Puccini - Tosca / Guleghina, Licitra, Nucci, Mariotti, Gavazzi, Parodi, Muti, La Scala

Rating:
Summary: very good by all standards
Review: I like this DVD, and I listen to it a lot. Above all, it's so good to have fresh faces singing this old war horse. I was for the first time quite impressed by Leo Nucci, who on CDs often sounds worn out, but here he is a really scary Scarpia. Nucci and Guleghina are also excellent actors and their scenes in Act 2 are quite something. Every time I watch it, there are new nuances to discover. Muti is excellent, very straightforward, and luckily, he doesn't see the need to milk every phrase. The sets are bizarre, a bit like "Dr. Caligari," but interesting to look at. It is not exactly a modern production and should not offend those who like their Puccini in period costumes on a cluttered stage. In short, this is one of the better opera DVDs.

Rating:
Summary: A GLORIOUS TOSCA
Review: No matter what the naysayers have said, I absolutely loooved this performance. First of all let me say that the production was amazing. The sets are very grand in the Roman tradition. Luca Ronconi's abstract sets are brilliant and mirror the internal conflicts of the three principles. In addition, operatic productions tend to amount to little more than banal fare when interpreted in the same traditional way all the time. It is so refreshing to have different fresh voiced singers for these demanding roles. It is such a wonderful change to see a production without Domingo in it. Though talented, he's never been a particular favorite of mine. His voice always sounds tired, worn, and under pressure. I'm frankly tired of seeing him, he's in everything!!!! Salvatore Licitra sings Cavaradossi with simply brilliant tone, and phenomenal acting. The Scarpia of Leo Nucci is probably the most sadistic and terrifying portrayal I have seen since Tito Gobbi and Ruggiero Raimondi. His facial expressions are unbelievable!!!!! Finally, we have the Tosca of the formidable dramatic soprano Maria Guleghina, who simply shines in this role. She is the only current Tosca alongside Angela Gheorghiu and Daniela Dessi who is totally convincing vocally, physically, and dramatically. I believe Tosca requires both power and beauty. It is not enough just to have authoritative high notes, but also lush vocalism. Tosca cannot be done full justice by a soprano who squawks and screeches her way through the role. Guleghina's voice is simply gorgeous and full bodied like a finely aged wine. Her acting is well thought out and tightly controlled so that she doesn't portray Tosca as a selfish monster like so many singers do, but a decent human being beneath all the surface grandeur. Her Vissi D'arte is infused not only with power, but with an emotional pull that comes from the gut. Muti and the La Scala forces are equally brilliant!!!!!!Do yourself a favor and check out the Tosca of Daniela Dessi now on DVD, a first class artist with a hint of Callas thrown in for good measure!!!

Rating:
Summary: Blah
Review: This is a purely mechanical performance of Tosca. Nothing special here at all, except for Puccini's incredible music (what an "except"!). But the performances are far, far surpassed in the Met version with Domingo/Behrens from 1985. One thing that especially annoys me about this disc are the sets, which are yet another tired celebration of postmodern asymmetrical nonsense. The sooner set designers get over this fascination with bad taste, the better.

Rating:
Summary: Blah
Review: This is a workmanlike performance of Tosca. Nothing special here at all, except for Puccini's incredible music (what an "except"!). But the performances are far, far surpassed in the Met version with Domingo/Behrens from 1985. One thing that especially annoys me about this disc are the sets, which are yet another tired celebration of postmodern asymmetrical nonsense. The sooner set designers get over this fascination with bad taste, the better.

Rating:
Summary: Somewhat of a mixed bag
Review: Well, here it is; yet another Tosca on DVD. nothing special, just a live, taped performance at La Scala from March 2000. with Salvatore Licitra, Maria Guleghina, Leo Nucci, and Riccardo Muti conducting. what made me the most curious was Licitra's name, after hearing about his Met debut last year replacing Luciano Pavarotti in, ironically, this very opera. Guleghina also played Tosca to Licitra's Cavaradossi in his "surprise" Met debut. so I decided to give it a try.

First of all, Licitra gives a wonderful performance here. His diction is beautiful, and his acting is very good. There is some strain on the higher notes, but other than that, he does a great job here. we will certainly be hearing more of him soon; he shows a lot of promise in this performance. he even gives the best and most complete performance of the evening.

Guleghina sings very well in Act One, and looks beautiful here (although somewhat on the chubby side), but she screams out most of her voice in Act Two, and therefore, her aria "visse d'arte", is sung with many signs of strain and well below pitch. Act Three is somewhat better. overall, she is no Callas, but she burns a lot of paint off the walls, and does a fine job here. hopefully, her interpretation will improve as the years go by.

Nucci certainly shows lots of experience in this role. He is so loathsome, cruel, and nasty here, and could give Bella Lugosi lessons in sneering. (just listen to his "eh bene?" in Act Two, and that will send shivers down your spine). However, his voice has dried up, and his intonation is, at times, terrible. Two acts of yelling do not compensate for his portrayal of a one-demensional Scarpia. Also unconvincing is his physical appearance; when he sings, he looks like an old version of George Bush. But no matter. He still gives a frightening performance here, although not the last word.

Riccardo Muti gives a well-shaped performance here, but most of the time, his conducting is unimaginative, dull, heavy and lacks climaxes. Sometimes, the musicians, especially the strings, aren't in tune! Too bad we couldn't have Levine, Sinopoli or Mehta conduct instead.

All the supporting roles are good, especially Alfredo Mariotti as the Sacristan.

this production, however, is awful. It puts the singers in akward positions. To get an image of the first scene: imagine being in a church and a museum at the same time while dead drunk. As for the other two acts, the less said, the better. What was the set designer thinking? seeing the sets tilted over the way they are, they might make you dizzy or confused (sometimes both).

Also annoying is some of the acting. The interactions between our Tosca and our Scarpia may go on record as some of the funniest moments ever on the La Scala stage. Finally, there are the subtitles. They should have been better proof-read. I laughed out loud when Scarpia pleaded for Tosca to "spill the beans", and gave commands to "silence his [Cavaradossi's] tounge" .

so that's why I gave this three stars. the best thing to do is buy this, and close your eyes when you listen to it. or simply buy the CD, if it''s available. An even better idea would be to just get the Domingo Met version with Sinopoli conducting, which is, visually, amazing. But if you are curious about Licitra, and want to hear a chilling Scarpia (which the Met version unfortunately doesn't have), here's the right place.