The twists and trysts of Tosca

A few years ago, I had the rare experience of attending a performance of Tosca in a small farm community where opera was a fairly new commodity. After the second act ended, with Scarpia’s corpse lying center stage, I happened to overhear a young, wide-eyed woman say to her companion, “I knew she was upset, but I didn’t think she’d KILL him!”

PUCCINI: Tutti Libretti d’Opera

This is a collection of the original libretti to Puccini’s Le Villi, Edgar, Manon Lescaut, La BohËme, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, La Fanciulla del West, La Rondine, Il Trittico (Gianni Schicchi, Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica), and Turandot in nine booklets within a cardboard slipcase.

Opera Boston gives new life to ‘The Consul’

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2005/10/22/opera_boston_gives_new_life_to_the_consul/

Opera, singers shine despite distractions

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051022/COC22/TPEntertainment/Music

A Composer Happily Returns to ‘The Mines’

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/21/arts/music/21benn.html

The Queen of Excess

http://www.nysun.com/article/21852

La Cenerentola at Glyndebourne

http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/reviews/story/0,11712,1597539,00.html

Salome, London Coliseum

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/19b01b2e-41cf-11da-a45d-00000e2511c8.html

When Opera Was Forced Under the Radar

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/21/arts/music/21ceci.html

Somber ‘Affair’ features top-notch acting, music

http://heraldnet.com/stories/05/10/21/100ae_opera001.cfm