December 22, 2018

20,000 Vinyl LPs 161: Puccini ~ Tosca à la Price

~
     original Tosca poster 
illustration by Adolfo Hohenstein


Today is the birthday of Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini aka Puccini, the composer of some of the greatest operas ever.       
     





As my tribute to Puccini (link below) I've selected my favorite opera by him, Tosca, sung by my favorite soprano, Leontyne Price (link below).      

Tosca premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on the Victorien Sardou, 1887 French-language dramatic play, La Tosca, is a melodramatic piece set in Rome in June 1800, with the Kingdom of Naples control of Rome threatened by the Napoleonic invasion of Italy. It contains depictions of torture, murder and suicide, as well as some of Puccini's best-known lyrical arias.     

With one exception, which will come later, this entry does not focus on the composer, the music, the singers nor the qualities of the recording but rather the album itself. It is an issue of excellent quality that has rarely been surpassed.       

The records come in a textured box with embossed gold ink. Included is a full color, soft cover, 12" x 12" book with historical information along with photos and libretto. The art work and album design was by Rita Thermes. 




The book includes a reproduction of the original poster by Adolfo Hohenstein for the opera (below and above): Tosca standing over Scarpia's body, about to lay a crucifix on his chest. The text reads: "Tosca: libretto di V Sardou, L Illica, G Giacosa. Musica di G Puccini. Riccardi & C. editori"        


 


The album is part of the Soria Series set up by Dorle J. Soria with her husband. Soria was a journalist, writer and publicist, born December 14, 1900; died July 7, 2002.        





Here is the exception. The two big "Hits" from Tosca are Vissi d'arte (link below), sung by Tosca in act two, scene one, and E lucevan le stelle (link below), sung by her lover, Mario Cavaradossi, in act three, scene one. Both arias are without a doubt incredibly beautiful, I don't deny that. But for me the gem of the opera is sung by the villain of Tosca, Baron Scarpia, at the finale of the first act. Va Tosca (link below) is sung during the Te Deum of a mass being performed in the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle with the congregation praising the Lord while Scarpia sings of his lust for Tosca and his plans to kill her lover. The sheer sacrilege of this action is astounding when considering the opera was written in the 1800's when the Roman Catholic Church was still all powerful in Italy.   

I've only seen Tosca once and the San Francisco Opera production I saw showcased the raw power of Scarpia's bold baritone voice in rutting heat counterpointed by the sincere and fervent devotional chorus of the congregation, white both are accompanied by a pipe organ, the bells in the church ringing out the mass and cannons firing in the square!      

It was absolutely breathtaking! It's a scene only out done by the Temple of Vulcan scene in act one, scene two of Verdi's, magnificent opera, Aida (link below).     



Inside the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle
set design by Adolfo Hohenstein 


The Te Deum scene which concludes act 1.          

SCARPIA
Go, Tosca!
Now Scarpia digs a nest within your heart!
Go, Tosca! Scarpia now sets loose
the soaring falcon of your jealousy!
How great a promise in your quick suspicions!
Now Scarpia digs a nest within your heart!
Go, Tosca!
(Scarpia kneels and prays as the cardinal passes.)

CHORUS
Adjutorum nostrum in nomine Domini
qui fecit coelum et terram.
Sit nomen Domini benedictum
et hoc nunc et usque in saeculum.


SCARPIA
My will takes aim now at a double target,
nor is the rebel's head the bigger prize...
Ah, to see the flame of those imperious eyes
grow faint and languid with passion...
For him, the rope,
and for her, my arms...

CHORUS
Te Deum laudamus:
Te Dominum confitemur!
(The sacred chant from the back of the church
startles Scarpia, as though awakening him from a
dream. He collects himself, makes the Sign of the
Cross.)

SCARPIA
Tosca, you make me forget God!
(He kneels and prays devoutly.)

CHORUS, SCARPIA
Te aeternum
Patrem omnis terra veneratur!
























Front cover of the original 1899 libretto


selected libretto pages

     























Vinyl LP, side 1




Vinyl LP, side 2




Vinyl LP, side 3




Vinyl LP, side 4



Tracklist:

Side 1:
A1 - Act I (Part 1)   

Side 2:
B1 - Act I (Concluded)   
B2 - Act II (Part 1)   

Side 3:
C1 - Act II (Concluded)   

Side 4:
D1 - Act III   

Credits:

    Artwork [Cover Painting] – Rita Thermes
    Baritone Vocals, Performer [Baron Scarpia] – Giuseppe Taddei
    Bass Vocals, Performer [Cesare Angelotti] – Carlo Cava
    Bass Vocals, Performer [Kerkermeister] – Alfredo Mariotti
    Bass Vocals, Performer [Mesner] – Fernando Corena
    Bass Vocals, Performer [Sciarrone] – Leonardo Monreale
    Chorus – Wiener Staatsopern-Chor*
    Chorus Master – Roberto Benaglio
    Composed By – Giacomo Puccini
    Conductor – Herbert Von Karajan
    Libretto By – Giuseppe Giacosa, Luigi Illica
    Orchestra – Wiener Philharmoniker
    Soprano Vocals, Performer [Floria Tosca] – Leontyne Price
    Soprano Vocals, Performer [Hirtenknabe] – Herbert Weiss
    Tenor Vocals, Performer [Mario Cavaradossi] – Giuseppe Di Stefano
    Tenor Vocals, Performer [Spoletta] – Piero Di Palma*

Notes:

Textured box with embossed gold ink. Full color booklet with historical information along with photos and libretto.

Leontyne Price / Giuseppe Di Stefano / Giuseppe Taddei / Herbert Von Karajan ‎– Puccini - Tosca
Label: RCA Victor Red Seal ‎– LDS 7022
Series: Soria Series –
Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Box Set
Country: US
Released: 1964
Genre: Classical
Style: Opera
     

     
              
Viewfinder links:
          
Giacomo Puccini        
Leontyne Price
Giuseppe Di Stefano        
Giuseppe Verdi       
Herbert von Karajan     
       
Net links:
          
Tosca Synopsis      
 
YouTube links:
    
Leontyne Price ~ Vissi D´arte        
Giuseppe di Stefano - E lucevan le stelle        
Ruggero Raimondi - Tosca - Va, Tosca (Te Deum)        
          
           
      
       
         
         
           
     


"Tosca, you make me forget God!"
                     ~ Baron Scarpia
        
         
         
Styrous® ~ Saturday, December 22, 2018             
              
         
            













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