The painter Cavaradossi aids Angelotti, who is on the run for political offences. Police chief Scarpia covets the artist’s capricious lover, the singer Tosca. He makes use of her jealousy and her fondness for histrionics to his own ends in order to possess her, while at the same time getting rid of his rival Cavaradossi and his political enemy Angelotti. A diabolical game begins in which Tosca belatedly realises that Scarpia has managed to deceive her. She betrays Angelotti, who kills himself. Scarpia promises that the execution of Angelotti’s accomplice, Cavaradossi, will be staged. When she learns his price – herself – Tosca stabs the police chief. The supposedly mock execution proves to be real, whereupon Tosca leaps to her death.
Opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini. Performed in Italien with German surtitles.
Running time 2 hours 45 minutes
Premiere 31 Jan 2009
Musical Director: Julian Kovatchev
Staging: Johannes Schaaf
Set Design: Christof Cremer
Costume Design: Petra Reinhardt
Lighting Design: Guido Petzold
Choir: Christof Bauer
Kinderchor: Andreas Heinze
Dramaturgy: Ilsedore Reinsberg
Floria Tosca: Amarilli Nizza
Mario Cavaradossi: Mikhail Agafonov
Baron Scarpia: Claudio Sgura
Cesare Angelotti: Allen Boxer
Der Mesner: Karl-Friedrich Dürr
Spoletta: Tom Martinsen
Sciarrone: Peter Lobert
Ein Schließer: Alexander Hajek
Dresdner Kreuzchor
State Opera Choir
Children's choir of the Saxon State Opera Dresden
Staatskapelle Dresden
With generous support of the Foundation for Support of the Semperoper
