I’m not sure I am going to be able to put down this experience into words, such was its effect on me. It’s no secret to anyone who reads my blog how much I love Puccini and Tosca in particular – so that when I learnt that the ultimate living “dream cast” were coming to the Royal Opera House this July, my heart skipped a beat.

And then it subsequently buried itself into a pit of despair as I was ticket-less. But thanks to two incredibly kind gentlemen (and, I’m ashamed to say, a little bit thanks to Twitter) I had got my hands on a golden ticket and was so excited on the 17th July that I (completely accidentally) didn’t eat for the whole day! And did it live up to expectations….? What a question! It was without doubt

THE BEST PERFORMANCE I HAVE EVER SEEN LIVE!

Little Me at the performance of 'Tosca' - Royal Opera House - 17 July 2011

I’m not going to bore you with more details of the Royal Opera House production. Having seen it already twice – the last time only a month before (see this) – I was in no two minds on what to expect. But as soon as Pappano blasted out the first iconic chords of the score, I was hooked. And wasn’t able to breathe until each interval.

Jonas Kaufmann as Cavaradossi in 'Tosca' at the Royal Opera House - July 2011 © Catherine Ashmore

Readers of my blog will also be aware that I may have a slight opera-crush on Jonas Kaufmann – and for those of them that still can’t understand it, I am going to make them watch the DVD of this performance when it comes out at the end of the year. I always feel a bit sorry for the tenor playing Cavaradossi as within six minutes of the opening chords, he has to start one of the most beautiful arias in the operatic repertoire, “Recondita Armonia”. Kaufmann, though, sang it with such tenderness that the closing words “Tosca, sei tu” were incredibly passionate and warm and just trailed off into the ether. Pappano struck up again with the next line, but the audience battered him down with endless cheers and “Bravo”s – so much so that the orchestra was forced to break and then restart. And how well deserved that applause was – the best I’ve ever heard live (and I’ve seen a LOT of Tosca‘s!)

Angela Gheorghiu as Tosca at the Royal Opera House - July 2011 © Catherine Ashmore

And Kaufmann’s leading lady, the brilliant Angela Gheorghiu, as passionate Tosca herself, was equally magnificent. Her “Vissi d’arte” in Act 2 suitably brought the house down with tumultuous applause as she grasped the true depths of Tosca’s anguish. Her Tosca is a true diva, right down to her final moments atop the battlements of the Castel Sant’Angelo and it works very well. I think seeing her in the role is probably second only to having seen Maria Callas – and that’s just wishful thinking!

Bryn Terfel as Baron Scarpia in 'Tosca' at the Royal Opera House - July 2011 © Catherine Ashmore

Bryn Terfel as the loathsome Baron Scarpia was fantastic. His voice was a lot gruffer that when I saw him in the same role a few years ago (perhaps from having sung too much Wotan this year!) but in my opinion, this just added to the role. This time, his Scarpia was a lot more forceful and before his demise in Act 2, the scene between him and Tosca was nothing short of attempted rape. Terfel was also throwing his weight around, literally, as he managed to (completely accidentally) smash one of the candlesticks on stage! His anti-chemistry with Gheorghiu was fantastic and it’s one of the only times I’ve actually felt Tosca’s fear of her manipulator… a fantastic performance!

Angela Gheorghiu (Tosca) and Jonas Kaufmann (Cavaradossi) in 'Tosca' at the Royal Opera House - July 2011 © Catherine Ashmore

I have to reiterate, also, that for me the beauty of this production lay, not only in the incredible singing by each of the principals, but by the chemistry created on stage. Kaufmann and Gheorghiu appeared without a care in the world on stage and while juggling incredibly challenging vocal lines, they created a palpable bond between them – the casual touches and intimate gazes only added to the effect! This made the end all the more powerful.

I was having a discussion in the interval with three of my new-found opera buddies and we were discussing whether we think Cavaradossi knows at the end if he is going to die or not. Some singers portray it as though he totally believes Tosca’s news that Scarpia has released him but I’ve seen productions also where Cavaradossi definitely knows that Scarpia is likely to have double-crossed him and just plays along for Tosca’s sake. Kaufmann did a wonderful mixture of these two. He managed to grasp a bit of Tosca’s hope at the end but still keeping the doubt that Scarpia would never have released him. When Tosca was coaxing him to die realistically “come la Tosca in teatro”, Kaufmann shot the audience a glance as if to say “We both know what’s coming”… and it was heartbreaking. Such a passionate performance!

I am still reeling from the effect of this performance. I doubt that I am going to see anything of comparable quality in the next few months… but that may be solely to do with my attachment to Tosca. I am so grateful for having had the chance to see this live and this will definitely go down in history as one of the defining moments of my operatic adventure. I’m pre-ordering the DVD the second it is advertised so that I can relive the experience again and again and again (and remember that I was there!)

Still quite breathless from such an emotional rollercoaster!

*me*

P.S. Here’s a curtain call video from the performance I went to: