Emotional chords plunge audience into depths of torn love

Tuesday, November 12, 1996

OPERA:

Giacomo Puccini’s ‘Tosca’ undergoes resurrection by stirring
voices of L.A. OperaBy John Mangum

Daily Bruin Contributor

The minute Puccini’s "Tosca" begins, everyone listening knows
that it’s not going to be a comedy.

The opera’s famous opening chords represent hypocrisy and evil,
which the story’s bad guy, Baron Scarpia, personifies. They also
kick off a blood bath rarely matched in music drama. In the words
of Woody Allen, summing up what most of opera is about, "The
trombones play in minor key to suggest that soon the refreshments
will run out and everybody will be dead."

In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, "Tosca" is Giacomo
Puccini’s most compelling opera, much more entertaining than that
soporific "Butterfly" thing. Not exactly tragic ­ it lacks the
sense of poise that underlies true tragedy ­ "Tosca" is the
kind of blood-and-thunder drama that can be a great experience in
the opera house, something not lost on L.A. Opera.

The company revived their production, which debuted in 1989,
Saturday afternoon at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for a
seven-performance run. Soprano Carol Vaness assumed the title role,
singing opposite tenor Richard Leech as the painter Cavaradossi and
baritone Justìno Dìaz as the villainous Roman Chief of
Police, Baron Scarpia.

In the opera, Tosca and Cavaradossi love each other (their duet
in Act One is almost sickeningly domestic), and Scarpia lusts after
Tosca. The action negotiates this love triangle and depends on the
climate of political turmoil in early 19th century Rome (Ian
Judge’s production "updates" the action to circa 1900).

Cavaradossi helps Angelotti, a member of the opposition who
escaped from the Castel Sant’Angelo, by hiding him from Scarpia and
his spies. Scarpia discovers the deception, arrests Cavaradossi and
dispatches his men to find Angelotti. The Baron questions Tosca,
who happens to be singing in his headquarters, while some other men
torture Cavaradossi.

In order to save her lover’s life, Tosca divulges Angelotti’s
hiding place and, after securing a guarantee from Scarpia that
Cavaradossi’s execution will be fake, grabs a knife from the table
and stabs him rather than give in to his lust. Angelotti kills
himself rather than be taken, the mock execution isn’t as fake as
Tosca would have liked, and she hurls herself from the walls of
Castel Sant’Angelo, plunging to death on the rocks below.

Very dramatic stuff, and a sure success with good singers and an
accomplished production to bring it to life. L.A. Opera certainly
fielded both on Saturday.

Carol Vaness brought her gorgeous voice and plenty of diva-esque
glamour to the role of Floria Tosca. Everything about her physical
acting was very natural, with no exaggerated or vulgar gestures
undermining her portrayal.

The same was true of her voice. Perhaps a little too small for a
Tosca in the cavernous Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, it compensated
for any shortcomings in volume with thoughtfulness and poise,
virtues especially evident in Act Two’s famous "Vissi d’arte."

Richard Leech had the volume department, and much else, more
than covered. His ardent, passionate portrayal of Cavaradossi
derived much of its power from his essentially lyric instrument,
which he deployed skillfully for dramatic purposes when the music
called for it. His rendition of the painter’s tearful
"I’m-about-to-die" aria in Act Three, "E lucevan le stelle," got at
the music’s melodrama in a way more suave, less sob-ridden accounts
rarely do.

As Scarpia, Justìno Dìaz did not quite plumb the
sordid depths of his character as he might have. While his
assumption of the role had some nice touches, he wasn’t evil
through and through the way Scarpia should be.

The Baron is the ultimate hypocrite, outwardly feigning piety
while inwardly lecherous, malevolent and depraved. Dìaz wasn’t
really any of those things. He just seemed like a nice guy trying
to be mean, but at least he could sing.

The other roles were taken by an accomplished team of L.A. Opera
regulars, especially Louis Lebherz as Angelotti. He lent his ample
bass to the role, placing his brief scenes with Leech in Act One
among the afternoon’s high points.

In the pit, conductor Andrew Litton ­ music director of the
Dallas Symphony Orchestra, no less ­ brought Italianate
warmth, faultless pacing (especially in the grand closing moments
of Act One) and a real grasp of the drama to his rendition of
Puccini’s score. The L.A. Opera Orchestra played no small part in
the musical success, and the L.A. Opera Chorus and L.A. Children’s
Chorus made the most of their brief contributions.

Incidentally, Leech was born in Hollywood and Vaness studied
voice at Cal State Northridge. Almost everybody else associated
with this revival, including several L.A. Opera resident artists
and director Christopher Harlan, are based in Los Angeles. We may
not have a pro football team, but if opera were a professional
sport, with players like this, we’d be doing fine.

OPERA: Giacomo Puccini’s "Tosca" at the Dorothy Chandler
Pavilion Nov. 12, 15, 17, 20, 23, 26 at 7:30 p.m. TIX: $23-130, $15
student and senior rush one hour before curtain. (213)
365-3500.

L.A. Music Center Opera

Carol Vaness and Richard Leech star in L.A. Opera’s production
of Puccini’s "Tosca."