The Lighter Classics in Music by David Ewen
1900. It was a blood and thunder drama set in Rome at the turn of the
210 words | Chapter 46
19th century; the dramatic episodes involved murder, horror, suicide,
sadism. The heroine, Floria Tosca, is an opera singer in love with a
painter, Mario Cavaradossi; she, in turn, is being pursued by Scarpia,
the chief of police. To save her lover’s life, she stands ready to give
herself to Scarpia. The latter, nonetheless, is responsible for
Cavaradossi’s execution. Scarpia is murdered by Tosca, who then commits
suicide.
Two tenor arias by Cavaradossi are lyrical highlights of this opera. The
first is “_Recondita armonia_,” in the first act, in which the painter
rhapsodizes over the beauty of his beloved Tosca; the second, “_E
lucevan le stelle_,” comes in the last act as Cavaradossi prepares
himself for his death by bidding farewell to his memory of Tosca. The
third important aria from this opera is that of Tosca, “_Vissi d’arte_,”
a monologue in which she reflects on how cruel life had been to one who
has devoted herself always to art, prayer, and love. In addition to
these three arias, the opera score also boasts some wonderful love
music, that of Cavaradossi and Tosca (“_Non la sospiri la nostra
casetta_”) and the first act stately church music (“_Te Deum_”).
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Rachmaninoff was born in Oneg, Novgorod, Russia, on April 1,
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