AllMovie

One of the late 19th and early 20th century composer Giacomo Puccini's operatic masterworks, Tosca receives a new interpretation in this stage production mounted by Nuria Espert and filmed at the Teatro Real in January 2004 on high-definition video. The now age-old story, by Victorien Sardu, unfolds around 1800 in Rome. The premise involves a series of political intrigues that spring up when Floria Tosca falls in love with Mario Cavaradossi, a painter who has illegally assisted her brother Cesare Angelotti in escaping from the malevolent police chief Scarpia. Hot on the trail of Angelotti,Scarpia arrests Cavaradossi and refuses to release him unless Tosca accedes to his amorous demands; a number of betrayals and homicides follow. In this production, acclaimed soprano Daniela Dessi interprets the role of Tosca, with Fabio Armiliato as Cavaradossi, Ruggero Raimondi as Scarpia, and Marco Spotti as Angelotti. The Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro Real, Madrid provide musical accompaniment.