Music trip Wien… one more Tosca, same Cavaradossi :-)

Catherine Naglestad, Jonas Kaufmann. Foto: Axel Zeininger (Wiener Zeitung)

Tosca, Puccini, Wien 09/05/2009

Dirigent: Pier Giorgio Morandi
Floria Tosca : Catherine Naglestad
Mario Cavaradossi: Jonas Kaufmann
Scarpia : Ruggero Raimondi
Angelotti : Clemens Unterreiner
Spoletta: Alexander Kaimbacher

Orchester und Chor der Wiener Staatsoper



I guess Tosca will never be my favourite opera, which doesn’t mean I can’t see it often enough if given good reasons. Listening to the most interesting Cavaradossi around these days IS reason enough.

So off I was again to see what must be one of the oldest, if not THE oldest Tosca production still around! The Tosca at the Wiener Staatsoper is now 51 years old…. and doesn’t look a year older than …. 30 ;-) It is of course totally traditional; haven’t checked the details, but I suspect an almost exact depiction of the libretto. And as far as old productions go, this has the merit that although deeply historically embedded, it managed to stay away from exaggeration and it gives you plenty to look at without totally distracting you. It is also remarkably well maintained. There is also the fact that the space on stage at the Staatsoper is almost twice as big as the seating area, which means you are too far away too see the wear and tear. Still, it looks fresher, than say, the Hoffmann at ROH. Where it does show its age is in the difference between decorative and atmospheric. There are “traditional” productions today, i.e set in the historically accurate time, with period costumes, etc. However they tend to have an added twist, extra lighting, individual elements brought forward for other purposes than just the pleasing of the eye. Sitting in the Staatsoper it was very interesting to observe the difference between this production and the one at ROH. In Wien you almost felt like seeing Rome before your eyes, but in a sight-seeing kind of way. Where as in the ROH production the elements are used to imprint a certain atmosphere as well, not only to decorate or suggest coordinates in space.

In the Zurich/Carsen production the atmosphere and the emotional currents were almost overpowering, in a way which almost made you uncomfortable sometimes. Which is most effective in transmitting messages? Most likely the Carsen version, as everything there is tuned to push your buttons. The ROH production has however some of the lavishness of the period, which is nice to discover again from time to time.

In this respect, the production in Wien is harder to work with, because unless you have good singers, who are also very engaged actors, it remains a pretty picture with little emotional impact. It stays theatre and doesn’t really become a story. I personally felt the difference in the second act, which made unusually little impact on me. It is supposed to be the high point of emotion and passions, to the point where things boil over. Faced with a pretty, light filled salon it is even harder to make the darkness brood. Also, this is by definition Scarpia’s act…which is where I sadly have to admit that I was disappointed by Ruggero Raimondi. Not vocally, his top is much more slick and secure than I would have ever expected at this point.( of course, everything else than forte is no longer that nice, but he has the technique and experience to deliver pleasant singing). But, with cherished images of his Don Giovanni and even the Tosca DVD in mind, I searched and searched for what I expected to be a vivid stage presence and found much less…. I don’t know if it is because he has to concentrate more on the singing at this stage, or just because he is actually too nice to come across convincingly as evil…. But I wasn’t particularly impressed by his Scarpia, nor really frightened, or repulsed or fascinated… Where was the machiavellic, serpent like Scrapia I pictured from the DVD… I don’t know. I couldn’t find him last night.

In contrast Naglestad’s Tosca seemed a bit overacted in this part, probably more so as she didn’t have equally strong reactions from Scarpia to play against. Her shudders while looking at the day bed and the panicked and uncontrollable frenzy with which she stabs Scarpia several times, front and back, where effective, but her movements were altogether too broad, too athletic. She covered just a tiny bit too much space with her arms, swished her dress around a bit too much. A Tosca of those times would very likely have had much more restrained movements, until the situation became physically dangerous for her, she would have maybe tried to stare him to death rather than gesticulate widely.

Musically it is harder to describe things because I had an awkward seat...first row, just two steps away from the percussion (didn’t chose it, it is what happens when you pre-order, sometimes you are lucky and sometimes you’re not). For the price of the ticket the sound is terrible. It wasn’t as bad as in the Manon, or rather in a different way. In the first row you sit next to the instrumentalists in the pit, and I mean in a kind of hand shaking, eye contact, smile at each other kind of way. Basically the guy with the violin, the trombone or the drum is as close to you as you next seat neighbour. And the pit in Wien is something else, it is completely open, that is not at all covered by the stage, quite vast … and on this particular night - high, they were sitting at the same level as the audience. Add to this the distance to the stage and the fact that things did not happen at stage limit, but rather 2 or more meters inside the stage and you get all kinds of unpleasant audio effects: it was exciting to feel so much part of the orchestra and be able to hear each instrument as a totally separate and individual sound, but it doesn’t make for a very good Puccini experience…. And you also felt surrounded by a wall of sound which at time was quite difficult to penetrate by the singing voices. The sound of the orchestra together with the distance and the high walls of the decors dampened Mario’s tortured cries just a bit too much, never mind the poor child singer in the last act who was almost inaudible.

Overall I still thought they played better than at the Manon, and the players were evidently individually good, but good players don’t necessarily make a good orchestra and the winds love to play up way too much and were not adequately dampened by the conductor. The piercing interjection at the end of act two was so incredibly harsh it sounded almost off. Overall the conductor (Pier Giorgio Morandi) drove slow, sometimes languid tempi. They worked unusually well for the Visi d’arte which had a touch of tenderness and sweetness, but had a contrary effect at other times, which I will come back to.

With Mario’s torture in the 2nd scene the production was traditionally restrained. I mean the man was screaming in pain and from what Scarpia describes the means used are beyond horror, so why does he come out more lead than carried, he is supposed to have fainted? And there are few splatters of blood on his forehead and shirt. Not that I enjoy horrific images, but the idea is that your heart must break when you see what they have put him through and he resisted. And the pain when he finds out it was all for nothing, because Tosca has revealed the secret, must be double as harsh. It is from this profound desperation and frustration that the notice of Napoleon’s victory gives him some relief and vindication. The pain must be as deep for the Vittoria to be as uplifting. (I really liked this in ROH, when they really made an effort for Mario to look the part and appear as week initially and as enlivened subsequently, as Jonas always does his bit to sound it :-)). Luckily, Jonas did his best to wince convincingly in pain and show that Mario goes on “victorious” by force of will, determination and dignity to overcome physical frailty. The Vittoria, judging by the applause at the end of act, more than fulfilled the public’s expectations. However, it was so powerful that my favourite bit of it, the “Scarpia, carnefice” was a bit less so, also due to the fact that the orchestra overreacted once again and totally overshadowed the last outcry. Mind you the jailors/torturers were obviously not accustomed to such determined Marios and they almost let him loose on Scarpia ( in a last minute reaction they grabbed Jonas quickly and in earnest ;-) And not a moment too soon ;-))

Moving on to the last act, this is where the slow tempi backfired somewhat.

I love this act and needless to say, “E lucevan” is a big part of it, and so is “dolci mani”. I’ll admit that I am ridiculously spoiled in this respect, I’ve come to prefer Jonas’ languid, love and melancholy filled interpretation beyond all others. It feels right and it is just what you need to empathise with the tragic end of the character. Not that I can’t like other interpretations, or that I think this is the only one emotional one. It is just the one that I like more. If only… if only the conductor would have not elongated the lines beyond human breath. The violin sounded absolutely beautiful and filled with sadness, as did the clarinet.. BUT this is not an aria for two instruments. I’m convinced by the skills of the players, but what Puccini wanted us to hear here are Mario’s last thoughts. And I didn’t find it acceptable that the balance was reversed, forcing the singer into almost un-breathable lines, destroying the ethereal and fluid fragility of the net of thoughts he spins with his voice. Almost, because he managed to react and with seamless technique adjust his breathing and line to the players and harmonise towards a beautiful end. More power to him, for making the transition almost unnoticeable. The public went absolutely wild after it, which I have mixed feelings about. The applause was more than deserved, but of course, cheering and shouting totally wrecks the sadness of the atmosphere he just managed to envelop us in. Personally, I believe the cheering can wait until the end, because the emotional intensity that is gained by letting the music flow is all worth it.
Obviously, the conductor had a different idea, he just lay his stick down and let the cheering unfold. There were Bis shouts, which were unsuccessful :-)

The remainder of the act unfolded under a beautifully acted and quite sensitively sung love duet. And with that we come to the best bits of the evening, Catherine and Jonas managed to portray a very believable and engaged couple. The dolci mani was sweet and passionate and the whole interaction brought me at least a lot of emotion. Especially when she dreams of freedom and behind her in a sad pose, unseen by her, he slowly shakes his head in negation. The last embrace beautifully mirrors one in the first act, but with the fragility in the pose reversed. Where as in the first act Mario sits up on the stairs and holds her against him, she resting on his legs, and gently embraces her, here they are reversed and she is the one soothingly stroking his head resting against her. His fragility and the effort he makes to hide his despair in the embrace and her tenderness are touching to tears. Although I only barely escaped letting one slip on his “Parlami ancora come dianzi parlavi…”… And they both proved that there is no need for big gestures to transmit emotion, slowly fidgeting hands, a gentle caress, a kiss on the hand is all is needed.

Her last cry was effective and generally her strong high register impressed the public, for me her voice was not that ideal, I think retrospectively I prefer Emily Magee’s warmer, more homogenous tone. Sometimes Naglestad sounded a bit imbalanced, with piercing top, but piani which sometimes ended on just too much air. Her diction is not the best one can hear, but I think it is not so much the diction , but the emission of her vowels, which was at times too open and made her sound dry and hollow. I mean she is a decent Tosca, but I am sorry to say she is not really my favourite one.

This is somehow Tosca backwards, sorry if this is confusing! But I have left the best for last! Strangely enough the first act was the best, for me also due to the interaction of Catherine and Jonas. Although once again the Mario I got was different from what I expected. With Carsen I got to know a different Mario, sweet and genuine, a good, warm person through and through and just when I though that actually made sense and I don’t mind him being rather on the tender side than on the “cheeky” one I was watching the Mario last night with some disbelief… Who’s this guy impatiently and dismissively snapping at the sacristano? And constantly peeking behind Tosca’s back at the chapel where he has hidden Angelotti… No blue eyes will be painted black with this pintore! Of course this Mario still loves his Tosca, but he’s no push over :-) But boy does he siiiiiiiiiiiiiinggggggggggggg!!!!!!!!! This is the single most beautiful Recondita armonia I have ever heard…. And unbelievable to all, it ended in the most amazing endless descrescendo! And throughout the entire first act the romantic and fluid tempi were a perfect match for the lovers quarrel and play. So much so that from the first notes of the Recondita at least half the orchestra members decided they wanted to see part of the show as well. Anyone who wasn’t busy with their fingers was twisting their necks to see and hear him on stage and I couldn’t stop smiling and gloating at their pleased and enchanted looks. Quite a couple actually got up from their chairs in desperate attempts to see him while singing, trying at the same time to not be visible for the entire public. It was so entertaining to watch the reaction of the members of the orchestra! And after Recondita they all started applauding. And yes, those were some totally awesome legatos and endlessly flowing lines, so I too was happy to drool along :-) (although if I were Floria I would have whacked this particularly impatient Mario over his curls with the paint brush he wouldn’t stop wriggling in her nose in self important demonstrations of busyness!)

The neck wringing and the admiring glances from the orchestra didn’t stop throughout the whole evening and there is nothing more special that watching people who know and like music fall under his spell :-)

So, yes, one more Tosca, but the first one where my favourite bit was Recondita armonia :-)


Pity for the overall not so great sound experience from those seats… However, I believe the sound is better anywhere else than in the orchestra stalls, so stay away from the expensive tickets if you can and you will probably get a better balanced and more homogenous sound.

The evening ended with more than 10 minutes long applause and the generalised siege on the stage door :-)


PS I'm afraid i don't have any pictures from the performance so all i am able to give you are some crappy shots taken with my mobile in the EMI shop window around the Oper, from the Arcadia shop windows where on Sunday they were organising a signing with JK ( which i didn't go to, was already on my way back) and from the Kaiser's tea room in the Staatsoper, which you get to see if you go to the guided tours, and which can also be rented out privately.