Giacomo Puccini 18581924

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Giacomo Puccini 1858-1924

• Tosca
• (1900)

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Historical situation ca 1800

• 1789 French revolution
• 1797 Napoleon Bonaparte invades Rome, puts Pope
  Pius VI in prison (where he dies) and declares
  Rome a republic-only to 1799 (by 1806 forgets
  about republic)
• Kingdom of Naples and Sicily King Ferdinand IV
  (Bourbon) and Queen Maria Carolina (daughter of
  Austrias Maria Theresia Hapsburg, sister of
  Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI). They sided
  with the British against Napoleon.
• When King tries to free Rome is defeated,
  retreats to Sicily and Naples is declared a
  republic as well-monarchy restored 1799, with
  help of Lord Nelson too. Then they conquer Rome
  and settle in Palazzo Farnese
• Rome 1800--under occupation of Naples troops

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Italian opera of the 19th century

• Deeply rooted in national life
• Cared little for Wagner
• Verismo as reaction against Wagner
• Verismo (realism) a phase of naturalism in
  literature and music characterized by projection
  on stage of fierce passions, violence, and death
• Expression of intense passion, arouse sensation
  by violent contrasts, cross section of life,
  sensational harmonies, concentration
• 1890 Mascagnis Cavalleria rusticana (Rustic
  Chivalry) 1892 Leoncavallos I pagliacci
  (Clowns) first examples, one act each (unity of
  intent and passion)

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Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)

• Born in Lucca in musical family
• Father died when he was 5 went to study with
  uncle. Was unruly and not committed to study
• Became organist but saw Aida in Pisa and decided
  to become opera composer
• 1880 to Milan conservatory
• Marries Elvira Bonturi, one son
• 1891 to Torre del Lago by Viareggio
• 1903 serious car accident
• Was a heavy smoker
• 1924 dies of throat cancer

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Puccinis ten operas

• 1882 first opera Le Villi
• 1889 Edgar
• 1893 Manon Lescaut
• 1896 La bohème
• 1900 Tosca (verismo)
• 1904 Madama Butterfly (exoticism)
• 1910 La fanciulla del West
• 1917 La rondine
• 1918 Il trittico Il tabarro, Suor Angelica,
  Gianni Schicchi
• Turandot (unfinished)

with Toscanini
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Puccinis style

• Melody driven
• Popular appeal of music
• Parlando style of declamation
• Significant motives (leitmotifs)
• No closed numbers, alternation of
  conversational and lyrical portions
• Masterful manipulation of orchestral color, rich
  orchestration
• perpetual pregnancy of melodies, where
  heightened emotional state is presented
• Insistence on precision in most minute details
  (e.g., exact tune sung in Te Deum, order of
  procession, exact pitch of St. Peters bells for
  act 3 etc.)

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Tosca sources

• Victorien Sardous 5-act drama La Tosca of 1887
  written for Sarah Bernhardt (Puccini saw her in
  the play in Florence)
• Puccini wants the rights and asks his friend
  Ricordi for help first in 1889. Then he writes La
  bohème, and when he asks again in 1895 rights
  already given to Franchetti, and Illica has
  written libretto
• Ricordi and Illica convince Franchetti to
  relinquish the rights (con him into)
• Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica

Sardou
Sardou
Giacosa
Illica
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Tosca characters

• Floria Tosca toscopoison fiery, very
  religious, beautiful, jealous, celebrated opera
  singer (soprano)
• Mario Cavaradossi aristocrat, painter, Toscas
  lover, pro-Napoleon (tenor)
• Baron Scarpia scarpashoe mean head of the
  secret police of the King (baritone)
• Cesare Angelotti angeloangel escaped prisoner
  bonapartist, brother of the Marchesa Attavanti,
  former consul of the Roman Republic (bass)

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Locales Act I

• Chiesa di SantAndrea della Valle

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Locales Act II

• A room in Palazzo Farnese, residence of the King
  and Queen of the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily

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Locales Act III

• Castel SantAngelo (upper level)

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Plot Act I

• (SantAndrea della Valle)
• Cesare Angelotti, a political prisoner, escapes
  from Castel SantAngelo (the prison of the
  Pontifical state, just reinstated) and takes
  refuge in SantAndrea della Valle, where his
  sister Attavanti has left him womens clothes in
  the family chapel
• The Sacristan announces (erroneously) Napoleons
  defeat. He and the altar boys rejoice
• Mario Cavaradossi, who is painting a Mary
  Magdalen, and Angelotti have a conversation and
  Angelotti escapes to Cavaradossis villa. They
  were friends and are happy
• Cavaradossi receives a visit from his lover, the
  singer Floria Tosca, who becomes jealous of the
  model and because she heard voices. She is calmed
  by Cavaradossi and leaves

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• A cannon announces Angelottis escape and the
  chief of the police, Scarpia, arrives to look for
  him. He finds a fan with Attavantis arms and
  uses it to make arise jealous suspicion in Tosca.
• Tosca departs to go look for Cavaradossi in his
  villa, thinking hell be there with the
  Marchioness Attavanti and Scarpias man Spoletta
  spolashuttle or bobbin follows her.
• The church fills with people and the Te Deum
  (standard celebration for military victory)
  begins, in celebration of the alleged victory
  over Napoleon
• Meanwhile Scarpia is savoring catching the two
  conspirators (Angelotti and Cavaradossi) and
  conquering Toscas favors.

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Plot Act II

• (Palazzo Farnese)
• Scarpia is having dinner, while waiting for news,
  but his man announced not having found Angelotti,
  but having arrested Cavaradossi.
• Meanwhile outside Tosca is heard singing
• When she comes the men start interrogating and
  then torturing Cavaradossi, so that Tosca can
  hear the screams
• Scarpia tells her it is in her power to stop the
  torture by revealing Angelottis hiding place.
• She cant bear the screams and reveals that
  Angelotti is hidden in the villas well.

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• Cavaradossi, who hadnt talked, is upset with
  Tosca.
• Napoleons victory at Marengo is announced, to
  Cavaradossis delight
• When he is taken away Scarpia blackmails Tosca
  offering Cavaradossis freedom in exchange for
  her favors
• She refuses but when she hears Angelotti has
  killed himself gives in
• Scarpia promises the execution will be a mock one
  and gives them a safe-conduct
• When he approaches her she stabs and kills him.

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Plot Act III

• (Castel SantAngelo)
• Cavaradossi, while awaiting execution, writes a
  note to Tosca
• She comes and explains the plan to him, coaching
  him on how to feign death. She tells him of
  Scarpias death
• The death squad comes and shoots Cavaradossi with
  real bullets
• Scarpias men run in to catch Tosca
• She realizes Cavaradossi is dead and jumps off
  the top ramparts of the castle to her death.

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Some musical elements
Scarpia chords, loud, on a pentatonic scale B
A E
The Sacristans buffo motive
Tosca and Cavaradossis love motive (from 1st act
duet), mutual passion