The Italian opera classic as a gripping thriller: the singer Floria Tosca and her lover, the artist Mario Cavaradossi, are caught in the crosshairs of police violence, political intrigue and deception. To mark the opera's 125th anniversary, director José Cortés takes a close look at the well-known story and exposes the abysses of human nature.
For the Puerto Rican director, a central key to the work is the perfidious entanglement of power structures between the church and politics and the question: can there even be a way out for those who dare to oppose a system? Whether political opponents such as Cavaradossi and the fugitive former consul Cesare Angelotti or those who are merely drawn into the web of greed for power, control and violence like Tosca, it makes no difference to the powerful, such as the baron and police chief Scarpia. They pursue their goals unscrupulously, right to the bitter end.
Chin-Chao Lin, 1st Kapellmeister and Deputy General Music Director, is responsible for the musical direction of this production. The title role of Tosca will be sung by Sinéad Campbell Wallace, who in recent years has not only conquered the great stages from Paris to Toronto as Tosca. The International May Festival will also feature the Italian baritone Lucio Gallo as Scarpia and Stefano La Colla, one of the most esteemed tenors on the international opera scene, as Cavaradossi in Wiesbaden.
Premiere March 15, 2025
Further performances: March 22 and 26, April 10, 21 and 27, May 27, June 7 and 12, 2025
