An Elegant ‘Tosca,’ With Voices to Match

The Jean-Pierre Ponnelle production of Puccini’s “Tosca,” created in 1978 for San Francisco Opera, returned to San Diego Saturday night in Civic Theatre. It remains an elegant, rich visual setting. And opening night, with principals Galina Gorchakova, Richard Leech and Kimm Julian, was generally as distinguished as Ponnelle’s surroundings--as strong a performance as one can remember in this theater.

Veteran San Diego conductor Edoardo Muller led a passionate, urgent performance while giving the singers as much musical space as practical; the San Diego Opera Orchestra played with unusual transparency and brightness.

The staging by general director Ian Campbell rang true in almost every moment, and was detailed abundantly and appropriately. Only a few odd touches--as in the loud miking of the shepherd boy at the top of Act III, apparently to make the sound emanate from inside the auditorium--jarred the observer. For the most part, the acting of this melodramma emerged as natural and unexaggerated; and that is saying a lot in an opera that often suffers from over-the-top histrionics.

In this generally credible atmosphere, only Floria Tosca herself, the beautiful Siberian soprano Gorchakova, strayed from this norm. Her singing is often handsome and reliable, if finally monochromatic. But her acting, usually serviceable, can descend to the primitive and semaphoric. She looks so convincing, and sings so well, one wants to ignore her lurching and mincing; but one cannot.

Leech, memorable from his Cavaradossi with Los Angeles Opera last June, repeats that role, for which he is so well suited. Whatever his fans pay, he gives them their money’s worth. He looks heroic, and he delivers great sound. One wishes only that he could scale down that sound for a touching “O dolci mani” in Act III.

Imposing, menacing and carrying himself with great elegance, the American baritone Julian seems born to the role of Scarpia. He brings force and power to all the musical climaxes of the first two acts. The voice is strong, but not as suave as the villain’s most seductive moments require. The rest of the cast performed capably. Francois Loup created a believable and touching Sacristan; as Angelotti and Sciarrone, Jamie Offenbach was overstated, but sympathetic; Joseph Hu (Spoletta) and Robert Olson (Shepherd) proved solid.

Holding the entire production together visually were the mellow and atmospheric lighting designs by Marie Barrett, who was assisted by Chris Rynne.

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Puccini’s “Tosca,” San Diego Opera, Civic Theatre, downtown San Diego, Tuesday and April 10, 7 p.m.; Friday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. $33-$107. (619) 570-1100.