Tosca Barrie Kosky Dutch National Opera

Tosca unfolds across Rome in a single tumultuous day, weaving together passion, politics, and betrayal against the backdrop of Napoleonic occupation. Tosca, a celebrated opera singer, is devoted to Mario Cavaradossi, a painter and political idealist. When the tyrannical police chief Scarpia discovers that Mario harbors a fugitive political prisoner, he manipulates the lovers with cruel cunning, exploiting Tosca's desperation to save her beloved. Caught between her love for Mario and the monstrous demands of power, Tosca must navigate an impossible moral landscape where every choice carries devastating consequences. The opera builds toward a shattering climax that strips away illusions of heroism and redemption, leaving only the raw human cost of political oppression and personal sacrifice.