Giacomo Puccini – Tosca

Giacomo Puccini – Tosca
mp3, 320 kbps, cd ripping, 118:06 minutes
Covers, info & synopsis included.

About the opera:
Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Victorien Sardou’s drama, La Tosca. The work premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on January 14, 1900. The original play by Victorien Sardou was produced in Paris in 1887; the composer first saw it that same year in Milan, with Sarah Bernhardt in the title role. Puccini immediately asked his editor Giulio Ricordi to acquire the rights for him to adapt the work, but these were finally bought in 1893 only to be assigned to the composer Alberto Franchetti, much to Puccini’s disappointment. Illica wrote his libretto, and in October of the following year, Franchetti, Ricordi, Illica and Giuseppe Verdi met with Sardou to present it to him. Verdi was particularly fascinated by this tragedy, but he had refused to compose music for it unless Sardou would devise another ending. After a few months Franchetti finally admitted he was not able to compose music for the work; Ricordi then asked Puccini to provide the score. The composer remained offended at being passed over, and only Verdi’s intercession convinced him to accept the belated commission. He began working on it in 1896, after the completion of La Bohème; Ricordi set Giuseppe Giacosa to work with Luigi Illica for a new libretto, but Giacosa did not perform up to his own standards, and had several personal disputes with Sardou. Puccini too had disputes with Illica, Giacosa and Ricordi together. They had proposed a triumphal “Latin hymn” for Act III, but Puccini finally convinced them to reduce it to only the eighteen measures of Trionfal… di nuova speme. In October 1899, after three years of difficult collaboration, the opera was ready for production. Since it is a story about Rome, it was decided that the prima (premiere) would be given in the Eternal City, at the Teatro Costanzi. Considerable curiosity surrounded the premiere of Tosca, owing to its long and troubled gestation. Soprano Hariclea Darclee portrayed Tosca, tenor Emilio De Marchi was Cavaradossi, baritone Eugenio Giraldoni played Scarpia. Leopoldo Mugnone served as Director. Queen Margherita, Prime Minister Luigi Pelloux, and many composers, including Pietro Mascagni, Francesco Cilea, Alberto Franchetti and Giovanni Sgambati, were among the audience. Tosca’s success was complete, notwithstanding the marked difference in atmosphere between Puccini’s latest opera and its immediate predecessor.

Track List:
cd1:
01. 1. Akt – Angelotti – Ah – Finalmente (2:08)
02. E sempre lava. Angelus Domini nuntiavit (3:21)
03. Dammi i colori (0:40)
04. Recondita armonia (3:37)
05. Gente la dentro (1:10)
06. Mario, Mario – Son qui – Non la sospiri (8:10)
07. Ah, quegli occhi – Qual occhio al mondo (1:47)
08. Mia gelosa (4:02)
09. E buona la mia Tosca – Siam soli (3:29)
10. Sommo giubilo, Eccellenza (1:36)
11. Un tal baccano in chiesa (3:54)
12. Or tutto e chiaro (3:15)
13. Ed io venivo a lui tutta dogliosa (4:17)
14. Scarpia, Coro – Tre sbirri Una carrozza Presto – Te deum (4:39)
15. 2. Akt – Scarpia – Tosca e un buon falco (3:23)
16. Ha piu forte sapore (2:24)
17. Meno male – Egli e la (2:35)
18. Ov’e Angelotti? – Mario, tu qui (2:52)
19. Ed or fra noi parliam da buoni amici (1:17)
20. Sciarrone: che dice il Cavalier (2:50)
21. Orsu, Tosca, parlate (4:07)

cd2:
01. Floria!… – Amore… (1:10)
02. Nel pozzo del giardino. Va, Spoletta! – Eccellenza, quali nuove! – Vittoria! (4:11)
03. Se la giurata fede (3:54)
04. Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore (3:32)
05. Vedi, le man giunte (3:43)
06. E qual via sceglete? (1:34)
07. Tosca, finalmente mia! (4:46)
08. Io de’ sospiri (7:11)
09. Mario Cavaradossi? – A voi (1:45)
10. Intoduzione a: (0:58)
11. E lucevan le stelle (3:16)
12. Franchigia a Floria Tosca (2:43)
13. O dolce mani (1:48)
14. Senti…l’ora e vicina (2:02)
15. Amaro sol per te m’era morire (2:39)
16. E non giungono . Trionfal di nova speme (2:38)
17. L’ora! – Son pronto (0:37)
18. Come e lunga l’attesa! (2:34)
19. Presto, su! Mario! (1:32)

The Artists:

Part1Part2Part3

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