Puccini: Tosca / Gheorghiu, Terfel, Kaufmann

GHEORGHIU, ANGELA

Angela Gheorghiu, an iconic artist with a beautiful voice and a star quality that dazzles on stage, captivated the world in her role as Tosca, at the Royal Opera House in July 2011. Puccini's ever-popular opera, Tosca, returned to The Royal Opera. The stellar cast included Jonas Kaufmann, Bryn Terfel, the Royal Opera Chorus and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, who were under the baton of Antonio Pappano, the Music Director of the Royal Opera House. With the all-star cast, opera history was in the making and was, by far, the hottest ticket in town. For the majority of us who were not lucky enough to be there, it has been captured on this DVD, exclusively released by EMI Classics. Gheorghiu received much praise and accolades as Tosca. Laura Kate Wilson of Bachtrack wrote "As Gheorghiu delivered the chilling 'O Scarpia, avanti a Dio!' ('Oh Scarpia, we shall meet before God!') and that final heart-wrenching refrain rose from the orchestra pit it was clear that opera history had been made, and I felt incredibly lucky to have witnessed it." Rupert Christiansen of the Telegraph added that "The velvety smoothness of (Angela Gheorghiu's) line and tone was something to marvel at." The set includes pieces such as the Act I 'Te Deum,' 'Vissi d'arte' and 'E lucevan le stele.' Jonathan Kent's detailed production draws on the full historical backdrop of Rome in 1800, a political world of control and suspicion, beautifully evoked in Paul Brown's lavish designs. The pageantry of church ritual, the darkness of a brooding study with its hidden torture chamber and the false optimism of the light of a Roman dawn all throw into relief the love of the beautiful diva Tosca, the idealism of her lover Cavaradossi and the deadly, destructive obsession of the malevolent Chief of Police, Scarpia. Drama, passion, and fabulous music.