"Tosca" - the fifth and one of the most frequently performed operas by Puccini - was written under the impression of Sarah Bernhardt's performance in the eponymous play by the popular Parisian playwright of the Second Empire, Victorien Sardou. The drama attracted the interest of both Verdi and Francketti, but through the efforts of the publisher Ricordi, the rights for the production went to Puccini. Triumphantly premiered in 1900 at La Scala, "Tosca" combines tragic conflict with the lyricism of romantic experiences. The action refers to Italy during the invasion of Napoleonic troops. The plot of the opera is linked to historical events: the singer Floria Tosca and her beloved artist Mario Cavaradossi, inadvertently caught up in political confrontation, become victims of the cruel police chief Scarpia, who is consumed by passion for Floria. Puccini, inclined towards rapid dramaturgy, rejects elaborate arias, preferring shorter but striking musical episodes. The growing internal dynamics of the opera and its melodic richness provide special expressiveness, and the vivid images of the main characters - the graceful and passionate Tosca, the romantic and noble Cavaradossi, the ruthless and cunning Scarpia - are revealed in leitmotifs and find resolution in the now-classic arias. Director - Stanislav Gaudasinsky. For more performances in St. Petersburg, check out our website in the theater section. Where to go in Petersburg? We tell you on KudaGo.