Puccini - Tosca / Morandi, Patane, Cura

Product Description

The role of Tosca seemed to be made for Francesca Patané. In the role of a jealous diva in love, Patané has a rich and versatile temperament. She vibrantly expresses her personality as an actress with fine incisiveness, yet she is also capab le of moments of poetic passion, as in her Vissi d'arte which inflames the audience's enthusiasm with its sincerity. José Cura is a Cavaradossi of glowing vocal splendor, with crystal diction, indisputable mastery of the vocal line, with power and a cons istent expressive quality. His thundering performance of Vittoria is a vivid and moving experience, and his Elucean le stelle i s rich in flute-like passionate notes. The great baritone Renato Bruson brings to the role of Scarpia his usual extraordinary v ocal performance. His interpretation of Scarpia, crushed between relentless passion for Tosca and the demands of political duty , is expressed with nobility. Bruson and Patané together attain unforgettable moments of emotional tension. Enrico Castiglione has directed the work with tremendous originality and dramatic power, heighten ing with a modern and cinematic style a traditional setting of extraordinary effectiveness, and his sets avoided unorthodox sol utions and exalt the intrinsic musical and theatrical values of Puccini's masterpiece. Conductor Pier Giorgio Morandi provides a sustained energy with sensitive elation in the moments of high tension. This performance was acclaimed as an operatic event, and the superstar cast makes it a Tosca for the ages.

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With this 2000 production, a new generation steps powerfully into the romantic lead roles in Puccini's verismo shocker: Francesca Patané, daughter of the noted conductor Giuseppe Patané, and José Cura, a young tenor who seems destined for a major career. The performance is impressive--almost amazing, considering that this video originates in a provincial opera house, not La Scala, Rome, or Verona. Sets and costumes are sumptuous, conducting is expert, and the director has a fine sense of which details matter.
It is not flawless--the leading voices seem to need a bit more warming up on their first appearance; but as they settle into their roles, their singing quickly becomes excellent. Their acting is good from beginning to end. Renato Bruson, as the villain Scarpia, occasionally wobbles on sustained notes, but expressiveness, not tonal glory, is what this role requires, and that he has in abundance. --Joe McLellan, ISBN13:B000067IYI ISBN10:B000067IYI Material Type:dvd