Giacomo Puccini
composed "Tosca" for maximum emotional impact, and
his story of a fatally doomed love affair has been one of the
staples of the opera repertory for more than 100 years – and
for many reasons.
For one, its title heroine is quite memorably tragic in how she
ultimately deals with the evil lawman Scarpia’s betrayal of herself
and her lover, the painter Cavaradossi. More importantly, perhaps,
the unforgettable tale is couched in so many of Puccini’s most
heartrending melodies, instantly recognizable even to those who
avoid opera. Any professional performance of "Tosca"
is sure to inspire goose bumps and even tears.
When the Teatro Lirico d’Europa – the largest touring opera company
from Europe – arrives to perform it at the Brooklyn Center for
the Performing Arts on Sunday there will no doubt be many "Tosca"
regulars onstage and in the orchestra, as well as in the audience.
(Several of the company’s members have sung or played at such
world-class institutions as La Scala in Milan and our own Metropolitan
Opera House.)
The result is sure to be a "Tosca" to remember.
Teatro Lirico d’Europa performs Puccini’s "Tosca" in
the Walt Whitman Theater on the Brooklyn College campus (enter
at Campus Road at Hillel Place) on March 28 at 2 pm. Tickets
are $35. For further information, log on to www.brooklyncenter.com.
