Anna Netrebko delivered a tour de force as Tosca at the Royal Opera House, silencing critics who gathered outside Covent Garden with Ukrainian flags, where anti-Putin demonstrators were also present.
Tully Potter, writing for the Daily Mail, called the performance redeemed by a great diva and said Netrebko's rendition of Vissi d'arte was among the finest he has heard. Inside the auditorium, Netrebko sang with intensity and variety, and at 54 she anchored the prima donna role in a way that suggested she was born to raise the rafters of the house.
The production, however, drew criticism for an ill conceived updating by ROH artistic director Oliver Mears. Simon Lima Holdsworth's Act 2 set was described as a bland City office, lacking a desk or table for Scarpia and undermining the drama's power. Act 3 was truncated, and the overall updating robbed the opera of atmosphere. The reviewer noted that the church in Act 1 looked as if bombed and that the stage chaos around Tosca sapped the work’s mood.
Jakub Hrusa, the ROH's new music director, drew a cohesive frame from the orchestra and chorus, allowing Netrebko to shape her Tosca with imperious control. Gerald Finley as Baron Scarpia was still formidable, though the updating muted some of the character’s menace. Freddie De Tommaso as Mario Cavaradossi boomed through his scenes with a healthy pair of lungs, while he would benefit from conserving energy for longer performances. The production's supporting roles, including Raphy Laming as the offstage shepherd boy, provided moments of musical and atmospheric lift.
Tosca continues at the Royal Opera House through Oct. 11, with Netrebko's final performance scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 21. While the staging drew debate, the critic concluded that Netrebko's singing carried the evening and reinforced her status as a leading Tosca of her generation.