Tosca Exercise Program

"Compare and contrast," the essay instructions often began. "Open your Blue Book and begin writing." Bet no colleges kids write their essays in longhand, blue or black ink, in a Blue Book exam booklet now. They probably turn in their essay burned on a cd. Bet they are still comparing and contrasting, though.

I'm prepping for the March ninth Dallas Opera's "Tosca" now with two-a-day workouts. Some coaches would berate me in the locker room for not focusing on next Sunday's game, "Porgy and Bess". I'm looking forward to that performance, but I've known that music almost from birth. "Tosca" is new territory for me. I didn't play it in the preseason, but I did read an historical novel last year that pivoted on the opera's premiere in Rome in 1900.

When I was first embarking on my opera hobby, a dear friend gave me a recording by Mario Frangoulis called "Sometimes I Dream". I didn't realize the achingly beautiful song set to a backbeat was a famous aria from "Tosca". A couple years later I found the same music on an orchestral cd of opera favorites. I pop that cd in the player often during preschool naptime. It's so nice to have an almost-siesta with music after lunch!

Months ago I borrowed an Australian Opera video of "Tosca" from the library to get a sense of the plot and staging. Then I began to understand the "E lucevan le stelle" aria in the context of the story.

Tonight I'm able to compare and contrast two very different recordings. On the small cd player in the dining room I've got Andrea Bocelli singing the role of Mario Cavaradossi. On the computer Windows Media Player it's Giuseppe Di Stafano. Fred Plotkin's Opera 101 is open on the desk, with its readable guide to listening to this heartbreaking lament. I run back and forth playing bits of each recording. Maybe if I moved the cd player upstairs it would count as step aerobics rushing between the players. Still don't know which tears my heart more. The English translation cannot begin to explain this well of emotion:

And the stars were shining,
and the earth smelled sweet,
the garden gate scraped,
and a step brushed the sand.
She came in, fragrant,
and fell into my arms.
Oh! sweet kisses, oh! languid caresses,
while I, trembling,
released her lovely features from their veils!
My dream of love has vanished forever.
The moment is gone, and I die in despair!
And I never have loved life so much!
Comparing sounds is very difficult for me. My little students use a set of hollow cylinders filled with sand and gravel to discriminate and match sounds. They are all better at it than this old gal.


© 2008 Nancy L. Ruder