Pentatone releases Puccini: Tosca, together with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, conductor Carlo Montanaro and a cast of soloists including Melody Moore, Ștefan Pop and Lester Lynch, in November 2023.
Passionate Rendition Of Puccini’s Electrifying Score
The Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and conductor Carlo Montanaro present a powerful interpretation of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca, together with a cast of soloists including Melody Moore (Tosca), Ștefan Pop (Cavaradossi) and Lester Lynch (Scarpia). Tosca has been an audience favourite from the onset. Premiered in 1900, it marks the beginning of twentieth-century opera, in which sex, violence and the uncanny abysses of the human psyche would be explored, inspiring composers to expand the musical means of expression in all thinkable ways. Until today, Tosca has lost none of its expressive power, and Puccini’s intricate score deserves to be taken seriously. Its symphonic qualities are fully brought out by the inspired playing of the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, led by the seasoned maestro Carlo Montanaro. Melody Moore, Ștefan Pop and Lester Lynch bring the passionate, electrifying score to life with performances of dazzling power.
The splendid cast is completed by Kevin Short (Angelotti), Alexander Köpeczi (Un Sagrestano), Colin Judson (Spoletta), Georg Streuber (Sciarrone), Axel Scheidig (Un Carceriere), and Lean Miray Yüksel (Un Pastore). The members of Rundfunkchor Berlin and Kinderchor der Deutschen Oper Berlin add their marvelous choral sound to the recording, culminating in the famous Te Deum.
Melody Moore and Lester Lynch both have a vast Pentatone discography, including complete opera recordings as well as solo recitals. The Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin also has a long history with the label, having recorded multiple orchestral works, as well as Wagner’s ten mature operas, often in collaboration with the Rundfunkchor Berlin. Ștefan Pop and Carlo Montanaro make their Pentatone debut.
“In the end, there is no place for true love in a world governed by power, violence, and terror. By
Kasper van Kooten – Head of Catalogue, Product and Curation, PENTATONE
displaying this world of power, violence and terror, Puccini expanded his music-dramatic style and
means of musical expression, showing a new side of his musical persona. At the same time, he
managed to keep the lyrical love music on board that had secured his fame, realizing a work that is
both highly original and genuinely Puccinian, and, moreover, much more sophisticated than some
of its critics tend to admit. This powerful mix may well explain why audiences are still swept away by
the opera.”
“What an experience it was – in the midst of Covid surge – to land in Berlin, record and perform TOSCA and meet a company of FABULOUS musicians and future friends. We have all continued to keep in touch as we made magic and our bond was unforgettable. I cannot wait to offer our work up publicly and bask in this EPIC score over and over.”
Melody Moore
Artists
Melody Moore, Soprano (Floria Tosca, a famous singer)
Ștefan Pop, Tenor (Mario Cavaradossi, a painter)
Lester Lynch, Baritone (Il Barone Scarpia, the chief of police)
Kevin Short, Bass Cesare (Angelotti, the former Consul of the Roman Republic)
Colin Judson, Tenor (Spoletta, a police agent)
Alexander Köpeczi, Bass (Il Sagrestano, the sacristan)
Georg Streuber, Baritone (Sciarrone, a police agent)
Axel Scheidig, Bass (Un Carceriere, a jailer)
Lean Miray Yüksel, Soprano (Un Pastore, a shepherd boy)
Kinderchor der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Chorus Master: Christian Lindhorst
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Chorus Master: Ines Kaun
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin
Concertmaster: Rainer Wolters
Assistant to the conductor: Jonathan Santagada
Conducted by Carlo Montanaro
A San Francisco Classical Recording Company Production
Digital Release Date: 17 NOVEMBER 2023
Physical Release: NOVEMBER 2023
Released as 2 SACDs and in digital formats for streaming and high-resolution downloads.
