ENO: Tosca

[Dave2002]

Saw Tosca at ENO recently. I thought it was pretty good. I wasn't sure how "authentic" it was or was going to be, as some ENO presentations in recent years have bent the drama somewhat, but this seemed OK. I wasn't sure about mention of the gallows, but indeed, Scarpia did change his mind and suggest firing squad, which is what I was expecting. I guess the shots were bearable, though I put my fingers in my ears anyway, just in case!

The second act was the most gripping, but it was all good, IMO.

Spectacular drop off at the end. The soprano must be brave to do that, I think.

The orchestra played well too.

[Bax-of-Delights]

That final hurl from the battlements can make or break a production. Two which I saw utterly destroyed what went before.
An ENO production (Miller, I think) had Tosca as some kind of flashing hologram falling off the top. It was just puzzling.
The worst was the Met production of about 6 years ago. The soprano disappeared into the castle and at the climax was substituted by a dummy on a wooden plank. Except that the plank got stuck for a couple of seconds. Result. Laughter from the audience. Which is, I suspect, not what the composer planned.

[Dave2002]

When things like that happen at the end of an opera they do tend to be memorable. One ENO performance of The House of the Dead had a model eagle taken up to the top of the prison, then hooked on a wire at the end, prior to its release for freedom. It was attached to the wire, then hurled off into the distance, but unfortunately it disappeared, possibly with a loud clunk as it crashed into something, and maybe even an expletive, after which it was rapidly hauled back up and sort of bounced/flapped its way into the distance. Hilarious!

[Bax-of-Delights]

Another ENO Tosca had the curtain stuck at half-mast at the opening of the last act with Cavaradossi having to do his big aria on bended knee so that the audience could at least see him. One of the guards came on and gave the curtain a tug and released it from whatever it had snagged on. Needless to say the sense of atmosphere was shot to ribbons - just like Cavaradossi was to be.