayal. Set amongst the uncomfortably relevant backdrop of Napoleon
Bonaparte’s invading forces taking Marengo in his Italian campaign, the
audience are introduced to Cavaradossi, a painter (Ukrainian tenor Vitalii
Liskovetskyi) as he aids the escaped political prisoner Angelotti (Eugeniu
Ganea) to safety, out of the reach of the tyrinical Scarpia, chief of police
(Vladmir Dragos). Meanwhile Floria Tosca (Elena Dee), Cavaradossi’s love
interest, must bargain for her lover’s life when he is found and arrested.
Scarpia however, has ulterior motives for executing the painter as he wishes to
have the beautiful Tosca for himself. After rejecting his advances, Tosca
agrees to give herself to Scarpia in exchange for safe passage for herself and
Cavaradossi, who must undergo a mock execution first. As the evil Scarpia comes
to claim her, Tosca stabs him. Visiting her lover at the Castel Sant’Angelo,
they agree to run away once he has been “executed”, however Scarpia, although
dead, has other plans.
The quality of this production
was fantastic, the costume design was really something else - Elena Dee’s dresses
were beautiful, and the detail on Scarpia’s coat was amazing (the more evil the
character, the flashier their costume). Set design was of a very high quality,
yet not overly complicated, the ability to use the same background façade but
with different changes here and there worked wonderfully, after all that’s the
creativity of the theatre and making use of what spaces there are on stage.
Equally, the blocking made use of every space possible, preventing a scene from
turning stale (if a scene could ever be stale!). The amount of passion and keen
eye for detail that Ellen Kent put into this production is evident from the start. What is also apparent is the aspiration to be as faithful to the original
source as possible, which is very much appreciated, and I think this is one of
the many things that made this performance of 'Tosca' feel truly special. As I
previously stated, this was my first, but what a first it was!
Puccini’s music was delightfully
whimsical in parts, and appropriately dramatic in others. It’s the definitive
Italian music if such a thing can be. To hear the Orchestra Of The Ukrainian
National Opera And Ballet Theatre, under maestro Nicolae Dohotaru’s baton, was
an equally magical experience in itself; were it not for the drama unfolding on
the stage, I could have easily closed my eyes and just listen to the music and
libretto. Which leads me to my next commendation, Elena Dee and Vitalii
Liskovetskyi were outstanding. The former’s aria “Vissi d’arte” in the second
act garnered a well-deserved round of applause and brought a tear to my eye and
many others in the audience I expect. In fact, I had tears in my eyes
throughout the show, I’m not ashamed to admit that. The duo’s performance of “O
Dolci Mani” was incredibly touching and had the audience in silent wonderment.
As a first-timer, what were my
thoughts? I was surprised how quick it all went, although I think that was down
to me having a ruddy good time. I love the humour of 'Tosca', the beats are there to make you laugh when you need it. I
was surprised by the simplicity of the story, and I mean that in a nice way,
with no offense to Victorien Sardou, Puccini, and everyone else involved. No doubt
others' operas are denser (Wagner comes to mind), I’m not quite ready for that
just yet. It has to be said that 'Tosca' was the perfect opera to start off with
for these aforementioned reasons. It will be interesting to see (not only for
myself, but hopefully for you too) how my thoughts may change over the coming
two nights, as I am to see Bizet’s 'Carmen'
next, followed by Puccini’s 'Madama
Butterfly'. After the 9th, I’ll be a very cultured young gent. As
shown by the audience, 'Tosca' is a
very accessible play and even after 120 years, and thanks to Ellen Kent for putting
on these productions, can still draw in and entertain the masses.
A special postscript has to be
written pertaining to the incredibly rousing and emotional tribute to Ukraine,
as soon as the cast had done their curtain call, the audience stood as one and applauded
the Ukrainian flag and national anthem. Albeit under such tragic circumstances,
it was a touching show of unity and support which not only made the night’s
performance even more memorable and impactful, but which also highlighted the
good will of the people of Manchester.
Reviewer - Daryl Griffin
on - 7.4.22
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