Assignment #8

Opera is an elevated style of musical theater.  Opera was defined by the age of Mozart which was from about 17775 to 1910.  Light opera is a less demanding form of operatic theater.  Opera synthesizes all of the performing arts along with visual design.  Opera is a true aesthetic experience.  Some capitals of opera include: Venice, Milan, Paris, London, and Vienna. Light opera incorporates spoken words, and appeals to a broader audience.  Light opera still requires operatic voices and live orchestra.  Musical theater is musical intersperses with dialogue. Musical theater is less demanding vocally and can be performed by singing actors which are sometimes equipped with microphones.

No one is born with an operatic voice.  Peak operatic performance is not acquired until after age 30. Control of breath is imperative.  It is also known that opera stars are notoriously demanding.  There are many types of operatic voices including: Sopranos, Mezzo Soprano, Contralo, Tenor, Baritone, and Bass.  Operas most famous male voices are Tenors. Soprano is the highest voice, and Bass is the lowest voice.   To have a fully trained operatic voice one must rigorously train beginning as a child through most of their life.

Tosca was written by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Gisuseppe Giacosa. Tosca is an opera that has three acts and premiered in Rome on January 14, 1900.  The work was based on Victorien Sarou’s 1887 play, La Tosca. This piece is set in Rome in June of 1800.  The Kingdom of Naple’s control of Rome was threatened by Napoleon’s invasion of Italy.  Tosca has many memorable performances from many of opera’s leading singers.   The play itself includes deceptions of murder, suicide, and torture.  Puccini first saw the play while it was touring in Italy in 1889 and Puccini gained the rights to turn the work into an opera in 1895. It took Puccini four years to turn the play into an Italian opera. Tosca premiered at a time of unrest in Rome, and its first performance was delayed for a day for fear of disturbances.  The play was an immediate success with the audience.  Musically, Tosca has the structure of a through-composed work with arias, recitative, and choruses.  Tosca still seems to be a dominate force and its characters continue to fascinate performers and audiences.  The work still remains to be one of the most frequently performed operas. This opera is a tragedy and is full of death, torture, and lies. The intricate lies and betrayal in this work reminded me of many of Shakespeare’s works.

A Summary of Tosca

Cesare Angelotti, the former consol of the former Roman Republic, has narrowly escaped imprisonment in the Castel S. Angelo. He seeks safely in the church of S. Andrea Della Valle and hides in the chapel where his sister has left some female clothing for him in advance. The Sacristan watches the painter Cavaradossi as he goes about his rounds. Cavaradossi is painting a picture of Saint Mary who the Sacristan thinks looks like the woman who often visits to pray there. Cavaradossi, however, has given Saint Mary the features of his lover, the singer Floria Tosca. Tosca enters the church and Angelotti goes back into hiding. The painting angers Tosca but Cavaradossi calms her down. She leaves and Angelotti comes out of the shadows again. There is the sound of cannon fire, a signal to tell that Angelotti’s escape has been found out. Tosca leaves for Cavaradossi’s house, hoping the catch them together. Scarpia is enchanted with the singer and decides to send spies after her. Tosca leaves for Cavaradossi’s house, hoping the catch them together. Scarpia is enchanted with the singer and decides to send spies after her. The police has arrested Cavaradossi on suspicion that he has aided Angelotti in his escape Tosca is willing to grant him favors, Cavaradossi would only be granted a mock execution. Tosca appears to agree and Scarpia makes the safe-passage conduct she demands. When he goes to hand them to her, she stabs him to death. Tosca appears with the good news that he is free and he will only have a mock execution. The firing squad gets ready. Cavaradossi stands confidently at the wall, but the guns are loaded with real bullets. Tosca realizes now that Scarpia has betrayed her and Cavaradossi is dead. Tosca then leaps to her own death before the police arrive.