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Magic Tosca in Linz. Die Magische Tosca in der Linzer Oper [ Author Michael Daniel Watson ] [ From category THE Articles ] [ Subcategory OperaRail 2015 ] [ Translator Cristian Butnaru ] [ Article date: 2015-03-14 ] [ From city Linz ] [ Country Austria ]   Linz is the third city, as population, in Austria, after Vienna and Graz. It has aprox. 250.000 inhabitants, so it’s as Ploiesti or Oradea with the last one resembeling more in aspect. It has a central market - HauptPlatz :-) - nice and large and is part of the old city zone. A new zone surrounds it, which has a few high glass buildings. The most important touristic element is the Danube, which cuts the city through the middle. As for gradiose places to sing :-) there are only three buildings: BrucknewHaus meaning the philarmonica, Landes Teather, where the old opera were played and Musik Teather were shows are now presented. The last is a new building, ultra modern, with a nice design, predominantly white with black vertical lines. This gives the building a svelte aspect. The entrance is spacious with white murble on the floor - white is predominantly- in the left a huge restaurant, in black and white ofcourse. :-) The curtain is red. Its lifted. In the left a man writes. In the center, three rows of people are seated in desks, facing the public. In front of them a old lady dressed in pink sings an melody that doesn’t belong to Puccini or at least i don’t know it. I thought maybe I mistaken the opera, but after the old lady finishes the people in the desks applaud and the real music and rout begins. Recalcitrants people rush over them, the desks are upside down, people running everywhere and one of them hides from the invaders. The scene becames empty, a few chairs remain on the left and a row of lighted candles in the right. In the back a brown wall, appears to be made of metal sheet or iron, in the background u can spot a skewing cross. ”Herr Maler! ” - ”Signor pittore! ” The sacristan wears a dark blue wrapper just like my high school workshop teacher :-) Mario, in a cream-colored suit, white shirt, brown hair and arabesque conduct. ”Weiche, Satan, Weiche! ” - ”Fuori, Satana! Fuori! ” Mario’s picture can’t be seen and the statue of Virgin Mary is still backwards. "Gheheimmisvole Hearmonie! " - "Recooonditaaaaarmoniiiia! " Angelotti, the one that hided away earlier from the invaders, is in a grey suit, white shirt, glasses, a nerdy aspect. The only elements that ”gives” the aspect of a convict are a missing shoe and torn trouser leg. "Hier ist Essen und Wein." - "In questo panier v`è cibo e vino! " ”Die braunne Floria”, ”brown Floria”, appears slightly plumpish, chesty, in a long golden dress with orange and an arm full of flower of the same colours. "Heute Abend sing ich." - "Sta sera canto." "Meinne Zauberieim! " - "Mia sirena! " "Sie ist zu schön! " - "E troppo bella! " "Aber mal ihr schwarze Augen! " - "Ma falle gli occhi neri! " Scarpia entreissen! Scarpia scelerato! Black suit, black cloak, long black hair slightly turned grey tied at the back, short beard, black gloves and shoes, brings more of a chinnese warrior. His people have, predominantly, brown or dark orange suits, which makes him stand out even more. "Die Fächer! " - "Il ventaio! " "Der Korb! " - "Il paniere! " "Leer! Leer! " - "Vuoto! Vuoto! " Floria asks ”die Beweise” - ”La prova”, then she takes the painting sketch, left by Mario near the painting and swears revenge. "In der Kirche? " - "In chiesa? " But the poison is already taking effect-"Schön wirkt das Gift" -, and Tosca leaves, leaving her long orange scarf in the hands of Scarpia, which he smells, delighted or perverted, depending on which old lady describes the scene :-) "Drei Leute! Einen Wagen! Geh! Rasch! " - "Tre zbiri! Una carozza! Va! Presto! " Geh, Tosca! Va, Tosca! Coming up next... the magic! The wall behind the scene was made of thick metal, two huge plates, with oblique cuts. When the ”Te deum” started, the plates slowly strayed, stopping when the opening was in a form of a huge cross, inclined at 30 degrees. In the back, on a hatch angels were slowly lifted and from above, in the same rythm, other angels were descending. All stopped in the interior of the cross, being accompanied in the background by a blue canvas lighted in white, discretly. The image created is just amazing, exactly the type for which the expression”A picture worths more than a thousand words”. "Tosca ist ein guter Falke." - "Tosca e buon falco." A servant lights the candles on the desk in a space with the ceiling very low, leaving the impression of a small room and slightly choking. I can’t explain why, because the stage was tall enough soo there is plenty of space above, but i was about to find out later. On the desk, a few golden or yellow copper cups, the scketch of Mario’s painting, in front a chest, somewhere a mirror and in the side back a case in which there is a... tree. The back doors are opened so that Floria’s song can be heard, in the room two dames enter, with large dresses, as at royal courts. One enters in the case (as a play) near the tree, Scarpia shares his vision about”God’s fruits”, so he shows us two exemples: he takes the girl from the case and puts her with her tits on the desk, lift her dress and scews her from the back. After, she is put aside, and the second girl is next. With her ass on the desk, looking at him, he spreads her legs and screws her too. After this he drives then away with disgust, but the ladies are laughing contemptuous when leaving room. Maybe they didn’t felt a thing, i think! :-) Mario is brought but also the Sacristan as witness! Then Tosca, in a long red dress. Scarpia shows her scarf, first as a trofee, then she puts it gently on his shoulders. "Dumme Eifersucht! Er war allein! " - "Stupida gelosia! El era solo! " "Welch ein Feuer! " - "Quanto fuoooco! " A real fire starts! Its above Scarpia desk, there Mario is tied with long ropes from the ceiling and tortured! The torture chamber is lighted in a pale blue, in the center a burnig fire, center- right is Mario, and on the left side a table at which the judge sits. "Ich weiss nichts! " - "Non so nuuullla! Non so nuuullla! " "Stärker! Stärker! " - "Piu forte! Piu forte! " The henchman puts a metal thorn crown on Mario’s head and tightens it. The Sacristan is brought. He’s terrified of what he sees and prays on his knees to the judge. In the fire the spearhead is turning red. "Aaaaaaaa! ", the henchman puts the burning spear on his hand. "Im Brunnen im Garten! " - "In pozzo del giardino! " "Tosca, bis du est? Hast du geredet? " "Tosca, is that you? Have you spoken? " Mario is brought roughly, rapped in a cloth. Next ”Viktoooooria! ” Scarpia is desperate, he hates so much Mario, burns the letter which delivered the bad news, the servants leave and enter in a hurry, saving what they can from that room. Only the large objects remain the desk, case, a chair, mirror and thechest. "Abendessen unterbrochen", Scarpia’s dinner is interupted. This gives Flora "Wein aus Spanien", wine from Spain. "Wieviel? Der Preis? " - "Quanto? Il prezzo? " "Du bist frei! " - "Sei libera! " but Floria doesn’t leave, soo Scarpia puts her down and gets on top of her. The Chinnese (it really was a Chinnese bariton! ) was very expresive and convicing in his role. "Die Trommel" - "Il tamburo" Then... "Ich lebte fur die Kunst! Ich lebte fur die Liebe! " "Vissi d`arte! Vissi d`amore! " All the voices, except Spolleta, were good or really good. "Tosca, bist du mein! " - "Tosca, finalmente mia! " "Erstickst du im blut? Erstickst du im blut? " - "Ti soffoca il sangue? Ti soffoca il sangue? " Tosca stabs the knife many times. "Er ist tot! " - "E morto! " "Und vor ihn zitterte ganz Rom! " "E in fronte di lui tremava tutta Roma! " Blows the candles and heads towards the exit. When the drums beat in the gently- terrifing velvet of music, Scarpia rolls one more time, creating, along with the drums, cold shivers along the spine. Like the last two, the third act had his moment of magic. By this i mean, a brilliant idea at set-up, the type that make the moment last for a ong time on the retina. The instrumental moment at the begging of the act is most of the time poorly explored by directors. But here the idea was clever and simple, almost brilliant. It’s quiet. The background is large, scene empty, in the back a wall about one meter high, almost as long as the scene. Behind the iron wall with rusty aspect, the 2D contour of the Archangel Mihail statue on top of Sant’Angelo castle in Rome. The dominant light is blue, Mario is in the middle of the scene fallen on his belly. The first chords of the most beatifull aria are starting to sound. Mario starts to cuddle. From the left Angelotti slowly enter the scene with the strap around his neck! A model of Tosca dress appears from the right and crosses the scene slowly, from other parts arrive Sacristan holding on his arm the dress used beforeas proof, the henceman holding the spear with the head turned red, and in the back Scarpia himself, in his knees, asking for forgivness to a pope! Then Scarpia get up, and assists as spectator while the other four encircle Mario. He gets on his knees very hardand looks desperatly at the ghosts surrounding him. Then the four exit, after them, Scarpia. Mario collapses on his belly, drags and with a chunk of cholk writes down: L I B E R T È Then... "Und die Sterne glanzten! " "E lucevan le stelle! " "O, süsse küsse! " "O, dolci baaaci! " Mario has a white shirt stained with blood. Tosca appears in a garnet velvet dress, having a bag and black handgloves. "Ihr süssen Hände! " - "O dolce maaani! " Tosca bandages him, she heals him with medical alcohol. :-) They are dreaming to be "Frei" - "Free"! "Es ist Zeit! " - "E l`ora! " The execution pluton shoots Mario "Auf! Auf! Jetzt! Auf! " - "Su! Su! Presto! Su! " Tosca pulls a gun out of her bag, threating Scarpia men, goes behind the scene, puts the gun to her head, the move has the role to keep at distance the people. Climbs the statue (on her back) and jumps from there. "O, Scarpia, auf denn zu Gott! "

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