Salzburg: Tosca

The main decoration of the Salzburg Easter Festival poster is “Tosca” under the musical direction of Christian Thielemann. Austrian director Michael Sturminger decisively transfers the action from Napoleonic Rome of the early 19th century to the modern world, choosing for his production the aesthetics of mafia chronicles and crime blockbusters. The story turned into a "perfect thriller", which critics unanimously compared to the films of Martin Scorsese - in particular, to Goodfellas. The system here is the mafia, and Scarpia (Ludovic Tézier) is its leader, surrounded by heavily armed guards. And Tézier's character is so sinister and powerful that connoisseurs and lovers of the classic Tosca will see a very different ending... Sturminger's Tosca is pure noir, full of classic gangster film clichés, but presented with such conscious composure and irony that they became the perfect setting for this cinematic story. Scenographers Renate Martin and Andreas Donhauser (working under the brand Donmartin Supersets) created luxurious sets that largely determined the success of the play: a concrete underground parking lot where the chase and shootout take place; the stylish residence of a mafia boss with recreated interiors of the Palazzo Farnese and iconic touches of modernity (an expensive coffee machine, an exercise bike and impeccable haute couture suits); a bright neon sign for IL DIVO on the roof of the castle where Caravadossi (Alexander Antonenko) is executed. German soprano Anja Harteros created the image of Floria Tosca not just as a jealous singer, but as a broken woman who almost naively believed in goodness and now discovers how far she can go in the fight for love. The singer performed the famous aria “Vissi d’arte” not as a loud prayer, but as a heartfelt confession, moreover, lying on a table (a position in which maintaining vocal control is incredibly difficult!), without a single hint of lack of breathing, problems with support or intonation. Sturminger’s daring and dynamic performance sets the perfect tone from the first notes, forcing the viewer to forget about the static nature of the opera and immerse himself in the cinematic action; and an unexpected plot twist in the finale brings the director's approach to its logical conclusion.