Love Tosca, love Puccini and I am in Berlin (2014-01-18)

Saturday January 18th, 2014.

It is Winter now. Cold and sometimes safer to travel by air than to travel on ground when part of the road goes by mountains. White road, white snow falling making the road sometimes hard to see. Then add into that the cold, hurling winds,  and slippery road, it can be dangerous. The bus has chaffeurs that understand how to get forward quickly and safely. 

I arrived Gardermoen airport at the appointed time and the flight with Norwegian Air Shuttle was on time and so I was in hotel room by 1130. I was a bit sloppy with finding out how to get from my hotel to the opera house and restaurant so that was a bit harder to come directly to the Deutsche Oper Berlin. So that is not a mistake I will do again, I hope. I got my tickets and then straight to restaurant Don Giovanni where I ate a Pizza Don Ottavio. It was OK, it was better last time I was here. I think I saw Daniela Dessi in the restaurant but I could be totally wrong. Then off to the opera and Puccinis Tosca.

There is this idea that one can see too many performance of one opera. Then there is perfection like on Saturday January 18, 2014 in Deutsche Oper Berlin. This is on of the classic productions that will never be tired, especially when it has been rehearsed so well that it seem to be real here and now. Marcello Giordani was a wonderful Mario Cavaradossi, perfectly sung and acted. Tatjana Serjan was just so right in this role, Tosca was in her bones and airs. Sergey Murzaev was just the perfect Scarpia. 

Sergey Murzaev was the perfect Scarpia. Only hardened Thomas Hampson fans would be disappointed by Murzaev. This was a smooth, good-looking Scarpia who just occationally let the inner demon out. His minions looked more intimidating than Scarpia himself. But Roma knew of his reputation. Marcello Giordani made his Mario Cavaradossi a much more noble, politically savvy and screwd mind than most tenors give the role. Tatjana Serjan's Floria Tosca had also a wider pallette to paint than most sopranos. Then add upp a production and regie that takes everything in and draws the right picture all the way. Best Tosca ever!!

2014-01-18 Tosca (Puccini), Deutsche Oper Berlin

Floria Tosca = Tatjana Serjan

Mario Cavaradossi = Marcello Giordani

Baron Scarpia = Sergey Murzaev

Cesare Angelotti = Ben Wager

Der Mesner = Seth Carico

Spoletta = Jörg Schörner

Sciarrone = Andrew Harris

Ein Schließer = Noel Bouley

Matthias Foremny, conductor

Kinderchor der Deutschen Oper Berlin

Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin

Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin

Director - Boleslaw Barlog

Stage-design, Costume-design  - Filippo Sanjust

ChöreThomas Richter

KinderchorChristian Lindhorst