I did enjoy the brief contribution from Ms Mattila's stunt double who launches herself off the parapet as the curtain falls on the final scene. However, I could not see anything controversial about it and it is difficult to see why it was, apparently, booed when it opened. It certainly contrasts with the 1985 Met production with Zeffirelli's elaborate reconstruction of the Chiesa and the sumptuous religious procession. The only surprises are that his Chiesa di Sant'Andrea is a modern redbrick building and the Te Deum at the end of Act I is a low-key affair. Luc Bondy's production is ultra-traditional. The movement comes from the Italian word vero, real, and is every aspect comparable to realism, with writers such as Honor de Balzac, Alexander Pushkin, Charles Dickens, and maybe even Emile Zola. Even he, I felt, was holding back a little and neither of his two big arias was completely successful. Tosca is often labeled as a veristic opera, from the Italian literary- and musical genre Verismo. Marcelo Alvaraz has mutated over the years from Young Elvis to Old Elvis but he can still sing a bit. Scarpia is adequately sung by George Gagnidze but he is a bit of a pantomime villain and did not really frighten me. At least she is more physically comfortable in this role than she was in last year's Salome. Karita Mattila is a game old bird and she has some vibrant notes in her lower register during Act I but I felt quite emotionally detached during her big Act II scene including her Vissi d'Arte and her stabbing of Scarpia. They start with this uninspired production of Tosca. The first two years contained some adventurous programming but it looks as though this year's productions consist mainly of operatic warhorses. This is the third season that the Met has broadcast live productions in high definition.
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