Giacomo Puccini, opera "Tosca": summary

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Italian composers are famous all over the world. One of them is Giacomo Puccini (his photo is presented below). This is the author of the opera called "Tosca". It is about this work that we will talk today.

Opera "Tosca", a summary of which is presented in this article, opens with three crushing chords. They are always used further to characterize Scarpia. This character is a sinister chief of police, a merciless, though outwardly refined person. He personifies the reactionary forces of Italy. In this country in 1800, Napoleon was considered the apostle of freedom, which was reflected in such a work as the opera Tosca. The summary continues with the opening of the curtain, signaling the beginning of the first act.

Start of the first action

The curtain rises right after the opening chords. The viewer is presented with an internal view of the church of Sant'Andrea della Balle located in Rome. A man in tattered robes enters one of its side doors, trembling with fear. This is Angelotti, a political prisoner who escaped from prison. He hides in a church. His sister, the Marchioness Attavanti, under the statue of the Madonnahid the key to the family chapel, in which her brother is hiding. Angelotti is now frantically looking for him. Puccini's opera "Tosca" continues with the fact that this hero, having found him, hastily unlocks the door of the chapel and hides in it. He manages to do so before the sacristan enters with food and supplies for the artist who works here.

The sacristan comes to Cavaradossi

The sacristan is in his own thoughts. He talks about something to himself, going to the artist's place of work. The sacristan is unhappy that the features of one of the parishioners appear in the image of a saint. Perhaps the devil himself controls the hand of this impudent painter. Here comes the artist himself, Mario Cavaradossi. He begins to work on the image of Mary Magdalene. There is a half-finished painting on the easel. Cavaradossi sings the aria "He changes his face forever." In it, he compares the sketches of his portrait with the features of his beloved, Floria Tosca (the famous singer).

Artist discovers fugitive

The sacristan leaves. The artist discovers Angelotti, who believes the church is empty and decides to come out of hiding. His fear at the sight of the artist is immediately replaced by joy - he and Mario are old friends. Now the artist will not leave a fugitive prisoner in trouble. However, their conversation is interrupted by a knock on the door.

Appearance at the Church of Floria Tosca

Do you want to know how the opera "Tosca" continues? A brief summary introduces the reader to further events. Floria Tosca asks to open the door to the church. Cavaradossi, barely hearing the woman's voice,pushes his friend back into the chapel to hide there. Floria enters. This is an amazingly beautiful woman, dressed magnificently. She, like most other beauties, easily succumbs to jealousy. Now this feeling excites in her a portrait that Cavaradossi writes. She recognizes the blond beauty. It takes some work for the artist to reassure his beloved. Floria is not able to be angry with Mario for a long time, and after a conversation they agree to meet at the artist's villa after Floria's evening performance at the Farnese Palace. Angelotti, after her departure, comes out of his hiding place again. He is taken away by Cavaradossi to hide at home.

Police chief looking for fugitive

The plot of the opera "Tosca" is rapidly developing. News arrives that Napoleon has been defeated in northern Italy. The priests in the church are preparing for the celebration of worship on this occasion. Scarpia enters in the midst of his preparations. The police chief is looking for the fugitive Angelotti. Together with Spoletta, his detective, he finds a lot of evidence that this is where the fugitive is hiding. Among the evidence, these characters in the play discover, for example, a fan with the coat of arms of Attavanti. Scarpia uses it cleverly to arouse the jealousy of Floria, for whom he burns with passion.

Worship

The service begins. A large procession enters the church. While Te Deum sounds in honor of the victory over Bonaparte, Scarpia stands on the side. The chief of police hopes that he can get rid of a competitor, and uses Floria's jealousy to do this. If his plan succeeds,Cavaradossi will be on the scaffold, and he will receive Tosca. Before the curtain falls, Scarpia kneels in prayer before the cardinal, but his thoughts are consumed by the devil's plan.

Beginning of the second act

The victory over Bonaparte is celebrated in the Farnese Palace in the evening of the same day. The sounds of music are heard through the open windows of the police station, located right there in the palace. Scarpia is in his office thinking about the events of the day. He sends with Schiarrone, his gendarme, a note to Tosca, and also receives a message from Spoletta's detective. He searched Cavaradossi's house, but Angelotti did not find it there, but he saw Tosca. Spoletta arrested Cavaradossi, who was in the palace.

Interrogation of Cavaradossi and Tosca

While the voice of Floria sings the solo part, her lover is interrogated in Scarpia's office, but to no avail. When Floria arrives, Cavaradossi manages to whisper to her that the chief of police knows nothing and that she should not talk about what she saw at his house. Scarpia orders the artist to be taken to the torture chamber. The gendarmes carry out this order, and with them the executioner Roberti.

After that, Scarpia begins to interrogate Tosca. The woman maintains her composure, but only until she hears the groans of Cavaradossi coming from the cell. Unable to bear it, she betrays the location of Angelotti. This is a well in the garden. Exhausted by torture, Cavaradossi is taken to Scarpia's office. The artist immediately realizes that his lover has betrayed his friend. Right after thatnews arrives that Bonaparte has won a victory at Marengo. Cavaradossi cannot contain his joy. He sings a song praising freedom. Scarpia orders him to be taken to prison and executed the next morning.

Murder of Scarpia

The Chief of Police then starts a sly conversation with Floria again. During this dialogue, it is included in such a work as the opera "Tosca", the aria of Tosca. Floria sings "Only sang, only loved." It is a passionate appeal to music and love, two forces to which Tosca has dedicated her entire life. A woman decides to sacrifice herself to save her beloved.

Scarpia now explains that since he has already ordered the execution of Cavaradossi, at least fake preparations for the execution should be made. He calls Spoletta and gives him the necessary orders, and also issues passes so that Cavaradossi and Tosca can leave Rome. However, at the moment when Scarpia turns to her, intending to take the woman into his arms, Tosca plunges a dagger into the police chief. The orchestra at this time plays three chords of Scarpia, but now it is very quiet.

Floria washes her hands, and then takes the passes from Scarpia's hand, places a candle on each side of the head of the murdered man and places a crucifix on his chest. The curtain falls as Floria disappears from the office.

Start of the third act

The final act begins rather calmly. An early morning song performed by a shepherd girl sounds offstage. placethe third act is the roof of the Roman castle of Sant'Angelo. It is here that Cavaradossi should be brought for execution. He is given a short time to prepare himself for death. He uses this time to write his last letter to Tosca. This is a very touching scene, which appears to the audience in the third act (opera "Tosca"). The aria of Tosca, which Cavaradossi sings at this moment, is called "The stars were burning in the sky".

Passionate duet of lovers

Then Floria appears. She shows her lover the saving passes and tells how she managed to kill the police chief. A passionate love duet looks forward to a happy future. Tosca then says that Cavaradossi should go through the farce of a false execution and then they will run away together.

Tragic ending

The calculation led by Spoletta enters. Mario stands in front of him. A shot sounds, the artist falls. The soldiers leave. Floria falls on the body of her murdered lover. She realizes only now that Scarpia deceived her. The cartridges turned out to be real, and Cavaradossi was killed. Sobbing over his corpse, the young woman does not notice the footsteps of the returned soldiers. They found Scarpia's body. Spoletta tries to grab Floria, but the woman pushes him away, climbs the parapet and throws herself down from the roof of the castle. Horrified soldiers stand motionless as Cavaradossi's dying aria is played.

This is how the opera "Tosca" ends. The brief content presented by us, of course, is not even closeconveys all the splendor of this work. Definitely worth seeing it in the theatre. Italian composers are considered among the best in the world. The opera created by Giacomo Puccini proves this once again.