Berliner Philharmoniker - Pucc

For the Easter Festival 2017 in Baden-Baden, Sir Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker draw their inspiration from Tosca, the most brilliant of all the Puccini operas. And that is deservedly so, since Tosca is not merely a work of art, but also a gripping suspense-packed story – Puccini at its best. In a spectacular staging by Philipp Himmelmann, this production offers a fresh, sexy view on this beloved classic.

Kristine Opolais changes into the well-behaved pristine prima donna and shows how to wrap the men on stage round her finger, as she performs with fierce and full physical commitment. Marcelo Álvarez sings with powerful, but smooth tenor. Marco Vratonga’s modern take on Scarpia convinces with brutal elegance and a great voice.

DVD Picture: 16:9 – NTSC - DVD Sound: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1

Language/subtitles: Italian/ English, German, French
Region code: 0 (worldwide)

Running time: 180 mins
Production: April 2017

"Rattle and his orchestra add both depth and gloss: to hear the shimmer of the Berlin strings in the eerie dwells of the Te Deum is enough to absolve the conductor of his reverential tempos…[Álvarez] shapes the text imaginatively and sings with tenderness and generosity, although you’ll never believe he’s a revolutionary…In a grander, gaudier show, Opolais would hit more buttons than she does."
Gramophone Magazine January 2018