Opera Guide and Synopsis: Tosca, by Giacomo Puccini

The story of Giacomo Puccini's Tosca is based on the play by Victorien Sardou. The libretto was written by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica, who also adapted the libretti for Puccini's operas Madama Butterfly and La Bohéme. Tosca premiered on January 24, 1900 at the Costanzi Theatre in Rome.

Characters in Tosca

• Floria Tosca, a singer (Soprano)
• Mario Cavaradossi, a painter (Tenor)
• Baron Scarpia, chief of police (Baritone)
• Cesare Angelotti, an escaped prisoner (Bass)
• Sacristan (Baritone)
• Spoletta, police agent (Tenor)
• Sciarone, a gendarme (Bass)
• Jailor (Bass)
• Shepherd boy (Contralto)

Synopsis of Tosca

The story takes place in Rome in June of 1800.

Act I - Church of Sant' Andrea alla Valle

Angelotti enters, seeking asylum. He finds a key to the Attavanti Chapel, which his sister has hidden at the feet of a statue of the Madonna. The Sacristan enters to clean paintbrushes. Cavaradossi enters; when the Sacristan sees his painting of the Madonna, he declares it a sacrilege, as Cavaradossi's model is a woman who has visited the church, the Marchioness Attavanti. Cavaradossi admits that he has incorporated features of his love, Floria Tosca, into the painting.

Believing himself alone, Angelotti attempts to enter the Attavanti Chapel, but Cavaradossi hears the key turn. They recognize each other, and Cavaradossi offers to help him. However, Tosca enters; having heard her lover whispering, she is jealous. She refuses to kiss him, but, after praying to the Madonna, tells him that she will be singing tonight and that he should meet her afterwards. They sing a love duet ("Non, la sospiri la nostra casetta,"). When she recognizes the woman in Cavaradossi's painting she becomes enraged, but he soothes her.

After Tosca leaves, Cavaradossi offers Angelotti a hiding place and guides him out of the church through a secret passage. The Sacristan enters, announcing to the church musicians that there will be a performance of the Te Deum that night with Tosca as a soloist.

Scarpia enters. After searching the church, he determines that Cavaradossi has helped Angelotti escape. Tosca enters, intending to tell Cavaradossi that she cannot meet him because she must sing the Te Deum, but encounters Scarpia instead. He compliments her on her piety, pointing out that other women only come to church to meet their lovers. He shows her Attavanti's fan, which he found on Cavaradossi's easel, and she becomes very jealous. Scarpia vows that he would renounce heaven to be with her, then kneels in prayer.

Act II - Scarpia's Apartment

On the floor below, and orchestra plays a celebration for the victory over Napoleon. Scarpia gives Sciarrone a letter for Tosca. Spoletta arrives, having captured Cavaradossi, who is brought in with the judge and the executioner. As Tosca performs the cantata offstage, Scarpia questions Cavaradossi, who denies knowing anything about Angelotti.

Tosca enters. Cavaradossi tells her not to say anything about Angelotti, but when she hears him being tortured in the next room, she gives up Angelotti's hiding place. Cavaradossi denounces her and is dragged away to prison. Scarpia tells Tosca that he will spare Cavaradossi's life if she will love him; she cries that God has forsaken her ("Vissi d'arte e d'amore").

Spoletta enters, saying that Angelotti poisoned himself when he was discovered. Tosca agrees to Scarpia's terms, and he orders Spoletta to stage a mock execution - but Spoletta understands his true meaning. Scarpia writes a letter to give Tosca and Cavaradossi save passage; afterwards, she stabs him to death.

Act III - Platform of the Castle Sant' Angelo

Cavaradossi is given an hour before his execution. He writes a letter to Tosca ("E lucevan le stelle"). Tosca enters with the letter, explaining that the execution will be faked. They say farewell, and Cavaradossi is shot. She compliments his acting ability before she realizes that Scarpia has betrayed her and ordered a real execution. Spoletta enters to arrest her, having discovered Scarpia's murder, but she leaps to her death from the castle parapet.

Sources:

• Kobbé, Gustav. The Complete Opera Book. New York and London: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1919.
• Melitz, Leo, trans. Richard Salinger. The Opera Goer's Complete Guide. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1921.
• Newman, Ernest. Stories of the Great Operas and Their Composers. Garden City: Garden City Publishing Co., Inc., 1930.