Tosca

Teatro Municipal

São Paulo

16/10/1997
 

Portuguese Version
 

Municipal surrenders to the banality of "Tosca "
 
 
 

The choice of "Tosca" to finish the lyrical season of the São Paulo Municipal Theater is an option for the vulgarity. Not that the venue, at Municipal until October 24, under the conductor Jamil Maluf, stagin by of Michael Hampe and international cast, was that bad. The singers have good quality, the Experimental Orchestra of Repertoire continues showing high artistic competence and the Lyrical Choir releases honorable mentions for the way as they know how to populate a stage and to fill of sounds soloists a theater. But " Tosca ", by the Italian composer's Giacomo Puccini music (1858-1924) and libreto by Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, represents what the opera has of rough, almost a theater with sound shades on the background. As if it was not enough, São Paulo has been colonized by for Buenos Aires in terms of staging and scenic direction. The models and the sceneries come directly from Buenos Aires Teatro Colón. The result is constraining because the argentinian stage is almost three times larger than our mini-Scala and the sceneries are cluttered on the sate, the angel from Castelo di SantÁngelo is projected over the audience, repeating the parable of the camel going into the needle hole. The original scenic direction was also transposed by the booed Roberto Oswald, as if Colón wasn´t the craddle of operatic conservatism, inadequate to people who are still optimistic and e think that there is still a creative solution for the opera. The public surrendered to the argentinean banality. It seems that there are not great scenic directors and cenographers wioth international career here in São Paulo.

Somebody may argue that it´s interesteing to stage " Tosca ", since it is a famous work from the international repertoire. This phenomeno occurs since its premiere, at Teatro Constanzi, in Rome, to January 14, 1900. Based on a play by french writer Victorien Sardou, the libreto is nothing more than a Frankenstein in search of a boss. It doesn't know if it serves the theater or the music. Giuseppe Giacosa, one of the libretists, didn't get to see opera in the ibreto and found the play inadequated to musical drama. The score either decides between the musical theater or the "grand opera". There are three interesting arias along three endless acts of easy tragedies, r scenes of sword and grand-guignol. The music crasch in more words than Sarah Berhnard at the Municipal of Rio when she made the title role that caused her a paralysis. It is a prodigy of collisions worthy of being ina a silent movie. In fact, the music sounds as animation of dramatic gestures, punctuating here and there a stab and a scene of gluttony of potbellied monk. In the end, everybody knows, the tenor Cavadarossi peacefuly undergoes the paredão, believing in his lover's word. According to Tosca, all the soldiers would shoot him with false bullets. Tosca he despairs when she behold the dead lover and, in a sharp scream, she throws her over castle wall, to the intellectuals' relief.

In spite of everything, "Tosca" is an international success and continues integrating the repertoire of the great opera houses. This would justify staginf it in the tropics, even if in a subtropical argentinean conception. In terms of a theater that presents an average of eight operas a year, however, the choice reveals a lack of criteria. Clearly, it is necessary to reconquer the public for the opera, but " Tosca" sounds as the easiest resource. Any alphabetized tend to appreciate itr, as well as is prone to get crazy with soap opera " Chiquititas " ( SBT TV network). The public that crowded Municipal in the premiere shouted "bravo" with Mexican enthusiasm.

The three main singers, american, deserved the applauses. Baritone Frederick Burchinal, as the evil genius Scarpia (a figure from cartoon), is the rarest specimen from the cast. He knows how to be at the same time grotesque and touching. He dies with dignity of star of Hollywood. His voice has body and doesn't waste interventions with false virtuosity. Although small, the soprano Mary Jane Johnons´s voice doesn't disappoint. It possesses dramaticity and enough elasticity to take over dificult role. She acts with agility and jumps bound the death with dignity, aspect, in fact, very difficult of being contemplated when one has to be Tosca. The tenor Neil Wilson (Cavadarossi) walks across the stage with a self-confidence that t perhaps his skills could not tackle. He has a sharp voice that has nothing to do with a dramatic role like Cavadarossi , that always demands concentration and lyricism in right doses. Maluf conducted carefuly, looking for pick up emblems in a quite limited score. The Experimental Orchestra of Repertoire, that is always fighting to survive, plays the best part in the opera, creating a sound able to choke any singer´s gaffe. Coral Lírico and Coral Infantil Echo overcame the expectations and gave some grace to the group scenes. As a whole, the venue showed good acting.

It is necessary, even so, to insist that exist better works of art than " Tosca ". That small puccinian sin has been providing huge productions from now to eternity. But the Municipal can choose better thing.

Luís Antônio Giron

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