It works perfect. Creations that, through their power, urgency, transcend a thousand little defects of detail. We can point here and there, of errors of taste, of blunders, but these are the lice in the lion’s head: the work cleans itself of its slag and imposes itself with an obvious glare. Such is Tosca by Giacomo Puccini. There had to be yet skilled in the art (and genius!) to turn into a masterpiece this piece pataude of Victorien Sardou. All the tricks of the melodrama ten-neuviémiste were, however, met, and the room had beautiful evenings of the admirers of Sarah Bernhardt. But, as Verdi turned into gold the lead of Dumas son ( La Dame aux camélias became Traviata ), Puccini’s opera of the same transmutation alchemy with this room, if dated.

Any singer worthy of the name (if it has the votes) cannot make the economy of a Tosca . Flat always the shadow guardian of Maria Callas, who gave this amorous, passionate and moody the depth of a tragedy ancient. But we cannot limit Tosca, a singer and one is always curious to discover how an artist is going to take over this role if devouring.

German soprano Anja Harteros has its Tosca until the end of the notes, and the Parisians were able to enjoy three years ago, on the stage of the Bastille, opposite Marcelo Alvarez, and the extraordinary Bryn Terfel. It is, therefore, pleased to find léonine and boiling, for the recovery of the efficient but well-grey production by Pierre Audi (where the intermissions are almost as long as the work itself…).

musical Chairs

Face it, for a duo, the tenor Jonas Kaufmann will give all its delicacy to the character often too manly (and sometimes furnace…) of Mario Cavaradossi. Finally, the Scarpia of baritone Serbian Zeljko Lucic will be heavy burden to exist in the face of a duo as prestigious.

But the recovery is also a festival of musical chairs, where one can reconstruct the distribution at the discretion of representations: to Harteros will be succeeded by Martina Serafin and, for two performances that are going to be very popular, the wonderful Sonya Yoncheva. Similarly, Kaufmann will be replaced mid-term by Marcelo Puente, and Lucic by Luca Salsi. It is, therefore, to check which combination of singer you want to hear, because it is a real domino game. We would almost recommend that you go there two times: put the 22 may and 1 June, to hear two Tosca very different (and complementary)?

on The side of the pit, on the other hand, not alternating untimely. It is the head of the israeli Dan Ettinger who will have the task of igniting this admirable mechanical theatre and to push the drama until the end of his terrible logic.

Tosca, Opera Bastille, Place de la Bastille (XIIe). Tel.: 08 92 89 90 90. Dates: from 16 may to 23 June at 19: 30. Seats: 15 to 231 €.