We are exploring timeless arias from Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca.
The contrast between the heroines of two famous operas, Bizet’s Carmen and Puccini’s Tosca, is fascinating. Carmen is self-centered and cunning, jumping from lover to lover and breaking their hearts in the process.
In contrast, Tosca is the ideal of innocence. She easily gets jealous, but it is out of complete devotion and love. She is willing to sacrifice herself for her love and ends up killing for love. Tosca is the opposite of Carmen, who uses her freedom and sexuality as power, discarding lovers when they bore her, while Tosca’s entire world revolves around her love for Cavaradossi.
There is of course another way to look at Carmen, and maybe this is why millions of people are in love with the opera. Carmen embodies sexual liberation and independence, moving between lovers according to her own desires and refusing to be possessed by any man. She views love as temporary pleasure rather than binding commitment.
Here’s the aria “Recondita armonia” (“Hidden harmony”).
Cavaradossi is musing on the mysterious harmony between his dark-eyed Tosca and the blonde Madonna he’s painting – Puccini’s clever blend of artistic expression and jealousy sets the stage.
