Review: Puccini's Tosca lets lead voices shine in Calgary Opera's latest show

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Puccini’s melodramatic opera, the middle opera of his “big three,” has returned to the Jubilee Auditorium to open the new season. Overall, this is a middle-of-the-road production. Nothing wild is attempted in the staging, and it features two exceptionally fine singers in the leads, both making their debuts with the company. The orchestra contributes an outstanding accompaniment led by the always-reliable Jonathan Brandani, the company’s artistic director.

Anyone who likes good operatic drama and Puccini’s music — and what’s not to like? — will enjoy this production, one with detailed stage direction and enlivened with a practical, attractive set from Des Moines Opera and with expert lighting by Jason Hand.

Tosca is known for its three famous arias, but those who know it well also relish the duets between the two protagonists, Tosca and Cavaradossi, singer and painter, whose tragic tale the opera recounts. All these things come across remarkably well when the singers can sing, and the orchestra can play. This is certainly the case here. The opera’s big numbers are the major attraction in this production, and there are many of them.

The opera also contains its moment of grand opera as well in the Te Deum that concludes Act 1, a moment for full chorus with Baron Scarpia, the opera’s villain, singing in full-throated splendour. Again, nothing but praise here for the visceral excitement of the scene, the Calgary Opera Chorus relishing a moment to stand and deliver — and deliver they certainly do.

These excellences aside, the rest of the production rises to the level of fully competent but perhaps not much more. The stage direction by Joshua Borths follows what Puccini intended but, in this respect, the production is very much like the three previous Toscas seen in Calgary. Aside from the two lead singers, the secondary cast is rated good.

Boaz Daniel as Scarpia has one of the most important roles in the opera, especially in the second act, the most celebrated part of the opera. This is a very hard part to sing, since the opening soliloquy is not exactly an aria, yet it requires the vocal nuance and subtlety of a top-drawer singer. Daneil was up to the part, but he did not erase the memory of Alan Monk in an earlier performance, either in action or, especially, in vocal terms. The horror that is Scarpia needs the strongest performance possible to vividly convey the drama of the situation and still avoid gratuitous histrionics. No histrionics in this production, but essentially satisfying, nonetheless.

The strongest of the performers was Maria Natale as Tosca. Her voice is a perfect Puccini voice, particularly so for this role. Her voice is ample, with a fine top register, and a strong lower register as well, much needed in the second act. Her sound conveys the inner quality of a woman on the edge, caught in impossible circumstances — the complete Italian diva. She was completely convincing as the jealous, suspicious woman, but with the vulnerability needed to make the character complete. Her “Vissi d’arte” was the showstopper of the evening. In all, this was a very fine debut with the company, a singer to be welcomed in other roles as well.

She was well matched with David Esteban as Cavaradossi, Tosca’s lover. His two arias are among the most familiar in opera, and he made the most of them, his ringing top register serving him well when he needed it most. Did he over-sing a trifle? Perhaps, but, after all, he does portray a painter more than a little full of himself. He was also a good vocal companion to Tosca in the duets in the first and third acts — musically the most sophisticated passages in the opera. The two singers are, perhaps, the most compelling reason to see this production.

Gabriel Sanchez-Ortega from the McPhee Artist Development was a particularly good Angelotti, singing with a strong, full voice of good resonance and quite natural on stage. Matthew Bermudez as Spoletta, Scarpia’s henchman, was a trifle muted compared to some Spolettas I have seen, less slimy and more morally equivocal in the performance of his role, perhaps a director’s suggestion. Vocally, Dion Mazerolle sang well as the sacristan, but was not quite as funny as some, again possibly a director’s choice. I only heard one of the little shepherds, Georgia Noel-Mackay, who was clear-toned and perfectly accurate in her not-so-easy opening to the third act.

The audience, a trifle sparse on opening night, very much enjoyed the production and gave it a warm welcome. Tosca is fifth in popularity for the shows presented by Calgary Opera. This production has much to recommend it, and is worthy of a visit.

The company is trying to present new singers to Calgary, and Brandani, the company’s artistic director, knows his stuff and can be trusted, even if the names of the singers may not be familiar. This Tosca is evidence of this. Two more performances will be presented, on Sunday afternoon and next Saturday evening. The production is fully worthy of a trip to the opera.