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Sung in Italian with surtitles in English and Welsh (in theatres in Wales)

Running time approximately 2 hours 45 minutes

Tosca is sponsored by

Act II
Scarpia’s apartments in the Palazzo Farnese

Scarpia sits at his supper and relishes the thought of his plan. A gavotte is being played elsewhere in the palace, where the Queen’s celebrations are in full swing. Scarpia’s agents bring Cavaradossi in for questioning, but he denies any knowledge of Angelotti’s whereabouts. While Scarpia proceeds with his interrogation, Tosca is heard singing her cantata. Scarpia, getting nowhere with the painter, slams the window shut and blocks out the sound of the music. Tosca soon arrives in response to Scarpia’s note that he has sent her earlier. Cavaradossi is taken into the adjoining room and tortured severely to make him betray Angelotti’s hiding-place. Tosca cannot bear the sound of his cries of agony, and tells Scarpia that Angelotti is hiding in the well in the garden of Cavaradossi’s villa. Scarpia orders the torture to cease, and Cavaradossi is brought in suffering terribly from his wounds. But news arrives of Napoleon’s victory at Marengo, and Cavaradossi revives enough to express his joy. This is enough to sign his death-warrant, and he is taken away for execution. Tosca begs Scarpia for mercy, and Spoletta brings more news: Angelotti has been found, but at the moment of his arrest he killed himself. Scarpia tells Tosca that it will soon be her lover’s turn to die, unless she is prepared to exchange her favours for his life. Tosca agrees to the bargain, and Scarpia tells Spoletta to arrange a mock-execution, but uses a secret message to indicate that the execution should in fact take place. Spoletta goes. Scarpia signs a warrant for a safe-conduct for Tosca and Cavaradossi, but as he turns to embrace her she seizes a knife from the supper-table, and stabs him to death.

Act III
The Platform of the Castel Sant’Angelo

An hour before dawn, a shepherd boy is heard singing in the distance. Cavaradossi is brought up from his cell, and turns his last thoughts to Tosca. She arrives, having left the Palace undetected, and tells him how she has arranged a fake execution with Scarpia and then killed him. He must feign death at the fusillade, and lie there until she comes to tell him that it is safe to go. They dream of their future happiness together. The soldiers appear on the platform and hold the execution. After the firing-party has left, Tosca tells Cavaradossi to rise, but he does not answer her. To her horror, she realises that he is dead and she has been betrayed. She hears Scarpia’s men pursuing her: they have found his body. Spoletta and the soldiers rush onto the platform to arrest her, but she climbs the parapet and leaps to her death.

Click here to watch Simon Rees' guided tour of Rome