Tosca at SFO

Last Thursday's "Tosca" was a solid performance, although a certain musty provincial quality was on display. In the title role, Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka displayed a healthy instrument of good size and weight, but her characterization felt dutiful rather than inspired. The Uruguayan tenor Carlo Ventre began with more than a suggestion of a wobble, but this dissipated as he warmed up, and his "E lucevan le stelle" was very well received. Along the way he produced the requisite volume and high notes, but without much style or personality; there was little acting on display, although he is not without stage presence. The voice, while relatively graceless, is not small. Georgian baritone Lado Ataneli was a more satisfying Scarpia, with some detailed and specific acting and a good voice of power and amplitude, lacking only real individuality. Jordan Bisch was a capable Angelotti, and Joel Sorensen a fine Spoletta. The orchestra played well for Marco Armilliato, and the chorus was imposing in the "Te Deum" that closes Act 1.

The 1997 production, which recreates the inaugural SFO mounting of the opera, looks cheap, but it's serviceable. Younger opera-goers may never have seen painted flats before. In these days of financial uncertainty, the Opera company is fortunate to have a no-nonsense production to deploy economically.