History of "Tosca"

The original play by Victorien Sardou was produced in Paris in 1887, and first seen by Puccini in 1887 with Sarah Bernhardt performing as Tosca.  Puccini immediately asked his editor to buy Sardou's rights, but these were finally bought only in 1893 to be given to another composer.  Verdi was particularly fascinated by this tragedy, but he refused to compose music for it unless the author could come up with another ending.  Shortly thereafter, the originally intended composer admitted he was not able to compose music for the work and Puccini’s editor asked Puccini to do it, encouraged by Verdi.  He started working on it in 1896, after the completion of his wildly successful opera La Bohème.

In October 1899, after three years of difficult collaboration with the librettist and playwright, the opera was ready for production.  A story about Rome, the first act is set in the church of Sant’ Andrea della Valle, the second act in a room at Palazzo Farnese (now the embassy of France), and the third act on the top floor of Castel Sant’ Angelo; all actual places.  A notable curiosity had surrounded the work, whose preparation had been so long and troubled.  The opera was an immediate success.

Plot Synopsis

Place: Rome, Italy
Time: The year 1800

Act I: The church of Sant’ Andrea della Valle

Cesare Angelotti, a political prisoner who has just escaped from the jail at Castel Sant' Angelo, seeks refuge in the church.  The painter Mario Cavaradossi is at work on his painting, admitting that his inspiration is his beloved Floria Tosca, a famous Roman opera singer.  Angelotti hides when Tosca enters the church.  She suspects Cavaradossi of talking to another woman, but he reassures her and the pair agree to meet that evening at Cavaradossi's villa.  With Tosca gone, Cavaradossi leaves with Angelotti to hide him at his villa.

The choir rehearses for a special performance that evening celebrating a defeat of Napoleon; Tosca will be the soloist.  The Roman chief-of-police, Baron Scarpia, arrives searching for Angelotti.  Scarpia suspects that Cavaradossi had aided Angelotti's escape.  Tosca returns and Scarpia convinces her that Cavaradossi has fled with another woman, instigating her jealousy.  He hopes Tosca will lead him to Cavaradossi and thus to Angelotti, and orders his spies to follow her as she leaves the church, swearing he will capture not only the painter, but Tosca as well.

Act II: Scarpia’s quarters at Palazzo Farnese

Scarpia is dining alone in his quarters.  His henchman Spoletta appears and reports that Tosca has led Scarpia's spies to a remote village, and though Angelotti was not to be found, they had arrested Cavaradossi.  The painter is brought in.  Tosca, who had been summoned by Scarpia, is shocked to see Cavaradossi.  Scarpia tries to get the location of Angelotti's hiding place from her, but she insists that she knows nothing.  When Cavaradossi is tortured in the next room, she reveals the secret, asking for Cavaradossi's freedom in return.  Scarpia order his men to the villa.

Word arrives that the earlier report of Napoleon's defeat at Marengo was incorrect - instead, Napoleon was the victor.  Cavaradossi cries out with joy and is dragged to prison.  Tosca pleads for her lover's life, and Scarpia offers her an exchange: if she will give herself to him, he will give Cavaradossi back to her.  In despair, she agrees.  Scarpia tells Tosca there must be a mock execution, and circuitously orders preparations for a real one.  He then prepares a safe-conduct pass for Tosca and Cavaradossi and comes to claim his prize.  She grabs a knife from the table and stabs him, then takes the pass and flees the room.

Act III: The terrace of Castel Sant' Angelo prison

Cavaradossi is brought in for his execution, which is an hour away.  He bribes the jailer with a ring for permission to write a farewell letter to Tosca.  She hurries in, explaining that there is to be a mock execution in which he is to pretend to have been shot.  She also tells him about Scarpia's murder and of the safe-conduct pass that will get them out of Rome before the murder is discovered.  The lovers ecstatically plan for the future.

As the firing squad advances and takes aim, Tosca retires with a final word to Cavaradossi about how to fall realistically.  The soldiers fire and Cavaradossi falls.  She hurries to Cavaradossi and is horrified to discover that he is dead and that the execution was real after all.  Distant shouts announce that Scarpia's murder was discovered.  As soldiers rush in to seize Tosca, she climbs to the fortress parapet and leaps to her death.