Tosca (CD)

This selection is an Enhanced CD.

Andrea Bocelli wisely chooses another Puccini masterwork for his second full-length opera recording. 'Tosca' is a crowd-pleasing amalgam of love, lust, treachery, tragedy, and death, vividly expressed through some of the most beautiful music ever committed to manuscript. The main tenor role of Cavaradossi, the doomed romantic hero, seems almost tailor-made for the Tuscan heartthrob. He sings with his customary warm tone and impeccable diction in a portrayal that's sensitive, genuine, and sincere. The highpoint of his performance comes in the aria "E lucevan le stelle," where Bocelli's nuanced and unmannered reading of the heartfelt lover's plea focuses attention on Puccini's sublime music.

Even though Bocelli is the undisputed star of this production, it may be that there's more pressure on Fiorenza Cedolins, his leading lady in the title role. The young soprano acquits herself admirably in a part that demands exceptional vocal and dramatic skills. The opera's villain, the evil Chief of Police Scarpia, is rendered in appropriately malevolent style by the baritone Carlo Guelfi. Zubin Mehta once again mans the podium and provides solid support with the orchestra and chorus of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.