The Dallas Opera opened its 2015/2016 season by juxtaposing an old opera with a new one. Alongside the world premiere of Great Scott, a contemporary opera by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Terrence McNally, the company is producing Tosca, a beloved classic that opened at the Winspear Opera House Friday night.
This is both logical and fiscally responsible programming. Big premieres require big stars and big money, so it makes sense to save where you can (in this case by recycling an old production of Tosca owned by TDO). It also appeals to audiences’ varying tastes, offering a bold, modern work for those who crave something new, and a familiar favorite for traditionalists.
TDO’s Tosca features a vocally strong cast. In the title role Emily Magee hits all of the high notes with a consistently vibrant and resonant tone. As Tosca’s lover, the painter Mario Cavaradossi, Giancarlo Monsalve is a capable tenor. Raymond Aceto’s brawny bass is well-suited to the role of Scarpia, a particularly ruthless villain even for opera.
Perhaps this Tosca’s most memorable musical contribution comes from the pit, where TDO Music Director Emmanuel Villaume whipped the orchestra into a passionate frenzy. It was great to hear this orchestra sound so strong and expressive, even if they sometimes overshadowed the vocalists on stage. Villaume seems to have a strong connection with Puccini’s music and throughout all three Acts he pushed the orchestra to communicate every rich, romantic melodic line with zeal.
Strong playing and singing did not, however, make up for a lack of chemistry between Tosca and her male counterparts, boring stage direction and a pretty tired set. Magee’s dramatic portrayal of Tosca came across as weak and insecure instead of strong and wildly romantic. Rather than acting as the gravitational center of the action, she seemed to be reacting to her circumstances. Aceto’s Scarpia was the strongest character on the stage (his Te Deum at the end of Act I was a highlight), but even his sinister portrayal of Scarpia lacked depth.
Magee and her counterparts were not helped by uninspired park-and-bark style stage direction. Afterall, how can romance or spite spark between two people who aren’t even looking at each other when they sing? After seeing Great Scott, which had such fun and interesting stage direction, this extremely traditional dramatic style felt particularly flat.
Maybe TDO knows what they are doing by giving Dallas such a safe, traditional Tosca. Maybe the majority of people who buy tickets to Tosca don’t want any surprises and are happy with the status quo. The man I was seated next to on Friday night told me, “I never miss Puccini.” I don’t blame him. Puccini is great. Tosca is fantastic – it has great pacing, a thrilling, dramatic plot, some of the genre’s most beautiful melodic lines, and memorable characters. But not all Toscas are created equally, and on Friday night I couldn’t help but wish that a company that is capable of such incredible innovation when it comes to new productions would start throwing more of that money, energy and talent towards reinvigorating the classics. There’s nothing wrong with Puccini’s Tosca, but even the best old buildings need a fresh coat of paint every few years.
If you’ve never seen Tosca, you should snag a ticket simply because this is one of Puccini’s best operas, this orchestra sounds great and gorgeous arias are delivered by strong vocalists. But if you are only going to see one of TDO’s current productions, I’d check out Great Scott and catch Puccini next time. Hopefully the next Tosca TDO inevitably brings us will offer a new perspective on why this old opera is still very much worth watching.
