Tosca was the first opera produced at the Opéra de Montréal, 30 years ago. From January 30-February 13, the company remounts Puccini’s beloved Verismo opera, “Tosca.”
This production features, soprano Nicola Beller Carbone, who has an interesting biography. She is the Artistic Director of the Piccolo Teatro Sant’Andrea, part of the Le Arti Orafe Academy in Lucca, Nicola Beller Carbone initially studied to be an actress before turning to singing. Engagements in recent seasons include the title role in Salome at the Aalto Theater Essen, the Deutsches Nationaltheater Weimar, Teatro Regio in Turin, and Grand Théâtre de Genève; the title role in Tosca at the Staatstheater Darmstadt, Opéra de Nice, Opéra de Nantes, and the Greek National Opera; Marie (Wozzeck) at the Aalto Theater Essen; and Jenny (Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny) and Santuzza (Cavalleria rusticana) at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, among others. This is her Montreal Opera debut.
Nicola Beller Carbone
The supporting cast is:
- Cavaradossi: David Pomeroy, tenor
- Scarpia: Greer Grimsley, baritone
- Sacristan: Alexandre Sylvestre, baritone
- Angelotti: Stephen Hegedus, baritone
The production also features:
- Conductor: Paul Nadler
- Director: Michael Cavanagh
- Sets: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
- Costumes: Malabar
- Lighting: Anne-Catherine Simard-Deraspe
- Orchestre Métropolitain
- Chœur de l’Opéra de Montréal
- In Italian with English and French surtitles
- Production : San Diego Opera
The lovely Montreal Opera House
The Last Verista 
L’Opera de Montreal’s production of Tosca was VERY mediocre. Not at all what I was expecting for a relatively high caliber company. Cavaradossi was good, but they should definitely get rid of Stephen Hegedus and put in someone who can actually sing. He was horrible.
I don’t know if my previous comment went through.
Anyways – pretty bad production. Stephen Hegedus should be kicked out, but Cavaradossi was somewhat redeeming.