TOSCA | Opera Australia
At last they are alone. The man hunt, the interrogation, the prayers, all forgotten as he leers at his conquest. Just sign the note of safe passage and she’s his! Where’s that pen? His upper lip sweats as he readies himself for Tosca’s kiss. He doesn’t see the knife glinting behind her back.
“Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore,” Tosca bemoans her fate with devastating beauty and poise. “I lived for art; I lived for love.”
"Vissi d’arte" could equally be the catchphrase of John Bell, the Australian doyen of Shakespeare who, for more than fifty years, has lived wholeheartedly for his art. Like the knife concealed against Tosca’s silk gown, Puccini’s verismo drama has a sharp edge, employed to startling effect in lushly orchestrated tunes. It is that theatrical instinct that has lured the director into the world of opera.
Bell has transplanted Tosca’s story to 1943, when Mussolini’s successors abandoned Rome to the invading German armies. Michael Scott-Mitchell’s sets recreate the radiant, baroque interior of Sant’Andrea della Valle church and, in cruel contrast, the grim, fascist architecture of Scarpia’s headquarters.
Reimagining the Puccini classic is not a task John Bell takes lightly. “I’m not an auteur type of director. I see my job as an interpreter, rather than a creator. I want to serve the opera.
"World War II is within the memory of many of our audience: they either lived through it or their families did,” Bell explains. “They’ve seen the documentary footage, the movies and the books. I want the experience of our own lifetimes to bring the story into focus.”
As the opera reaches its devastating end, Bell’s hope is that audiences won’t mourn for a tragedy of fiction. Rather, he hopes to capture the truth in the tale: a reality they recognise, that they see on the news: the everyday banality of evil.
NOTE: These are A-RESERVE seats.
Feedback/Comments
As we were settling in for the performance, I wasn't sure what to expect from John Bell's Nazi-era reworking of Tosca. Sometimes these kind of re-imaginings fall flat. This one was brilliant! The opera still had all the highs and lows of the original story - the tender love between the main leads playing Tosca and Cavaradossi, the sleazy advances of Scarpia on Tosca - but the creepy Nazi overlay just made all of it seem more immediate and real. The two most disturbing moments for me were the Nazi salute at the end of act 1, and the uncomfortable feeling of applauding the 'Nazi' performers at the end of the opera - which just goes to show how close to the bone the events of Word war 2 still are. The singing was powerful all round, the acting was great, and what John Bell did with the whole vision was outstanding. A great night at the opera - thanks On The House!
Adam
This was an outstanding introduction to opera. With clear surtitles, a beautifully crafted program - the evening was set.
The acting, voices and music were superb. Some of the voices went right through ones core. Now I understand when people say "He/She has the voice like a gift from G-d"
Thank you for this amazing opportunity. I will certainly be interested in attending more Opera shows in the future.
Normally, this would be an expensive night out but we enjoyed it so much - it is worth it!
THANK YOU!