TOSCA

Composer: G1rAcomo PUCCINI Book by GrusEpPE GraAcosa and Luter Itzica, from Victorien Sardou’s play La Tosca First performance: Teatro Costanzt, Rome, January 4, 1900 3 acts. Tosca, a beautiful singer, is the jealous lover of Mario Cavarado i, a religious artist. Angelotti, an escaped prisoner, hides in the church in which Mario is painting. Mario helps him escape. Scarpia, chief of Roman police, enters the church and, not finding Angelotti, arrests Mario as an accomplice, and orders him shot. Desiring Tosca for himself, Scarpia promises her lover’s liberty in return for her favours. Tosca agrees and Scarpia orders a fake execution of Mario. When Scarpia returns to claim her she stabs him. At dawn the pretended execution of Mario takes place. Tosca hurries to the prone figure of her lover, after the firing, to find he is dead. Hearing noise of approaching soldiers, she realises her murder of Scarpia has been discovered. Climbing the prison wall she leaps to her death.