Tosca online course by Dr. Carol AndersonPart 2. Verité, Verismo, Verisimilitude

by Dr. Carol Anderson

Possibly no opera is as deeply rooted in a specific time and place as Tosca. While most operas have been updated or re-set with varying levels of success, an Internet search of production photos reveals a preponderance of Empire-wasted gowns and revolutionary uniforms. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Napoleonic wars, the action of the opera unfolds over approximately eighteen hours from the afternoon of June 17, 1800, to dawn on June 18. The Battle of Marengo was fought between the Austrian forces of General Melas, and the French army led by Napoleon on June 14, 1800. The battlefield location was near the town of Alessandria in the Piedmont region of Italy, just under six hundred kilometers from Rome. Premature reports of an Austrian victory led to the celebration of the Te Deum at the end of Act One, but the message of Napoleon’s final triumph is conveyed to Scarpia, and celebrated by the Revolutionary sympathizer Cavaradossi, midway through Act Two.

Each act of Tosca is set in a particular location in Rome, all of which still may be seen today. Director Kathleen Clawson visited each of the locations in the opera as she was preparing to direct Utah Opera’s 2015 production. She kindly allowed us to use her personal photos to enhance this feature. Act One takes place at the Church of Sant’Andrea della Valle, a venue change from Sardou’s original setting, Sant’Andrea al Quirinale. The reason for the change is simple: “Della Valle” happens to have a side chapel that could serve as the fictional private chapel of the Attavantis, and thus would provide a hiding place for Angelotti. Known as the Cappella Barberini, this chapel has been renamed popularly, perhaps by tour guides, as the Cappella di Tosca.

Musical and dramatic verisimilitude was equally important to Puccini; it is well-known that he quoted actual Japanese folk songs in Madama Butterfly and Chinese songs in the children’s chorus music of Turandot. Tosca also reflects his customary attention to historical accuracy and detail. Puccini studied church processions to recreate as accurately as possible the pageantry of the Te Deum, including the uniforms of the Swiss Guards and the regalia of the church officials. Puccini uses the tone of the actual bell of St. Peter’s Basilica as the musical basis for the Act One finale. To reproduce the effect of churches ringing in the Roman dawn at the top of Act Three, Puccini traveled to the Castel Sant’Angelo to note the exact pitches of the bells as heard from the terrace. He then commissioned chimes to be cast by four different foundries, adding great expense to the production. After the premiere, the librettist Illica wrote to Puccini’s publisher, “the great fuss and the large amount of money for the bells have constituted an additional folly, because it passes completely unnoticed.” The Tosca Bells continue to cause “great fuss” every time the opera is produced!