User Reviews

This 1985 production is not my favourite production of Tosca, I do prefer the 1992 and 1976 ones. That said, it is still great. The story still has its impact, it is still as powerful, dark, tragic and complex as it ever was. Puccini's music is magnificent, it is a example of an opera where I have so many favourites but I always find something else to like every time I watch it. The characters are still compelling, especially Caveradossi.

The conducting and orchestra give real musical flavour to this amazing operatic score, while Zeffirelli's direction is clever with some interesting pieces of staging. Visually, the production is stunning. The backgrounds and sets are wonderfully lavish, as are the costumes and the camera work is also really good.

The performances are fine on the whole. Hildegard Behrens I can understand why people may find her too German or too fair, but she has a great voice, acts very well and manages to do something really special with how she sings and acts Visse D'Arte and when she stabs Scarpia. Cornell McNeill is not my initial idea of Scarpia, but he has a noble voice and is suitably evil and repellent. I agree about his utterance of "Tosca, you made me forget God", that line always gives me chills and it did here. Placido Domingo stole the show though, he is consistently wonderful but this is one of my favourite performances with him as Caveradossi, he is masculine, poignant with a hint of arrogance.

In conclusion, love the opera, love the production despite it not being 100% perfect. 9/10 Bethany Cox

I'm no great opera expert, but I like Tosca, and am trying to see as many versions as possible. I prefer the 2001 film version by Benoit, but this one is still very fine. I realize that as a stage production, it would have to be quite different from a "movie" of the opera, and though it has its necessary limitations, it also has some quite lovely compensations. The set design is stunning; the conclusion of Act I is like seeing David's painting of Napoleon crowning Josephine brought to life. Even seeing it on TV is spectacular - I can only imagine what it was like to actually be there in the theater. (I hope they used real incense and not dry ice - it's not often you can almost *smell* an opera through the screen!) Placido Domingo is really great as Cavaradossi - he's so virile and appealing, you really can imagine him being ready to fight his way past opponents when he and Angelotti escape from the church. Cornell MacNeil is not my idea of Scarpia, but I find his performance grows on me the more I watch it. I was spoiled by Ruggero Raimondi's excellent acting when he played Scarpia, and MacNeil is a bit stolid in comparison. He is a little too jolly to be frightening; Raimondi brought out truly scary undertones of rage and disappointment in the character, whereas MacNeil is more of a politician and a bon vivant. He is suitably repulsive, though, when he actually caresses Tosca - you do get a feeling that the ordeal she's facing is unendurable, and it provides a nice buildup to the violence that follows. Hildegard Behrens is likewise a bit stiff through most of the opera, though I think part of it, again, is just the necessary limitations of live performance. What with having to face towards an audience and do all the exertion required for singing, it's just not reasonable to expect really energetic fighting, struggling and racing about. But it's all compensated by her terrific acting at the end of Act II. From the moment she whirls about and stabs Scarpia, Behrens is just blazing with fury and passion. She practically screams at him 'Questo e il baccio di Tosca!' and I almost thought she was going to lunge forward and stab him again. I was so spellbound by her performance throughout that passage, when it was all over and quiet again, and she'd managed to pry from his dead fingers the safe-conduct for herself and Mario, it was a jolt to hear her SING the words, 'E avanti a lui tremava tutta Roma!' I was so drawn into the drama at that point, I'd forgotten I was watching an opera.

Filmed on March 20 and 27, 1985 Release date on February 23, 1999 Remastered Release date on September 12, 2006

Also known as The Metropolitan Opera Presents Season 9 Episode 3 Episode aired Mar 27, 1985

An opera in three acts about an escaped political prisoner, a prima donna, and the brutal chief of the secret police.

Well executed (1985 TV recording) and worth rewatching. This play has the music that Puccini is noted for. Although Hildegard Behrens is no Callas and takes a lot of deep breaths she still makes an excellent Floria Tosca. While we are discussing differences Plácido Domingo is no Luciano Pavarotti. Great scenery and unforgettable singing.

An opera in three acts: The basic story takes place in Napoleonic-era Rome where a very jealous woman Floria Tosca is involved with an artist Mario Cavaradossi (Plácido Domingo) that is harboring an escaped rebel. A sadist authority Baron Scarpia (Cornell MacNeil) invites Tosca to avail herself to him in return for the freedom of her artist's love. Will she or won't she?

This was recorded before DVD's so it goes trait into the production and has permanent English subtitles.

See Hildegard Behrens again in Elektra (1994).

This is one of the better staged performances of Puccini's Tosca. It was filmed in 1984 and stars Placido Domingo as Mario Cavaradossi, Hildegard Behrens as the diva Tosca, and Cornell McNeill as the villainous Baron Scarpia. Franco Zefferelli, film director and long associated with set design/art direction in opera, provides a lush and lavish background scenery. He emulated the Cathedral of Rome for the Church scenes/Te Deum and his passionate dedication to authenticity serves him well in this production. Although there are indeed better Toscas out there with even more powerful sopranos in the role, this one is nothing to laugh at either.

Hildegard Behrens, a German/Wagnerian soprano, follows in the footsteps of Birgit Nilsson as Tosca. Her intensity, her passion and soaring high notes are quite thrilling. Her acting is laser-sharp. She is majestic, noble, and a tragic, suffering heroine. Tosca, in love with Cavaradossi, an artist and political activist, finds herself trapped in the sinister Baron Scarpia's plot. Cornell McNeill as Scarpia is devilish and quite powerful. He is probably quite enjoyable in the role because he reminds so many people of Tito Gobbi, who was largely considered the best interpreter of Scarpia. The legendary performances of Maria Callas and Tito Gobbi is seldom seen these days. Cornell McNeill may be of the "stand there and sing" type of singer but he oozes with corruption and sinister evil in every note. His lines at the end of the Te Deum.."Tosca you make me forget God" are downright blasphemous and appropriately evil.

For me, the best part of this particular Tosca is Placido Domingo as Cavaradossi. He nailed the role. He is romantic, idealistic, and very masculine. His lush and high tenor voice is very moving. For those who are unaware, Placido Domingo in 80's voice is quite secure and very experienced but his younger voice in the 70's is probably more vigorous. He had indeed performed Cavaradossi in a 1975 film opposite Raina Kabavainska, a film shot outside in the exact Italian locations. That one is a better pick for Tosca but only for a film version. This is the best STAGE VERSION, mainly because of the lavish attention to detail by Franco Zefferelli.

Hildegard Behrens is OK in the role but, like Birgit Nilsson, she is accused of being too Wagnerian, too German, when the role of Tosca is the epitome of Italian womanhood. An Italian dramatic voice is better suited for Tosca- Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi and Leontine Price are the greatest Toscas ever to grace the stage. But do not downplay Miss Hildegard Behrens. She has her moments, especially in her confrontation with Scarpia and subsequent murder scene. "Questo il beccio di Tosca!" (This is Tosca's Kiss!) Muori Muori Muori..Die..Die..the most chilling and electrifying words ever spoken in opera. Nowadays, however, it is popular to cast a very beautiful and dramatic singer in the role- Angela Gheorghiu for example. Compared to the likes of Gheorghiu, Hildegard Behrens looks very old indeed. But I dismiss such matters when you hear how powerful her performance is and her singing is extraordinary. Again this is the best STAGE version.

This is the second of Plàcido Domingo's three film versions of Tosca. Not quite as career-defining as his Otello, which he has filmed six times but still one of his best roles. In this film, his sonorous tenor is ideally suited to the role of Mario Cavaradossi and his dramatic range is fully exploited, particularly in the final act where he is awaiting execution.

Tosca is played by Hildegard Behrens who appears to be slightly past he sell by when this film was made in 1985. She seems uncertain during the lyrical passages but comes into her own during the moments of high drama. Even so, after a slow start to Vissi d'Arte she still had me reduced to a quivering jelly by the end. When she stabs the evil Scarpia with the cry of "…il bacio di Tosca" ( Tosca's kiss) she had me jumping out of my seat. When she screams, rather than sings "Muori dannato! Muori, Muori!" ( Die, damn you, die, die) I was quivering behind the settee. It is no surprise to find that she was still singing Brünhilde, five years after this film was made.

Cornell MacNeil is suitably evil as Scarpio. I particularly enjoyed his blood-curdling cry of "Tosca, mi fai dimenticare Iddio!" (Tosca, you make me forget God), that concludes the first act.

Puccini's elliptical style of storytelling is seen at its best and worst in this opera. He manages to constrain the proceedings to less than two hours only by omitting a major character. We see Cavaradossi painting a portrait of the Marchesa Attavanti, arousing Tosca's jealousy, but we never meet her. Incidentally, Cavaradossi's aria "Recondita armonia" (Strange harmony) is one of the best arguments for performing opera in its original language. In Italian it sounds great but, basically, what he is singing is "There are these two women. One is blonde and the other is brunette. I fancy them both but, on the whole, I think I'll stick with the brunette". Puccini's use of Leitmotiv is striking in this opera, perhaps reflecting the growing influence of Wagner. Not only do we get the evil Scarpio motif but also numerous other motifs indicating states of mind or happy memories, such as the little tune we hear whenever Cavaradossi and Tosca mention their country love-nest. This opera also contains one of the best examples of Puccini's use of an almost conversational vocal line to counterpoint a big orchestral theme in "E lucevan le stelle" ( The stars were shining brightly).

This is a magnificent production in which the stage director Franco Zeffirelli succeeds in telling the story more clearly than in any other production I have seen. Zeffirelli also designed the production and his reproduction of La Chiesa di Sant'Andrea for the first act is a triumph. I have seen quite a few of these Met productions now and I still have a problem with the way these, otherwise sophisticated, New Yorkers applaud the scenery but, in this case, the applause is understandable.

Having lived in NYC during the days of the Golden Met with it's history and great voices, sets, and the excitement of opera for opera lovers, I was thrilled when viewing this taping of Beheren's Tosca. I had the thrill of seeing Price make her debut on the stage of the old Met with Zefferelli's sets and designs, and believe me, the sets for this Tosca by him are no less stunning and exciting. Particular attention is given to the Te Deum in the Church scene, as the crowd builds, the incense, and banners, all create a massive look, that is equalled by some pretty massive singing! Berhens is great! But, it is difficult not to recall those I have seen in this role, Nilsson, Callas, Price, to name a few. This tape is a must for opera lovers.