Tosca

Tosca- by Giacomo Puccini after a play by Sardou. Tosca is a story of overwhelming passion amidst the perils of war. Set in Rome, in 1800 at the time of Napoleon�’s advance on the city, the opera opens with the flight of Angelotti, an escaped political prisoner. He seeks refuge in a church where he is protected by Mario Cavaradossi, a local artist who is also the lover of the famous singer, Floria Tosca. The young painter acts suspiciously while protecting his friend and Tosca thinks jealous thoughts, believing him unfaithful. The evil and venal chief of police, Baron Scarpia, plays upon Tosca’s jealousy to snare the two men. Mario is arrested and tortured and Angelotti takes his own life rather then be held prisoner. Tosca desperately begs Scarpia to spare Mario, but Scarpia demands her affections in exchange for Marios’s life. After securing a note saving her lover from his death sentence, she stabs Scarpia and hurries off to be with Mario who is awaiting his execution. Soon, Tosca finds she has been tricked, and she makes one final decision.