The ENO’s new ‘Tosca’ is saved by the orchestra

Where was the zing? The emotional punch? When I first saw Puccini’s Tosca many years ago, I remember hearing a young woman in the audience sobbing; I felt similarly. But English National Opera’s new production felt flat, despite the large, open two-tier staging by Rosanna Vize. Was this supposed to represent the church where Cavaradossi is painting a picture of the Madonna, and where Scarpia and his henchmen enter to look for the escaped political leader Angelotti? It doesn’t seem to be a church, yet the extent of the stage business with choristers and a choir boy, who looked as if he were being physically abused, detracted from the tight libretto that Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa created for the composer, from Sardou’s French-language play.

Projecting this powerful drama into the wide space of the London Coliseum was too much for the American tenor Chaz’men Williams-Ali in the leading role of Cavaradossi. He is not yet ready for such a big and challenging role. As his beloved Tosca, the French soprano Axelle Fanyo was also singing her biggest role to date, but she came through with a strong voice and stage presence. Her despatch of Scarpia was a skilful assassination, rather than the usual stab to heart, but none the worse for that. The orchestral performance under the excellent baton of Ben Glassberg was superb. As the Sacristan at the beginning, Robert Hayward was so good that he outshone Cavaradossi.

It was an odd production because Scarpia’s henchmen seemed so determined to crush artistry out of existence that they smashed musical instruments, and the pile of them on stage looked as if it were the preparation for a bonfire. When the awful secret policemen brought on what looked like canisters of gasoline I fully expected one, but the director had a twist in store for Tosca’s suicide, rather than the usual leap to her death. Rather disconcerting and appearing so pre-planned I wasn’t sure what to make of the connection with the apparently aimless movement of the secret policemen. Scarpia himself however was a smoothly sung and menacingly urbane Christopher Purves, so that at least was as expected.

I realise of course that directors love to shock and do something unexpected. Ms Miskimmon did so here, but it seemed to detract from the emotional quality so important to this opera.

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