Tosca

The most notable aspect of this 2006 performance of Puccini's popular opera—about the titular diva who goes to extreme lengths to try to save her lover, the painter Cavaradossi, from the machinations of the evil baron Scarpia—is the locale: the huge outdoor Arena di Verona, which dates from Roman times and accommodates an audience of some 20,000, an enormous venue that allows for a sumptuous physical production. The set is dominated by the gigantic bust of an ancient statue, with one hand holding a sword and the other a cross, to which are added extraordinarily elegant furnishings and costumes, resulting in a visually striking performance, especially since the camerawork keeps us close to the action. Vocally the star is unquestionably Marcelo Álvarez, whose ringing tenor makes him a superb Cavaradossi. In the title role, Fiorenza Cedolins brings great intensity to her singing, but her tone goes hard and wobbly in the upper registers; and while veteran Ruggero Raimondi oozes malevolence as Scarpia, his voice sounds rather gravelly. The orchestra plays with bite and power under Daniel Oren's baton, nicely captured in the audio options that include Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, and LCPM stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and PCM stereo on Blu-ray. Recommended. (F. Swietek)