They made a beautiful couple with a lot of chemistry and commanded the stage when they were on it. He has a powerful voice that can raise the rafters but can also be tender and quiet. (He was reprising a role he’d sung in both 20 in San Francisco). Her tenor and lover, the American Brian Jagde, was an excellent match for her vocally and physically. Having just returned from seeing Lady Gaga in ‘A Star is Born’ at the movies I can see what he means! She has been affectionately called the “Lady Gaga of opera” by Placido Domingo for her bold and evolving artistry and style. Giannattasio has a large following around the world, for her singing, her acting, and her fashion glamour. She was a credible diva with a sparkling voice to match she played Tosca as a young and somewhat flighty star, alternating between ardor and jealousy as is befitting the character.
On to the singers: Floria Tosca was sung by Italian soprano Carmen Giannattasio, making her much heralded San Francisco Opera debut and her role debut. Some of the lighting effects were excellent (Act III’s dawn breaking behind the Castel Sant’Angelo for example) but In Act II, the changes in light seemed a little off, as it was meant to be evening but the light was streaming through the windows of Scarpia’s apartment in the Palazzo Farnese. I especially liked the look of the first act with its bright crimson walls and Tosca clothed in shades of red and pink that complemented the background beautifully (the set was modeled after the Duomo di San Giorgio in Ragusa, Sicily, not after the church where it said to be set). This Tosca still has the traditional classic look, though the sets are brighter and more filled with light than past efforts. The popularity of the opera is understandable and it resonates as well in 2018 as it did when it was written-liberty, politics, corruption, the power of men over women and the ultimate tragedy of so many situations. And this year marks the 39th time the company has mounted this classic, with another new production, this one directed by Shawna Lucey with sets and costumes by Robert Innes Hopkins and lighting by Michael James Clark.
The company’s original Tosca was re-created in 1997 for the reopening of the Opera House after it was closed for two years for retro-fitting. For the Company’s fiftieth anniversary in 1972, Jean-Pierre Ponnelle staged a new production. Way back in 1932, the brand new beaux-arts War Memorial Opera House opened in San Francisco with a production of Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca”.
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