The lament of the shepherd boy, here transformed into a detained Jew complete with telltale yellow star, is pure pathos.

This almost automatically enables contemporary audiences to grasp what is at stake the intelligence and sensitivity of his interpretation make us feel the characters’ suffering and identify with their political motivations.Ĭavaradossi’s resistance under torture is noble. Tosca traditionally unfolds in Rome amid the oppressive political climate of the early 19th century, but Bell’s production, already enjoying a second revival since its 2013 debut, seamlessly moves the action forward to the Nazi occupation of the Eternal City. Of course it’s a forlorn hope, but testament to the power of director John Bell’s interpretation and the outstanding cast’s passionate, finely tuned performances. In the dying moments of this Opera Australia production, however, one ardently wishes that he will get to his feet this time, and that she can find a way to escape.

Since its première in Rome in 1900, Puccini’s political tragedy has become such a staple of the repertoire that opera goers can become blasé about the fate of Floria Tosca and her lover, Mario Cavaradossi.

Tosca opera 2017