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Tosca a Verona 2024 [ Author Michael Daniel Watson ] [ From category THE Articles ] [ Subcategory Arena din Verona ] [ Article date: 2024-09-11 ] [ From city Verona ] [ Country România ]   Mario`s painting is huge, but... it`s on the floor, lying on its side. Mario doesn`t actually paint it, but "works" on some sketches. In the center of the stage you can see some huge shapes/objects, covered with black cloths. There are also two cannons on each side-front of the stage. Floria Tosca appears. The audience applauds enthusiastically. Does he know why! Tosca is Anna Netrebko! Tosca is in a greenish-yellow dress. She has a good voice. And Mario. He`s in brown pants, a gray painter`s coat, a white shirt. And he has a black mustache and chin. Tosca discovers Maddalena among Mario`s sketches. "Ma, falle gli occhi nerri! " Tosca comes out, the audience applauds her again. Angelotti is in some kind of gray coat, black boots, hair tied in a ponytail. The cannon booms loudly and announces Angelotti`s escape. The children come. Many, like at the Arena. Another huge painting is leaning against the central decorations. Scarpia`s men knock it down from behind, but this entrance into the scene does not seem impressive to me. After the soldiers, Scarpia appears. He has a black cloak, slightly shiny, under which you can see his white shirt, black tunic with a little red, black trousers. Later, you can also see his golden epaulettes. The soldiers search through the paintings. "Iago used the handkerchief, I use the fan! " said Scarpia, recalling the character of the man who made Verona famous through his play "Romeo and Juliet". All the decorations are revealed, that is, on the left a hand bent at the elbow and holding a sword, and a large head on the right. They are about 12 - 15 meters high! They are the hand and head of the holy archangel Michael, whose statue is at the top of the Castel Sant`Angelo in Rome, where the third act takes place! Act Two. Scarpia`s office consists of two tables in front and a chair, a huge table set up. From where we are, we can also see Floria Tosca`s cantata, located behind the scenery and only heard by the audience. Scarpia is a baritone and a policeman. He shoves Spoletta, knocks him to the ground, elbows Mario in the stomach, so he is also violent. "Questo e luogo di lagrime! " - "This is a place where one cries! " But he is also gallant. He carefully takes off Floria Tosca`s black cloak, revealing her red dress. "Ed or fra noi parliam da buoni amici! " - "And now let`s talk like good friends! "... On the right is a portico hatch, there is Mario being tortured. But nothing more happens when Scarpia orders the door to be opened to see Tosca being tortured! Scarpia struggles too hard after collapsing on the floor and draws... a few laughs from the audience. "Or gli perdono! " Tosca empties the wine glasses on the table... She doesn`t put candles on him. She just puts a cross on him. Obviously, it`s about Tosca and Puccini`s instructions to put candles on the sides of the dead Scarpia and a cross on his chest. Tosca is scared when the drum beats from behind the stage, but she pulls herself together and walks off the stage full of it. The huge hand drops down. We can assume the symbolism, the movement could mean the punishment that will be applied to Floria for the murder or Mario`s shattered hopes. A child comes and fishes... "Io di sospiri! " The chords of the magical aria are heard. "E lucevan le stele" An encore is asked for, but... still no! Tosca comes in. Dressed in purple. Mario is in a white shirt and brown trousers. "O dolci mani / mansuete e pure! " "O sweet, gentle and pure hands! " "It`s 4 am! " Mario has blood on his shirt. The ending... is different. Instead of throwing herself, Tosca climbs inside the huge head of Saint Michael and raises her right arm up! "O, Scarpia, avanti a Dio! "

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30-09-2024: Aida storica 1913
"Aida" in Verona 100 + 1. A hundred emotions plus one, yours!

Arena di Verona, the most Italian place on Earth!

These are the slogans through which Arena di Verona has chosen this year, 2024, to promote the Opera Festiva
... [ continuation ]
[ Author Michael Daniel Watson ]
From category THE Articles

21-09-2024: Aida shines brightly at the Arena di Verona
The Arena di Verona is also presenting a modern version of Aida, in addition to the old but wonderful version from 1913. And it looks something like this!

The stage is tilted, and the floor is made of glass. In the center, a giant hand
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[ Author Michael Daniel Watson ]
From category THE Articles

11-09-2024: Tosca a Verona 2024
Mario`s painting is huge, but... it`s on the floor, lying on its side. Mario doesn`t actually paint it, but "works" on some sketches. In the center of the stage you can see some huge shapes/objects, covered with black cloths. There are also two canno
... [ continuation ]
[ Author Michael Daniel Watson ]
From category THE Articles

01-09-2024: “La boheme” at Arena di Verona
Arena di Verona. We arrive. We park. We get off. We take a few pictures with the Arena in the background, then ... a heavy rain starts! We take shelter under a tree. :-) I don`t think the show is happening anymore, but we can`t leave either, so we ju
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[ Author Michael Daniel Watson ]
From category THE Articles

20-12-2023: Spoletta, symbol of Hungarian anti-communist resistance
Budapest Opera House was inaugurated in 1884 to be a competition for Vienna StaatsOper. It is localised in the center of the hungarian capital, just a few minutes behind St. Stefan cathedral, the bigest church of the city. In 2022 is was open again a
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[ Author Michael Daniel Watson ]
From category THE Articles

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