UMS Concert Program, November 20, 1966: Tosca -- Julius Rudel

Season: Eighty-eighth
Concert: Third
Complete Series: 3537
Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan

1966 Eighty-eighth Season 1967
UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Charles A. Sink, President Gail W. Rector, Executive Director Lester McCoy, Conductor
Third Program Twenty-first Annual Extra Series Complete Series 3537
NEW YORK CITY OPERA JULIUS RUDEL, General Director
TOSCA
An Opera in Three Acts Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by L. Illica and G. Giacosa Based on a drama by Victor Sardou
Sunday Afternoon, November 20, 1966, at 2:30 Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
ARS LONGA VITA BREVIS
CAST
Floria Tosca............Jeannine Crader
Mario Cavaradossi..........Placido Domingo
Baron Scarpia...........Sherrill Milnes
Cesare Angelotti...........Edward Pierson
Spoletta..............Nico Castel
A Sacristan.............Jack Bittner
Siarrone............William Ledbetter
A Shepherd.............Joan August
jailer...............Don Yule
A Cardinal.............Richard Park
Conductor: Julius Rudel
Entire Production devised and directed by Tito Capobianco Assistant to Mr. Capobianco: Elena Denda
TIME: June 1800 PLACE: Rome
ACT I--Interior of the Church of Sant'Andrea della Valle ACT II--The Farnese Palace ACT III--Citadel of the Castel Sant'Angelo
SYNOPSIS
ACT I
Cesare Angelotti, a political prisoner, steals into the Church of Sant-Andrea delle Valle and takes refuse in the Attavanti Chapel. The Sacristan enters with paint brushes for the painter Mario Cavaradossi, who is at work on a picture of Mary Magdalen. He is scandalized that the Magdalen resembles a beautiful blond woman who has been coming daily to the church, and inveighs against Cavaradossi's impiety. After the Sacristan leaves, Angelotti emerges from the Chapel and joyfully recognizes Cavaradossi as one who sympathizes with the republican cause and they greet each other. Tosca's voice is heard, calling Mario, and Angelotti hides again. She enters and asks Mario to meet her that evening after her performance. As she i sabout to leave, she sees the blond Magdalena and her jealousy is aroused. Cavaradossi per?suades her that he does not even know the identity of the lady who served as his model as she prayed. The lovers part affectionately. Angelotti re-enters. The blond beauty is Angelotti's sister, the Marchesa Attavanti. She has concealed a women's costume and fan behind the altar to serve Angelotti as a getaway disguise. A cannot shot is heard from the Castel Sant'Angelo; the escape has been discovered. The two men leave in haste. The Sacristan enters with great news; Bonaparte and the Republican forces have been crushed. While the choir boys excitedly prepare for the ensuin gcelebration, Karon Scarpia and his police agents appear. They have traced the fugitive to the church. Scarpia now finds another clue--the fan bearing the Attavanti crest, which Angelotti has dropped. Tosca returns to tell Mario that she cannot join him that evening, as she must sing in the victory celebration and is perturbed not to find him there. Scarpia. who has long desired her, sees his opportunity to arouse Tosca's jealousy and through her discover the fugitive's hideout. He shows her the fan of the Marchesa Attavanti. Consumed with jealousy, she leaves weeping, thinking she has been betrayed. Scarpia orders his spies to follow her. and gloats over the impending realization of his double goal; Cavaradossi on the gallows. Tosca in his arms. The church fills with worshippers for the service. The Cardinal blesses the throng, as Scarpia prays.
ACT II
That evening Scarpia is dining in his apartment in the Farnese Palace. He knows Tosca is in the Palace for the celebration and sends her a note asking to see her. The police agent, Spoletta, reports that he followed Tosca to Cavaradossi's villa, but had not found Angelotti there. However, he had arrested Cavaradossi, who is now brought in. Scarpia orders the painter to reveal Angelotti's hiding place, but the latter refuses. Tosca enters in great anxiety as Cavaradossi is led away to the torture-chamber. She skillfully evades Scarpia's questions. However, when she hears her lover's cries from the adjoining room, her spirit breaks and unable to bear Mario's agony any longer, she reveals Angelotti's hiding place. Cavaradossi is
brought in, bloody and faint. Sciarrone, a policeman, arrives with the news that Bonapart and the Republican army have triumphed at Marango. Cavaradossi, beside himself with joy, pre?dicts Scarpia's downfall. The latter, in a fury, orders him to be executed and he is taken out. Tosca now knows the manner of man she is dealing with and asks his price for releasing Cavaradossi. Scarpia reveals his passion; the price is herself. Tosca, horrified, pleads with him, but in vain. Spolctta arrives with the news that, as they approached Angelotti, he killed himself. Scarpia forces Tosca to a decision. Realizing that there is no other way to save Mario, she assents. Scarpia explains that he cannot pardon Mario openly; the painter will have to go through a mock execution. He gives Spoletta orders to that effect, although couched in such a way that Spoletta divines Scarpia's real intention. Tosca then demands a safe-conduct for herself and her lover to leave Rome, and permission to bring him the news himself. Scarpia complies. While he is writing the safe-conduct, she notices a knife on the supper table. She picks it up and stabs him.
ACT III
At dawn the next morning Cavaradossi is led onto a platform of the Castel Cant'Angelo. He asks to be allowed to write a farewell letter to Tosca. Tosca appears, shows him the safe-conduct and explains that the execution will only be a sham. He questions how she succeeded in moving Scarpia to clemency, and she tells him of the murder. She bids him feign death when the rifles sound, and not to move till she tells him to. The soldiers enter and lead Mario to the place of execution. They fire and he falls. When they have left, Tosca runs to him and bids him rise. When he does not move, she realizes that he is dead. Spoletta and Sciarrone arrive seeking Tosca for the murder of Scarpia. They try to seize her, but she climbs up to a parapet and throws herself off.
NEW YORK CITY OPERA
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
General Director..............Julius Rudel
Associate Director.............John S. White
Music Administrator.............Felix Popper
Director of Musical Studies..........Thomas P. Martin
Assistant to the Directors...........Ruth M. Hider
Ford Foundation Administrative Intern........Daniel R. Rule
Secretaries...........Joan Davis, Rosalind Nadell
General Press Representatives.........Nat & Irvin Dorfman
PRODUCTION STAFF
Company Manager............Catherine Parsons
Technical Director............Hans Sondheimer
Stage Managers...........Dan Butt, Chris Goodyear
Costumer...............J. Edgar Joseph
Make-up...............Ted Marctnkowski
Orchestra Personnel Manager...........Secondo Proto
Wardrobe Mistress.............Joyce Burevitch
Wardrobe Master..............James Neely
Director of Ballet.............Thomas Andrew
Staging Assistant.............David Bamberoer
Conductors and Musical Staff:
David Effron, Roland Gagnon, Anton Guadagno, Thomas P. Martin
Felix Popper, Julius Rudel, Dean Ryan, Charles Wilson.
New York City Opera Ensemble:
Arlene Adler, Joan August, Ronald Bentley, Don Carlo, Harris Davis, Anthea de Forest, Philip Erikson, Joseph Galiano, Pearle Goldsmith, Harriet Greene, Don Henderson, Lila Herbert, Robert Lee Kelly, Jodell Renting, Dan Kingman, Karl Patrick Krause, Alan Olscn, Donna Owen, Hanna Owen, Richard Park, Charlotte Povia, Joaquin Romaguera, Maria West, Marie Young, Don Yule.
The New York City Opera will present The Consul (Gian Carlo Menotti) this evening at S:00 P.M.
UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY
INTERNATIONAL PRESENTATIONS
George Frederick Handel
December 2 and 3, 8:30; December 4, 2:30
In Hill Auditorium
Joan Moynagh, Soprano Loren Driscoll, Tenor
Carol Smith, Mezzo-Soprano Thomas Paul, Bass
University Choral Union and Soloists
Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra
Mary McCall Stubbins, Organist; Marilyn Mason, Harpsichordist
Lester McCoy, Conductor Tickets: $2.50--$2.00--$1.50--$1.00
at
Performed by the New York Pro Musica
in the Sanctuary of the First Methodist Church Thursday, Friday, Saturday, December 8, 9 and 10 at 8:30
Tickets: Main Floor, $5.00 and $4.00; Balcony: $4.00; and ($3.00 seats, sold out)
Chamber Music Festival
in Rackham Auditorium
BORODIN QUARTET (from Moscow) . . 8:30, Friday, February 17 STOCKHOLM KYNDEL STRING QUARTET 8:30, Saturday, February 18 TRIO ITALIANO d'ARCHI.....2:30, Sunday, February 19
Series Tickets: $8.00--$6.00--$5.00. Single Concerts: $4.00--$3.00--$2.00
1967 MAY FESTIVAL--April 22, 23, 24, 25 (Five Concerts). Orders for series tickets accepted and filed beginning December 1.
For tickets and information, address UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY, Burton Tower