ToscaONH - Page: 1 of 1

THE STORY:
Floria Tosca loves Mario Cavaradossi, who is harboring an escaped political prisoner, Cesare Angelotti. When Baron Scarpia, chief of the secret police, is informed by his spy Spoletta that Angelotti is nowhere to be found, but that Cavaradossi may be hiding him, Scarpi settles on “interrogating” Cavaradossi. The torture proceeds, eliciting screams from Cavaradossi. Tosca hears her lover’s torment and pleads with Scarpia to spare him. In return she promises to reveal Angelotti’s whereabouts. Scarpia accedes to her wishes with one of his own: her body for her lover’s life. No sooner does Scarpia write the release, when Tosca kills him. But she is betrayed, herself. Tosca rushes to the jail where Cavaradossi is held, and informs him that his execution is to be “staged” and that she has won him a reprieve. The execution occurs but Cavaradossi is executed. When Spoletta arrives to arrest Tosca for the death of Scarpia, Tosca vows to meet Scarpia before God, and commits suicide.

WHERE I VIEWED IT:
The Palace Theater in Manchester New Hampshire is a roomy 868 seat theater, close to parking and restaurants and quite enjoyable for opera. It is also accessible to Interstate 93 which makes travel from Boston easy. The design keeps everything close to the stage which, because of the theater's size, appears larger; the acoustics are fine and the orchestra pit, which is recessed makes viewing, even from the front row, unobstructed. On the lower level seating is spacious, but it is my understanding that the balcony is a little more cramped due to the angle of the seating. Still, nobody seemed to complain and when measured against the moderate cost of admission and easy view of the performance, this theater has to be rated in the "plus" zone.

THE PERFORMANCE:
Opera New Hampshire contracts out its productions to theater companies that perform selected works. This version of Puccini’s “Tosca” was handled by the National Lyric Opera. Last night, October 29th, the opera audience that attended the Palace Theater was treated to a feast of singing and acting that was magnificently directed by Gary Giardina under the artistic direction of Michael Capasso, and sung with passion by a strong cast that included truly impressive performances and singing by Peter Furlong, tenor, as Mario Cavaradossi; Susan Foster, soprano, as Floria Tosca; and Valentin Vasiliu, bass baritone, as the scheming, evil Barone Vittorio Scarpia. First, these three: they came with the company and demonstrated how good ensemble acting can add to a performance. Peter Furlong’s Cavaradossi was full and rich and strong. His voice filled the hall; his stage presence was impressive and his acting was never stiff or forced. But more, his voice is what you want to hear when you go to the opera to hear a performer sing a well-known tenor role. There are pitfalls and dangers, of course, and the concern that the comparisons will be endless is real. Well, Mr. Furlong’s, Cavaradossi was without any immediate comparison. It was brilliant in every way, and is the measure I will now take of others that follow. He delivered, and delivered mightily in a strong, clear voice all night. This is a tenor to put on your radar! Susan Foster’s Tosca, was equally strong, clear, effortless (or seemingly so) and acted wonderfully. Ms. Foster brought a certain vulnerability and coquettishness to the role that is undoubtedly a mandate for the part, and she did so in a manner that reached out to the audience and touched it emotionally with a voice that was in fine form throughout the evening. Last night her voice and heart were in the exact right place and none more so than when she plunged the knife into the evil Scarpia after warding off his advances in the close of the powerful second act. Ms. Foster was a joy to watch and hear. And lastly, there is the wonderfully lecherous and evil Baron Scarpia, sung by Valentin Vasiliu. Mr. Vasiliu was the quintessential bad guy, and he played and sang the part with great vigor and obvious delight as he imposed himself on those around him and sang delightfully of how he took no pleasure in love, but did enjoy the conquest of others. We believed him. Scarpia is a major figure in this opera, and Vasiliu proved up to the part with fine singing and acting and commanding stage presence the part requires. I can think of a couple Verdi roles that would fit his demeanor and voice just perfectly – and if I can, others, no doubt will, too. Fine job! Filling out the cast were fine performances and strong supporting singing by Joseph Chappelle as the escaped convict Angelotti, Gary Giardina (the company’s general director) singing the role of the Sacristan – quite impressively, too; and Hector Palacio as Spoletta. Each, along with the chorus, comprised of a couple dozen singers and children, added to the aura and magic of the night and deserves a well done.
Lastly, there are three things worth mentioning. First, the 26-member orchestra, under the direction of Silvia Casarin-Rizzolo, performed wonderfully and provided superb and full-sounding support to the singers on stage. Ms. Caserin-Rizzolo exhibited good control and as I watched the expressive gestures with her free hand and baton, saw she retained strong command throughout. Second, was the final execution scene. It was done very well. Here, the director had Cavaradossi’s back to the audience and the firing squad facing out toward it. If you want to know what it’s like to look down the barrels of a firing squad, this production gave you a hint. It was chilling when the rifles fired! Second, while the set design was certainly good, I felt it could have been emphasized even greater with a more effective use of colorful lighting. In a small theater, where the audience is so close, lighting can set a powerful and unforgettable mood. Mood was present largely because of the standout performances; it could have been even more memorable however, had spot color been added to the sky, behind a door, on the table – things such as that. With that caveat, Opera New Hampshire and National Lyric Opera can take a bow for delivering to the audience an enjoyable and memorable evening’s entertainment in the form of a truly engaging, powerfully acted, beautifully sung, and powerfully involved and dramatic rendition of Puccini’s Tosca.

Conductor, Silvia Casarin-Rozzolo
General Director, Gary Giardina
Artistic Director, Michael Capasso
Production, Michael Capasso
Set Design, John Farrell
Costumes, Angela Huff
Lighting Design, Suisan Roth.
Chorus Manager, Ron Land