2. Puccini Tosca Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, Milan conducted by Victor de Sabata. Maria Callas, Soprano. Giuseppe Di Stefano, Tenor. Tito Gobbi, Baritone.
The most legendary opera recording of all time.
The #2 on our list of the top 50 classical recordings of all-time goes to a legendary opera recording. Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1887 French-language dramatic play, La Tosca, is a melodramatic piece set in Rome in June 1800. Along with La Boheme, it is probably one of Puccini’s most popular and enduring works. I was first introduced to the opera when I was living in Rome in 1991 and I was given a free ticket to see Tosca at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. I enjoyed it so much, I bought a ticket to go back and see it again a few nights later. I remember well that in the big third act tenor aria “E lucevan le stelle”, Cavaradossi sang it so well that the tenor took several curtain calls (in the middle of the opera!) and went back and sang it again from the beginning. Throw in the fact the opera is set in Rome where I was living at the time, and in places I had personally visited such as the Basilica Sant’Andrea della Valle and the Castel Sant’ Angelo, and I was hooked. A decidedly dark story, the sinister mood and drama appealed to me, along with Puccini’s prodigious melodic and lyrical gift. I absolutely loved it, and to this day it remains my favorite Italian opera.
Without giving a summary of the entire libretto, the soprano singer Floria Tosca falls in love with the young tenor artist Mario Cavaradossi. Due to his political leanings, Cavaradossi is being pursued by the morally compromised Chief of Police Baron Scarpia. After Cavaradossi is captured and jailed, Tosca tries several times to appeal to Scarpia to release her lover with no success. Scarpia attempts to use Tosca as leverage to find out more about the political opposition, and even tries a quid pro quo with her but she doesn’t fall for it. I won’t tell you the rest of the story because it would involve several spoilers, but let’s say it takes some unexpected turns.
Moving on to the recording at hand, the legendary 1953 EMI mono recording of Tosca with the equally legendary Maria Callas as Tosca, tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano as Cavaradossi, and baritone Tito Gobbi as Scarpia. The exceptionally sensitive and idiomatic orchestral and choral accompaniment by Victor de Sabata and the La Scala Opera House orchestra and chorus in Milan are unsurpassed. When it was released, it was well received and has remained an opera bestseller for many, many years. In 2020 the recording was selected by the Library of Congress for the National Recording Registry.
But what makes this recording so special? It begins with a compelling, dramatic story as we’ve already mentioned. But what comes together here is almost perfect casting of singers for the main roles at the peak of their vocal powers. You have the greatest opera orchestra in the world at the time at La Scala in a piece they knew well, but also the vision of conductor de Sabata. De Sabata knew exactly what he wanted from the orchestra and the singers, and he was unrelenting in getting it just right. One of the greatest opera conductors of the 20th century, de Sabata made few commercial recordings. Luckily for us he recorded this one. Sadly he died of a heart attack later in 1953 at the age of 75.
But let’s talk about Maria Callas. She was born in New York to Greek parents, but she moved back to Greece with her mother at a young age. In more recent years after her death in 1977, more people have become familiar with her due to the inclusion of the aria “La Momma Morta” from the opera Andrea Chenier by Giordano sung by Callas in the acclaimed 1993 film Philadelphia starring Tom Hanks. Then in 1995 the play Master Class by Terrence McNally presented a fictional master class led by Callas in the 1970s where she teaches young aspiring singers. Callas’ personal life has become a subject unto itself, as she was sometimes a difficult and temperamental personality. Aristotle Onassis was her romantic partner for many years before Onassis left her for Jackie Kennedy. The force of character may have been a detriment off stage, but it was a huge asset on stage. She possessed a unique and not entirely beautiful voice, but her understanding of how to use it and her instinctive acting ability quickly made her a star. Callas was the original “diva” for many, and remains so today in her recorded legacy.
Puccini obviously never knew Callas, but if he had, the role of Floria Tosca could have been written expressly for her. Tosca was the role that brought Callas to prominence, perhaps because the quality and tone of her voice fit the role extremely well. Her voice has an almost shrill quality in the upper register, and yet she can also convey vulnerability and sadness. Tosca is a desperate character, and Callas plays it to perfection. The age of the recording means there is some distortion at times, and yet, that almost adds to the drama. This version of famous soprano aria “Vissi d’arte” in the second act is, for me, the best it has ever been sung and that includes by Callas herself. Here Callas almost sobs the final few phrases, and yet she holds it together masterfully. It is somewhat fortunate that this recording was made so early in her career. Later on, especially in the 1960s, her voice began to decline and cracks could sometimes be heard in the top notes. It was said at the time, and since, that when Callas lost a lot of weight in the mid-1950s she also lost some of her vocal power and ability to sustain notes. However, she continued to sing the role of Tosca for quite a while and audiences always clamored for it. The way she plays the character throughout Act 2, and her dialogues with Scarpia, is to be treasured. You viscerally feel her ferocity, and at times you may even feel sorry for Scarpia because she is a very tough customer indeed.
Giuseppe Di Stefano in the role of Mario Cavaradossi is also a pleasure to hear. His major moments are memorable to be sure, from his assured “Recondita armonia” in Act 1 to his glorious “Victoria! Victoria!” cry in Act 2 to his moving “E lucevan le stelle” in Act 3. There is no doubt Di Stefano was among the greatest tenors of his time, and he sang with Callas on many recordings. Reportedly he was an idol and inspiration for Pavarotti and Carreras, and he had one of the longest careers of any opera singer of the 20th century. His voice was ideal for Cavaradossi and he was only 32 years of age when he made this recording. My personal favorite for Cavaradossi on record is a young Jose Carreras from 1976 with the Covent Garden forces led by Sir Colin Davis. Nevertheless, Di Stefano’s performance here is certainly one of the best ever recorded.
Finally we must give a lot of credit to the Baron Scarpia as sung by Tito Gobbi. Scarpia is the “bad guy” if you will of the whole story, and once again we have a voice that is tailor-made for the role. Gobbi’s voice practically “snarls” when needed, and it is used to great effect to genuinely make you not like him. Much has been made of the chemistry on stage and on record between Gobbi and Callas when they both played these roles, and for good reason. The strength of their characterizations is what carries the drama along so well here, and they really make you want to keep listening. The interplay between the two is so genuine and believable. Scarpia is mostly heard in Act 2, and Gobbi is brilliant at creating a sinister tone. Tito Gobbi had one of the most distinguished international operatic careers of any singer, but sang the role of Scarpia almost a thousand times. Gobbi was also a close personal friend, collaborator, and admirer of Maria Callas and he noted that when performing with her he would feel as though it was actual life rather than a performance.
Let us thank Giacomo Puccini and the librettists for creating such a masterpiece. Puccini employed several musical themes or “motifs” throughout Tosca, similar to what Wagner did in his operas. The themes recur at regular intervals and give us a sense of the drama happening or about to happen. The themes are haunting, and often become memorable.
In summary, this is a triumph of a recording and something not to be missed. It deserves its place among the greatest recordings of all time.
Ashbrook, William (1985). The Operas of Puccini. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-9309-6. tosca cast bells.
Budden, Julian (2002). Puccini: His Life and Works (paperback ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-226-57971-9.
Greenfield, Edward; March, Ivan; Layton, Robert, eds. (1993). The Penguin Guide to Opera on Compact Discs. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-046957-8.
Greenfield, Edward (1958). Puccini: Keeper of the Seal. London: Arrow Books.
Jellinek, George (1986) [1960]. Callas: Portrait of a Prima Donna (revised ed.). New York: Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-25047-2.
Petsalis-Diomidis, Nicholas [el] (2001). The Unknown Callas: The Greek Years. Amadeus Press ISBN 978-1-57467-059-2, issue 14 of opera biography series, foreword by George Lascelles
Tommasini, Anthony (2018). The Indispensable Composers: A Personal Guide. Penguin. p. 370. ISBN 9780698150133.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tosca#References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Callas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_de_Sabata