Composer: Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini
Performer: Melody Moore, Stefan Pop, Lester Lynch
Orchestra: Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Conductor: Carlo Montanaro
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Pentatone
Catalogue: PTC5187055
Release: 2023
Size: 3.82 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Puccini: Tosca, SC 69
CD 01
Act I
01. Ah! Finalmente!
02. E sempre lava!
03. Dammi I colori!
04. Recondita armonia
05. Gente là dentro!
06. Mario! Mario! Mario!
07. Ah, quegli occhi!
08. Mia gelosa! Sì, lo sento
09. È buona la mia Tosca
10. Sommo giubilo, Eccelenza!
11. Un tal baccano in chiesa!
12. Or tutto è chiaro
13. Ed io venivo a lui tutta dogliosa
14. Te Deum – Tre sbirri… Una carozza…
Act II
15. Tosca è un buon falco!
16. Ha più forte sapore la conquista violenta
17. Meno male!
18. Dov’è Angelotti?
19. Ed or fra noi parliam da buoni amici
20. Sciarrone, che dice il Cavalier?
21. Orsù, Tosca, parlate
22. Nel pozzo nel giardino…
CD 02
Act II
01. Floria! Amore…
02. Nel pozzo del giardino. Va, Spoletta!
03. Se la giurata fede debbo tradir
04. Vissi d’arte
05. Vedi… le man giunte io stendo a te
06. E qual via scegliete?
07. Tosca, finalmente mia!
Act III
08. Introduction Io de’ sospiri
09. Mario Cavaradossi? A voi.
10. Intermezzo
11. E lucevan le stelle…
12. Ah! Franchigia a Floria Tosca…
13. O dolci mani
14. Senti, l’ora è vicina
15. Amaro sol per te
16. E non giungono…
17. L’ora! Son pronto!
18. Come è lunga l’attesa!
19. Presto, su! Mario! Mario!
The potential buyer or listener to Puccini’s Tosca, one of the most performed operas in the repertory since its premiere in 1900, has many recordings to choose from, including those by the greats of the 20th century. Yet this 2023 studio release, a product of a promising collaboration between the San Francisco Classical Recording Company, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, and Deutschlandfunk Kulture, can hold its own with others on the market. Part of the draw is the presence of two singers who are not quite household names but are hitting their creative peaks, soprano Melody Moore as Floria Tosca and baritone Lester Lynch as the villainous Scarpia, with tenor Stefan Pop as the sensitive artist Cavaradossi not far behind. The famous tunes all sound great, with Moore’s “Vissi d’arte” in Act II a standout. She is a Puccini specialist who has total confidence in the role and the ability to put it across dramatically. Perhaps the most important creative force here is the conductor, Carlo Montanaro, leading the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. He is an Italian opera veteran who has not recorded much, but this release makes one want to hear him on recordings more often; he keeps the action moving, catching the economical, action-packed quality that has made this opera perennially popular despite its highbrow detractors. However, he knows when to slow down and let the singers bloom. The PentaTone label’s sound is another draw; it is rare enough to hear a full-scale studio opera recording these days, and the singers are both clear and close-up, never overwhelming. A fine choice for operatic listening during the winter of 2023-2024 or at any other time.
The Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and conductor Carlo Montanaro present a powerful interpretation of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca, together with a cast of soloists including Melody Moore (Tosca), Stefan Pop (Cavaradossi) and Lester Lynch (Scarpia). Tosca has been an audience favourite from the onset. Premiered in 1900, it marks the beginning of twentieth-century opera, in which sex, violence and the uncanny abysses of the human psyche would be explored, inspiring composers to expand the musical means of expression in all thinkable ways. Until today, Tosca has lost little of its expressive power, and Puccini’s intricate score deserves to be taken seriously. Its symphonic qualities are fully brought out by the inspired playing of the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, led by the seasoned Carlo Montanaro. Melody Moore, Stefan Pop and Lester Lynch bring this passionate, electrifying score to life with performances of dazzling power.