La Tosca – after the Opera by Giacomo Puccini.

La Tosca – after the Opera by Giacomo Puccini.

Rome, June 1800. After the fall of the pro-revolutionary Roman Republic, Queen Maria Carolina
(wife of Ferdinando IV of Naples) has established herself in Rome and entrusted Baron Vitellio Scarpia with the formation of a secret police force to suppress further revolt and impose the restoration.

                        Act One.

A forceful introduction leads us straight into the scene
in church as Angelotti Attavanti seeks to hide
within the family Chapel where his sister’s lately been
and left, beneath The Virgin’s feet, the chapel key inside.

As former Consul General of the previous Roman State,
from prison in Castel Sant’ Angelo he has contrived
escape from execution, the inevitable fate
of Baron Scarpia’s prisoners, few of whom have yet survived.

While he is in the chapel, fairly safe from present search,
(the agents would not dare affront the Attavanti honour!),
a painter, Mario Cavaradossi, comes into the church
to continue with his portrait of the Magdalene Madonna.

As he removes its covering, the Sacristan appears,
remarking on the large blue eyes and wealth of golden hair.
which remind him of a woman he’s observed at daily prayers
whose face, absorbed, the painter now confirms he’s modelled there.

Removing from his pocket a small portrait of his love,
the singer Floria Tosca, on the contrast he exclaims
between her dusky looks and fairness of the one above,
Marchesa Attavanti, though he does not know her names.

The Sacristan now leaves the church and, having closed the door,
the painter works in silence as his painting nears its end
till Angelotti, thinking church is empty as before,
now ventures from the chapel and astonishes his friend.

Joyful recognition and their hurried explanations are
interrupted by the distant sound of Floria Tosca’s voice
as, approaching, she is calling “Mario! Mario!” from afar.
Angelotti has to hide again - he has no other choice.

He takes with him the basket holding Cavaradossi’s lunch
but Tosca is suspicious having heard talk from outside.
She accuses Cavaradossi, acting on a jealous hunch,
of harbouring a woman who he’s trying now to hide.

He calms her jealous nature with a kiss and fond embrace
and agrees to meet her at his villa when she’s free that night.
Tosca notices his painting and is jealous of the face
of the beautiful Marchesa who she’s recognized on sight.

She claims that he’s betrayed her for Count Angelotti’s sister,
that the woman in the picture has replaced her as his lover,
Mario vows his heart is true and swears he never touched or kissed her,
asking why her jealous fancy untrue feelings should discover.

Tosca answers that she must believe him whether false or true,
and apologizes that her jealousy should cause him pain..
She asks that portrait’s eyes be painted black instead of blue
and, with a kiss and fond embrace, the lovers part again.

When quiet, Mario returns to Angelotti’s side,
who tells him that he plans to cross by night, the East frontier, 
disguised in woman’s clothing which his sister has supplied
to replace the prison garb that he, till now, has had to wear.

The painter then describes his country villa near at hand
with a secret chamber, quite concealed, just half-way down a well.
He has not revealed to Tosca things she might not understand
so the presence of the fugitive she can’t be forced to tell.

The two men speak with loathing of the Chief of Rome’s Police,
a sadistic, bullying hypocrite who murders without cause.
Angelotti fears recapture and must leave Rome without cease,
as Scarpia has no respect for normal moral laws.

A cannon’s loud report is heard to signal the escape
is discovered at Sant’ Angelo which prompts both men to leave
at once for Mario’s villa by the shortest route to take,
in the hope that, by their absence, the police may be deceived.

The Sacristan, quite breathless, with a face as red as beet,
comes rushing in and calls the choirboys quickly to his side.
He gives the latest news out of Napoleon’s defeat
for which a celebration will be held this eventide.

Their joyful exclamations though are suddenly cut short
as Scarpia and Spoletta unexpectedly appear.
The Sacristan, subservient, with trembling fright is fraught
and the choirboys dumbly sneak off to the sacristy in fear.

“A prisoner of State has just escaped us” Scarpia says
to the Sacristan, “and we believe that he is hiding here!
Which is the chapel where the Attavanti woman prays?
My officers are guarding all the doors, both front and rear!”

The Sacristan is terrified - he notes, with great alarm,
the chapel door ajar – they enter but the chapel’s bare.
There, Scarpia finds a fan which bears the Attavanti arms
and stealthily conceals it close beneath his outerwear.

He then observes the painting with the fair Marchesa’s face
and asks the frightened Sacristan to give the painter’s name.
When answered: “Mario Cavaradossi”, Scarpia takes a pace:
“He! Tosca’s lover! Suspect revolutionary, the same!”

At that moment one of the police who’s searching in the chapel
discovers, empty by the altar, a basket which he brings.
“Why! That was Cavaradossi’s with his lunch, wine, food and apple,”
the Sacristan exclaims: “He said he would not eat those things!

“So I set it by his easel, despite what he’d said to me,
but I cannot understand how it is now found in that place,
for the Attavanti is the only one who has the key
and I swear he never spoke to her but only saw her face.”

“It’s clear to me,” thinks Scarpia, “ that the painter’s food was eaten
by the starving Angelotti and those two have got away
but I’ll get them soon for Scarpia does not let himself be beaten.
Why! Here’s the lovely Tosca who has maybe come to pray!”

The singer enters nervously but finding Scarpia there,
no sign of Cavaradossi who she anxiously is seeking,
she looks around and asks the Sacristan if he knows where
the painter’s gone, to tell him that she cannot keep their meeting. 

She has to sing that night a new cantata they will play
as part of celebrations for Napoleon’s defeat.
The Sacristan says: “Where he’s gone I really cannot say!
Perhaps, beneath somebody’s spell, he’s hurried off to meet?”

Now Scarpia says: “Ah Tosca! None on earth as pure as you!
Your singing brings angelic raptures down from Heaven above us,
unlike those wanton women, pious pretenders, so untrue
who come in here, with simulated prayer, to meet their lovers!

“See here this fan I found just by the easel here before?
Some casual worshipper disturbed the lovers at their tryst
and, in her hasty flight, she left it lying on the floor.
Oh! Look! It bears a coat of arms I previously missed!”

She takes the fan and studies it then, bursting into tears:
“These are the Attavanti’s arms! Prophetic my belief!
This now confirms what I had thought were just suspicious fears!”
“Ah! Tosca! Has some traitor basely caused your sudden grief?

“Oh! I would give my life could I but mitigate your anguish!”
“Embraced in Attavanti’s arms, cruel Mario betrays me!
Our villa now profaned while I, deserted here must languish!
Tonight she’ll not possess him! Of revenge, God will appraise me!”

She rushes from the church while Scarpia, quickly to Spoletta,
gives orders that he follow her wherever she may go:
“With three good agents in a coach, take care you do not let her
out of your sight. Her every word and action I must know!”

Alone, he tells himself: “How well I stir her jealous passion!
And now, a two-fold purpose in my heart I entertain:
to hang her rebel lover in excruciating fashion
and, with La Tosca in my arms, complete possession gain!

“The rebels to the gallows and, to take her lover’s place
I, Scarpia, will slake my lust in Tosca’s fond embrace!”

            End of Act One.

Hugh Wyles, June 2nd. 2008.