For the ninth year, the National Opera is offering our unemployed fellow citizens the opportunity to attend an impressive opera production at the Herodeion for free, with the aim of making opera accessible to all
The National Opera is offering 1,500 free seats to the unemployed in the general test of Giacomo Puccini’s popular opera Tosca, Friday, May 31at 21.00 at the Herodos Atticus Conservatory.
For the ninth year, the National Opera is offering our unemployed fellow citizens the opportunity to watch an impressive opera production at the Herodeion for free, with the aim of making opera accessible to everyone.
Tosca, a unique operatic thriller, is the masterpiece of the composer’s masterpiece aligned with the ideals of verismo – the Italian movement of naturalism. Rightly one of the most popular operas in the repertoire, where the insane passions are underlined by Giacomo Puccini’s highly evocative music.
The production, which will be presented for four performances on June 1, 2, 6 and 11, 2024 at Herodeion, is conducted by the acclaimed chief musician and Artistic Director of the Athens State Orchestra Loukas Karytinos, while the direction, sets and costumes are by the acclaimed director Hugo de ‘Ana. The revival of the direction is signed by Katerina Petsatodis. Starring great Greek and foreign soloists with international acclaim.
The distribution of free tickets for the general test of “Tosca” – with the presentation of unemployment card/certificate and ID card – will be until the tickets are sold out at Funds of the National Opera at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (L. Syggrou 364, Kallithea / tel. center: 2130885700), on Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 May 2024, from 11.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.
It is noted that the each unemployment card/certificate holder can get up to two tickets.
A few words about Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca
With the popular Tosca by Giacomo Puccini, the National Opera opens its program Athens Epidaurus Festival at the Herodes Atticus Conservatory at 1, 2, 6 and 11 June 2024musically directed by Loukas Karytinou, direction, sets and costumes by Hugo de Ana and revival directed by Katerina Pesatodis.
Tosca, a unique operatic thriller, had its world premiere in 1900 in Rome. Rightly one of the most popular operas in the repertoire, where the insane passions are underlined by Giacomo Puccini’s highly evocative music. It was presented for the first time by ELS in 1942 at the Summer Theater of Klathmonos square, with the nineteen-year-old Maria Kalogeropoulou (later Callas) in the title role, and since then it has been presented very often due to strong public demand.
Summary
THE Floria Toscaan opera diva, is a woman madly in love, who is pathologically jealous of her partner. Baron Scarpia, a dark man with absolute power, delights in the pain of his victims. Between the two is the lover and pure patriot Mario Cavaradossi, who is driven to death, not for his ideas, but for possessing Tosca, whom Scarpia lusts after. The machine is well set: no one will escape Scarpia’s traps.
The narrative plot of Tosca includes a series of fundamental human issues: love, jealousy, perverted lust, faith in friendship. And despite the fact that death seals the play, nevertheless the essence of the plot of the play is the lifeless division of the heroine, who is faced with a nightmarish dilemma.
Hugo de Anna’s Tosca – a production first staged in 2012 at Herodio – is exciting, dramatic and completely consistent with the spirit of the composer, as well as with the historical context to which the libretto refers. The impressive scenery, a huge cross with the crucifix, a holy bank, a painting workshop are framed by spectacular projections of monuments of Rome, religious symbols, but also videos that give a cinematic dimension to the production.
For Tosca, the National Opera has secured the participation of leading opera stars with international renown. In the leading role, the audience will have the opportunity to see and hear the great sopranos Yevgenia Muravieva (1 & 6/6) and Tselia Kostea (2 & 11/6).
Director’s note
Without a doubt and not coincidentally, Tosca is among Puccini’s most popular operas. Puccini wished to compose a melodic opera: he wanted to create music that comes from the heart and speaks to the heart. In this regard, the musician appears inseparable from the “man of the theater”, just as the “melodist” cannot be separated from the “harmonist”. In his music, the character of the stage persons, the colors and the gestures of the performers can be clearly distinguished. He used to say: “I do theater, I visualize the stage action.” For this reason, more than his other works, Tosca marks the passage into the field of verismo (insistence on realistic details, search for stage effects with intense nuances, heightened emotions, such as love, hatred, the spirit of sacrifice, love of the country…), including even harsh, morbid aspects, as well as fragmentary, charged dialogues of intense drama. The well-known case, a story of passionate love between Floria Tosca and Mario Cavaradossi, has as its background a political situation in which the ideals of freedom and justice are flourishing in contrast to the despotic and cruel rule of Scarpia, who with diabolical way determines a flow of developments that brings about his own demise, the condemnation of Tosca’s lover and her own spectacular suicide: “O Scarpia, before God!”. — Hugo De Ana
Coefficients
Opera * Revival
Tosca
Giacomo Puccini
As part of the Athens Epidaurus Festival
1, 2, 6, 11 June 2024 * Start time: 21.00
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Music director: Loukas Karytinos
Direction, sets, costumes: Hugo de Ana
Revival directed by: Katerina Petsatodis
Video projections: Sergio Metalli – Ideogamma SRL
Lighting: Vinicio Kelly
Revival of lighting: Christos Tziogas
Choir director: Agathangelos Georgakatos
Children’s choir director: Konstantina Pitsiakou
Floria Tosca: Yevgenia Muravieva (1 & 6/6) / Chelia Costea (2 & 11/6)
Mario Cavarandossi: Riccardo Massi (1 & 6/6) / Carl Tanner (2 & 11/6)
Baron Scarpia: Tassis Christogiannopoulos (1 & 6/6) / Giannis Giannisis (2 & 11/6)
Cesare Angelotti: Tasos Apostolou
Neokoros: Petros Magoulas
Sarrone / Warden: Vangelis Maniatis
Shepherd: Evita Chioti
Spoletta: Yiannis Kalivas
With the Orchestra, Choir and Children’s Choir of the Hellenistic Greek Orthodox Church, as part of its educational mission
Ticket prices: €25, €45, €55, €60, €85, €100
Student, child: €15 / Disabled: €15
Pre-sale at the Hellenistic Funds (9.00-21.00 daily | 2130885700), the publishing houses of the Athens Epidaurus Festival and online at aefestival.gr & more.com
Sponsors MYTILINEOS & EUROBANK
ELS Major Donor Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)
Source :Skai
I am Frederick Tuttle, who works in 247 News Agency as an author and mostly cover entertainment news. I have worked in this industry for 10 years and have gained a lot of experience. I am a very hard worker and always strive to get the best out of my work. I am also very passionate about my work and always try to keep up with the latest news and trends.
