4 minute read

OPERA, INNOVATED

MALTA’S TEATRU MANOEL WILL SOON STAGE PUCCINI’S TOSCA – WITH A DIFFERENCE.

LAURA BONNICI SPEAKS WITH OPERA STAR JOSÉ CURA TO FIND OUT HOW THE PRODUCTION PIONEERS AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO OPERA DESIGN.

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Rebooting a much-loved annual tradition on Teatru Manoel’s almost 300-year-old stage, a new production of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca will be a turning point both for Malta’s national theatre and operatic home, and the world of opera.

Starring, directed and designed by Argentine tenor José Cura, Tosca marks the Manoel’s first full opera since the pandemic and the genesis of a new operatic stage design.

“Tosca involves an orchestra of no less than 60 musicians. The Manoel’s pit fits a maximum of 40. Adding the fact that the stage is narrow – limiting the number of performers to the minimum –then something ‘drastic’ must be done to increase the Manoel’s operatic offering,” explains Cura. “There are only two solutions. Either we cut the orchestra in half, with the resulting loss of dynamic range and the orchestration palette – unthinkable consequences when working in a professional theatre – or we try the solution devised for this production: put the orchestra on stage and the action in front of it, with both ‘worlds’ divided by a decorated curtain. The resulting nearness of the actors to the audience will create such a sense of intimacy that people will have the impression they are part of the story.”

This innovation has nevertheless posed logistical challenges, as Cura highlights: “First among many, the fact of not being in direct contact with the conductor, who we see through monitors, while he hears us through a speaker system. The conductor is the connecting ‘fuse’ between the stage and the pit, so this is an issue we must get used to. Another challenge has been the necessary technical preventions to smooth out the set changes that cannot take place behind the intimacy of a closed curtain.”

An all-star cast of local and international opera stars overcomes these challenges, supported by breath-taking costumes designed by Silvia Collazuol. The Teatru Manoel and Valletta Cultural Agency co-production, in collaboration with Bank of Valletta, features Cura as Cavaradossi, Tanya Ivanova as Tosca and Carlos Almaguer as Scarpia, alongside top Maltese performers including Alan Sciberras,

“For this first experience, we needed a piece that could be designed around the technical complications, including the unwanted traffic jams on the small stage,” Cura shares, shedding light on their choice of Tosca, with its tragic story of passion, jealousy, murder and political intrigue. “Of course, there are operas that do not have a choir and whose number of performers is small enough to fit the Manoel, but these are not part of that handful group of pieces the public is longing to see. So, Tosca had to be the one.”

Following the recent renovation of this architectural gem, Teatru Manoel’s stage design for Tosca also opens doors for other small yet historic theatres worldwide to host major operas.

“We humbly hope – if the result is a winner – that this will enable the Manoel to stage other big operas in the future,” Cura concludes.

“We do not aim to ‘preach’ about the wonders of upsetting the established order. I have been a rebel as long as I can remember, but an honest rebellion can only take place against what’s wrong, not against what works. The Manoel is a space conceived for the representation of other styles. May the efforts of this production show that Malta needs a venue with the technical characteristics that permit the staging of large productions, not only in summer. This would enable the Manoel to dedicate its efforts to those productions that are naturally meant for such a beautiful jewel box that sits proudly in the centre of Valletta.”

Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca will perform at Teatru Manoel in Valletta on 5, 8, 10 and 12 March 2023, with all performances at 7.30pm. This production is suitable for audiences aged 14 and above. Tickets are available via email to bookings@teatrumanoel.mt, telephone on (+356) 2124 6389 or from www.teatrumanoel.mt.

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