Lise Davidsen in the title role of Puccini’s Tosca
The Metropolitan Opera continues its Live in HD season with Puccini’s historical melodrama Tosca, a story of love, lust, treachery and corruption. Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen makes her role debut for the Met as diva Floria Tosca and British tenor Freddie de Tomaso makes his company debut in the role of Tosca’s lover and idealistic artist Mario Cavaradossi. The sinister Scarpia is Hawaiian baritone Quinn Kelsey, and the Sacristan is bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi making his 459th appearance for the Met. This production, by David McVicar is led by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
Lise Davidsen as Tosca and Freddie De Tommaso as Cavaradossi in Puccini’s Tosca
Composed by Giacomo Puccini in 1899, Tosca was based on Victorien Sardou’s 1887 play, La Tosca, which featured the actress Sarah Bernhard in the title role, and was set to a libretto by Luigi Illica and Guiseppe Giacosa. It takes place in 1800, when the control of Rome by the Kingdom of Naples was threatened by Napoleon’s invasion of Italy, and recounts the story of Cavaradossi and Tosca, as they try to evade the corruption which was rife in the city of Rome at that time. Tosca premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on January 14th, 1900.
Freddie De Tommaso as Cavaradossi in Puccini’s Tosca
Lise Davidson, described by Gramophone magazine as “One of the greatest vocal talents to have emerged in recent years, if not decades”, recently appeared as Isolde in a concert performance of Wagner’s Tristan und Iso with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and as Tosca with Bavarian State Opera and State Opera Berlin. Highlights of her future performances include an appearance at the Gstaad New Year Music Festival, a return to the Met as Leonore in Beethoven’s Fidelio, a performance at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden as Sieglunde in Wagner’s Die Walküre and she revisits the role of Tosca with Vienna State Opera.
Quinn Kelsey as Scarpia in Puccini’s Tosca
Freddie De Tommaso won international fame when he stepped into the role of Cavaradossi in the Royal Opera’s production of Tosca, becoming the youngest ever tenor to perform the role on that stage and the first British tenor since 1963. His recent appearances include the roles of Cavaradossi at Bavarian State Opera and State Opera Berlin, Don Jose in Bizet’s Carmen at Vienna State Opera and Arena di Verona Opera Festival, and Alfredo Germont in Verdi’s La traviata at Greek National Opera. This current season he will perform Rodolfo in Puccini’s La bohème with Staatsoper Hamburg, Cavaradossi in Tosca at Vienna State Opera, and he will appear at the Gstaad New Year Music Festival.
Lise Davidsen as Tosca and Freddie De Tommaso as Cavaradossi in Puccini’s Tosca
Quinn Kelsey, a graduate of the San Francisco Merola Opera Program, was described by Seen and Heard International as a “a Verdi baritone of the first rank”. He recently appeared at the Met in the title role of Verdi’s Rigoletto, as Guido de Montfort in Verdi’s I vespri Siciliani at Opernhaus Zurich and as Filippo Maria Visconti in Bellini’s Beatrice di Tena at Opéra National de Paris. Later in this season he will appear as Amonasro in Verdi’s Aïda at the Met, and as Giorgio Germont in Verdi’s La traviata at the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy in Tokyo.
Lise Davidsen as Tosca and Quinn Kelsey as Scarpia in Puccini’s Tosca
Patrick Carfizzi is a Metropolitan Opera veteran, having taken a huge number of supporting roles in the Met’s repertoire over the past 25 years. The New York Times writes of him as “‘the Heart and Soul’ of the Met Opera”. Later this season he will sing the title role in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Don Bartolo in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Met, the Neapolitan in Donizetti’s Viva La Mamma! at Florentine Opera, and Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
Gary Halvorson will direct the Live in HD presentation for cinemas, and soprano Ailyn Pérez will host the transmission, sharing exclusive behind-the-scenes content and interviews during the intermissions.
The Metropolitan Opera’s production of Puccini’s Tosca will be screened at 1800 cinemas worldwide on Saturday, November 23, at 1.00 pm ET. To find your nearest cinema, follow this link.
The 2024–25 Live in HD season continues with Verdi’s Aïda (January 25), Beethoven’s Fidelio (March 15), Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro (April 26), Strauss’s Salome (May 17), and Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia (May 31). All performances will be Saturday matinees transmitted live from the Met stage.
All photographs © Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera
Information sourced from:
Metropolitan Opera program notes
Artists’ websites
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