Giacomo Puccini, opera Tosca: summary

Italian composers are known all over the world. One of them is Giacomo Puccini (photo below). This is the author of the opera called Tosca. We will talk about this work today.

Opera "Tosca", a summary of whichpresented in this article, opens with three crushing chords. They are always used further to characterize Scarpia. This character is an ominous police chief, a ruthless, though exquisitely outwardly, person. It represents the reactionary forces of Italy. In this country in 1800, Napoleon was considered an apostle of freedom, which was reflected in such a work as the opera Tosca. The summary continues with the opening of the curtain, which marks the beginning of the first action.

The beginning of the first action

The curtain rises immediately after the introductorychords. The viewer is the internal view of the church of Sant'Andrea della Ballet in Rome. In one of her side doors comes a man in ragged clothes, trembling with fear. This is Angelotti, a political prisoner who escaped from prison. He is hiding in the church. His sister, the Marquis of Attavanti, hid the key of the family chapel under the statue of the Madonna, in which her brother hides. Angelotti is now feverishly looking for him. Puccini's opera Tosca continues with the fact that this hero, finding him, hastily unlocks the chapel door and hides in it. He manages to do this before the sacristan enters with food and things for the artist who works here.

Riznichesky comes to Cavaradossi

Sacristy is busy with his thoughts. He talks about something with himself, going to the artist's place of work. Riznichesky is unhappy that the features of one of the parishioners appear in the image of a saint. Perhaps the devil himself controls the hand of this impudent painter. Here comes the artist himself, Mario Cavaradossi. He begins to work on the image of Mary Magdalene. On the easel is a picture, half finished. Kavaradossi sings the aria "My face changes forever". In it, he compares with the traits of his beloved, Floria Tosca (the famous singer), outline of her portrait.

The artist discovers a fugitive

Sacristy leaves. The artist discovers Angelotti, who believes that the church is empty and decides to get out of hiding. His fear at the sight of the artist immediately gives way to joy - they are old friends with Mario. The artist now will not leave a runaway prisoner in trouble. However, their conversation is interrupted by a knock at the door.

Appearance in the Church of Floria Tosca

Do you want to know what the "Tosca" opera is going on? A brief summary introduces the reader to further developments. Floria Tosca asks to open the door to the church. Cavaradossi, barely hearing the voice of a woman, pushes her friend back to the chapel, so that he hides there. Floria enters. This is an amazingly beautiful woman, dressed gorgeously. She, like most other beauties, easily lends itself to jealousy. Now this feeling arouses in her a portrait written by Cavaradossi. She recognizes the blond beauty. The artist has some trouble to calm down his lover. Floria can not long angry with Mario, and they agree after a meeting to meet at the villa of the artist after the evening performance of Floria in the palace of Farnese. Angelotti after her departure again comes out of her hiding place. He takes away Kavaradossi, in order to hide at home.

Chief of Police is looking for a fugitive

The plot of the opera Tosca is rapidly developing. News comes that Napoleon was defeated in the north of Italy. Priests in the church are preparing for worship in this regard. Scarpia is in the midst of his preparation. Chief of Police is looking for a runaway Angelotti. Together with Spoletta, his detective, he finds a lot of evidence that it is here that the fugitive is hiding. Among the evidence, these actors find, for example, a fan with the coat of arms of Attavanti. Scarpia uses it cunningly in order to arouse the jealousy of Floria, to which passion is aflame.

Worship

Worship begins. A large procession enters the church. While it sounds in honor of the victory over Bonaparte Te Deum, Scarpia stands on the side. Chief of Police hopes that he can get rid of a competitor, and uses for this the jealousy of Floria. If his plan succeeds, Cavaradossi will be on the scaffold, and he will receive Tosca. Before the curtain falls, Scarpia kneels in prayer before the cardinal, but his thoughts are devoured by the devil's plan.

Start of the second action

In the palace of Farnese in the evening of the same dayvictory over Bonaparte. The sound of music is heard through the open windows of the police station, located right there, in the palace. Scarpia in her office is thinking about the events of this day. He sends with Scriarrone, his gendarme, a note Tosca, and also receives a message from the detective Spoletta. He searched the house of Cavaradossi, but Angelotti was not there, but saw Tosca. Spallett was arrested by Cavaradossi, who was in the palace.

Interrogation of Cavaradossi and Tosca

While the voice of Floria performing a soloparty, her lover is interrogated in the office of Scarpia, but to no avail. When Floria appears, Kavaradossi has time to whisper to her that the police chief does not know anything, and that she should not talk about what she saw in his house. Scarpia orders to take the artist to the torture chamber. The gendarmes execute this order, and together with them, the executioner Roberti.

After that, Scarpia is asked to interrogate Tosca. The woman keeps her composure, but only until she hears Kavaradossi's groans coming from the camera. Unable to bear this, she gives out the place where Angelotti is. It's a well in the garden. The exhausted torturer Cavaradossi is taken to Scarpia's office. The artist immediately realizes that his beloved betrayed his friend. Immediately after this news comes that Bonaparte won a victory in Marengo. Cavaradossi can not contain joy. He sings a song that praises freedom. Scarpia orders him to be taken to prison and executed the next morning.

The Murder of Scarpia

Then the chief of police again begins insidiousconversation with Floria. During this dialogue is included in such a work as the opera Tosca, Tosca's aria. Floria sings "Only sang, only loved." This passionate appeal to music and love - the two forces to which Tosca devoted all her life. A woman decides to sacrifice herself for the sake of saving her beloved.

Scarpia now explains that, since he alreadyordered to execute Kavaradossi, it is necessary to make at least false preparations for execution. He calls Spolett and gives him the necessary instructions, and also issues passes for Kavaradossi and Tosca to leave Rome. However, at the moment when Scarpia turns to her, intending to imprison a woman in her arms, Tosca is stabbing the dagger in the police chief. The orchestra at this time plays three chords of Scarpia, but now it's very quiet.

Floria washes her hands, and then takes the passes from Scarpia's hand, puts on both sides of the head of the man killed by the candle and puts a crucifix on his chest. The curtain falls when Floria disappears from the study.

The beginning of the third action

Quietly begins the finalact. An early morning song performed by a shepherd boy sounds behind the stage. The third action is the roof of the Roman castle of Sant'Angelo. It is here that Cavaradossi should be brought for execution. He is given a short time to prepare himself for death. This time he uses to write to Tosca the last letter. This is a very moving scene, which appears to the audience in the third act (opera Tosca). The aria of Tosca, which Kavaradossi sings at this moment, is called "The stars were burning in the sky".

Passionate duo of sweethearts

Then Floria appears. She shows the lover the saving passes and tells how she managed to kill the chief of police. Passionate love duet anticipates a happy future. Tosca then says that Kavaradossi should go through a farce of false punishment, and then they will run away together.

The tragic ending

Entered by Spoleto's calculation. Before him stands Mario. Sounds like a shot, the artist falls. The soldiers are leaving. Floria falls on the body of the murdered lover. She realizes only now that Scarpia has deceived her. The ammunition turned out to be real, and Cavaradossi was killed. Sobbing over his corpse, the young woman does not notice the footsteps of the returning soldiers. They found Scarpia's body. Spoletta tries to grab Floria, but the woman pushes him, climbs the parapet and rushes down from the roof of the castle. Soldiers, frozen in horror, stand motionless, while the motif of Kavaradossi's death aria sounds.

So the opera "Tosca" ends. The summary outlined by us, of course, does not even convey the full splendor of this work. Of course, if possible, you should watch it in the theater. Italian composers are considered one of the best in the world. Opera, created by Giacomo Puccini, once again proves this.