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At the church of Sant’Andrea della Valle, escaped political prisoner Cesare Angelotti is searching for the hidden key to the Attavanti family chapel. He locates it and disappears into the chapel to hide. A Sacristan enters the church, followed a short time later by the painter Mario Cavaradossi. Cavaradossi resumes work on his latest painting, the Maddalena, portrayed as a stunning blue-eyed, curly headed blond. While the woman he paints, the Marchesa Attavanti, is lovely, it is his lover Floria Tosca, the famous opera singer, he thinks about as he carries on his work. When the Sacristan leaves, Angelotti comes out of his hiding place. Cavaradossi tells him to hide – he has heard the voice of his beloved Tosca.
When she enters, Tosca demands to know why the door was locked. Was he entertaining another woman? Cavaradossi tries to appease her suspicions with a kiss but she resists, as it is not appropriate behaviour for a devout woman. They arrange to meet at his villa after her performance later that evening. Cavaradossi remembers his fugitive friend and asks Tosca to leave so that he may continue his work. As she goes, she passes the painting of the Maddalena. Her anger returns. Cavaradossi’s passionate protests and declarations of love for Tosca finally placate her, but she asks that he paint the eyes dark, like her own. After Tosca leaves, Angelotti joins Cavaradossi and tells him that the Marchesa Attavanti is his sister. Cavaradossi tells him of a hidden path to his villa and of a secret hiding spot in the wall halfway down the garden well. They quickly leave together when they hear a cannon shot announcing the discovery of Angelotti’s escape from prison.
The Sacristan returns, followed by a group of rowdy choirboys and clerics, who are all excited at the news of Napoleon’s defeat. Everyone falls silent at the arrival of Baron Scarpia, the chief of police. The police are searching for the escaped prisoner and find the Attavanti chapel gate unlocked. Inside they find a woman’s fan with the Attavanti crest and an empty lunch box. Scarpia notices the painting and recognizes the features of the Marchesa. The Sacristan tells him that the artist is Cavaradossi, a suspected traitor and Floria Tosca’s lover.
Tosca returns to the church intending to reluctantly cancel her date with Cavaradossi for later that evening. Showing Tosca the lady’s fan, Scarpia insinuates that her lover has been unfaithful. Tosca examines it jealously. Recognizing the Attavanti family crest, she is crushed to find evidence of her lover’s infidelity. Scarpia consoles her as she breaks down weeping, and then furiously rushes off to the villa to confront her lover. Scarpia orders his men to follow her. As the cardinal’s procession enters the church, Scarpia congratulates himself on the prospect of catching Angelotti, jailing the traitor Cavaradossi and, most importantly, winning the beautiful Tosca.
In Scarpia’s room in the Farnese Palace, Scarpia is seated, eating dinner and reviewing his plot. Singing drifts up from the party below. Scarpia gives Sciarrone a letter for Tosca, requesting a meeting after her performance. Left alone, Scarpia exults in his plans to conquer Tosca, extolling the merits of violent conquest over romantic love. Spoletta enters and reports that they searched the villa but did not find Angelotti. They did find Cavaradossi, and he has been arrested. Cavaradossi is brought into the room, but he refuses to answer questions. Having finished her performance, Tosca rushes into the room. She sees her lover and rushes to embrace him. Cavaradossi tells Tosca to say nothing to Scarpia, and is dragged from the room. Scarpia questions Tosca about her visit to the villa, but she makes light of his questions. Scarpia threatens to torture her lover until they get a confession from him, or until she tells him what she knows. Cries of pain are heard from the next room. Tosca begs for mercy for Cavaradossi. Scarpia assures her the torture will stop as soon as they know where Angelotti is. After another anguished cry from her lover, Tosca tells Scarpia to look in the garden well.
Cavaradossi is brought out from the torture chamber. As Tosca comforts him, she assures him she has said nothing. Scarpia shouts to his men to search the garden, and the well. Cavaradossi curses Tosca for betraying him, but his anger turns to joy when Sciarrone enters to tell them that Napoleon has defeated the reactionary forces at Marengo. Cavaradossi condemns tyranny. The enraged Scarpia sends Cavaradossi back to his cell to await execution. Scarpia returns to his dinner. When Tosca renews her pleas for mercy, he offers her wine. Tosca asks the price for her lover’s freedom. Scarpia tells her that she herself is the price. The fact that she is clearly repulsed by this proposition fuels his lust. Not knowing where to turn, Tosca sings the despairing “Vissi d’arte.” She has lived for art, why does God repay her with misery?
Spoletta enters with the news that when he was discovered, Angelotti committed suicide by swallowing poison. Scarpia orders his corpse to be hung from the gallows. Overcome by her betrayal, Tosca agrees to Scarpia’s demands but insists that Cavaradossi be set free at once. Scarpia tells her that he cannot simply free him, but he will stage a mock execution, telling Spoletta: “just like Palmieri.” Spoletta nods in understanding and leaves. Tosca insists that she and Cavaradossi get a letter of safe conduct. Scarpia agrees and as he sits down to write, Tosca spots a knife. Scarpia rises to embrace Tosca, and as he does, she stabs him, saying: “This is Tosca’s kiss.” Tosca is overcome by her actions, and pardons Scarpia. She takes the safe conduct pass and silently leaves the room.
At the ramparts of Castel Sant’Angelo, a shepherd boy sings in the distance as Cavaradossi is brought out to await his execution. He offers his jailer his ring – his last possession – if he will deliver a message of farewell to Tosca. Cavaradossi begins to write, losing himself in nostalgic love of Tosca. To his surprise and joy, Tosca is brought in. She rushes to show him the letter of safe conduct. Tosca tells Cavaradossi about what happened in Scarpia’s chamber, and that he should pretend to be shot during the execution. He agrees, and they sing tenderly of their plans for spending the rest of their lives together.
The firing squad enters to lead Cavaradossi to his execution. He stands to face them, declining a blindfold. An officer lowers his sword, the shots are fired and Cavaradossi falls. Tosca thinks he has done a great acting job and waits for everyone to leave before she calls out to him. He doesn’t get up. Tosca sobs over Cavaradossi lifeless body, realizing Scarpia’s final deceit. Having discovered the murdered corpse of Scarpia, Spoletta and Sciarrone enter to arrest Tosca. Upon seeing them, Tosca runs to the parapet, and jumps to her death, shouting, “Scarpia, we shall meet before God!”
This production of Tosca has been generously underwritten by Delia M. Moog
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