This disc of highlights from EMI's 1980 recording of Tosca has many strengths, not the least of which is the brilliant and incisive conducting of
James Levine. He leads the
Philharmonia Orchestra in a stellar performance that allows details of orchestration to emerge with great clarity. His emphasis on the score's many dramatic contrasts and mercurial moods highlights the opera's character as a psychological thriller, and his rhythmic suppleness gives it a surging romantic power.
Plácido Domingo is a refined but passionate Cavaradossi. He was at the height of his powers when the recording was made, and his top is thrillingly ringing.
Renato Bruson's Scarpia is strong, but his voice lacks the unctuous darkness that makes for a truly frightening portrayal of evil. As Tosca,
Renata Scotto was past her prime when the recording was made, and she is occasionally betrayed by a wobble. A somewhat older Tosca, however, is a reasonable dramatic conceit, and the fact that her character is so often enraged makes
Scotto's lack of absolute control in the more fiery passages forgivable. In "Vissi d'arte," her moment of relatively quiet reflection,
Scotto is highly effective; she fully exploits her gifts in portraying a sympathetic victim that made her 1966 Madama Butterfly so extraordinary. A listener's response to
Scotto's Tosca will probably hinge on the acceptance of her occasional lack of vocal control as an expression of her temperament and her emotional distress. The smaller roles are vividly characterized by singers with consistently strong voices; in particular, Andrea Velis' Spoletta is deliciously unpleasant. This might not be the first choice for the listener looking for only one disc of highlights from the opera, since
Bruson's Scarpia doesn't fully exploit the character's malevolence and
Scotto's Tosca is not always lyrically sumptuous, but
Domingo's performance, the fine supporting cast, and
Levine's illuminating reading make this a version that should be of interest to Puccini enthusiasts.