Tosca steels herself in the “Vissi d’ arte” the most famous aria from the opera. The humanity Van Kooten gave the heroine made the steely resolve she displayed at the end more impressive and admirable. She played Tosca’s jealousy as an endearing quirk, stemming from her insecurity as a famous performer in the public eye.

With a rich, warm voice and charismatic stage presence, Van Kooten brought Tosca to life. The joy Pittas brought to the character made Cavaradossi’s farewell to life in the aria “E lucevan le stelle” all the more heartbreaking, and Pittas imbued it with passion and musicality. Cavaradossi’s first aria, “Recondita Armonia”, is an artist’s ode to female beauty, and Pittas delivered it with a mellow, naturalistic tone and a sense of joie de vie. Pittas’s clear, powerful tenor rose effortlessly above Puccini’s full orchestration, and his bearing and movements helped create a likable and engaging character. Their chemistry was genuine as they flirted, embraced, and kissed. The couples’ banter is the stuff of romantic comedy, and Pittas and Van Kooten drew laughs from the audience as they delivered the lines from their duet. Tosca becomes jealous when she realizes the model for the painting is woman she knows, and Cavaradossi lovingly reassures her that Tosca is the only woman he loves. In their first scene together, Tosca comes to visit Cavaradossi at the Church of Sant’ Andrea della Valle where he is working on a painting of Mary Magdalene. Utah Opera’s vibrant, faithful production, which opened Saturday, was the high point of the company’s current season.Īs Tosca and her lover Mario Cavaradossi, Katie Van Kooten and Dimitri Pittas, made a winning couple. Their story is told at the brisk pace of an episode of Law and Order and is underscored by beautiful melodies over lush, full orchestrations. Although the couple we’re rooting for dies in the end, they die heroically, after vanquishing the story’s villain and glorying in their love for one another. Rarely does a tragedy feel as triumphant as Puccini’s Tosca. Katie Van Kooten and Dimitri Pittas star in Puccini’s Tosca at Utah Opera.

Tosca opera sarasota