It’s not easy to date the opera house in Rome because it has twice been altered. Most recently the facade (not my greatest picture) was re-done in 1958. Prior to that, in the 1920s, there was a substantial make-over.
The entrance was moved to its present site, an extra layer of boxes and gallery replaced an amphitheatre at the top of the house and the decoration embellished. One prominent reminder of this is the inscription above the proscenium arch: “Vittorio Emanuele III Rege, Benito Mussolini Duce, Lodovicus Spada Potenziani, Romae Gubernator Restituit MCMXXVIII—VI”. (It was opened in June 1928.)
The auditorium has not greatly changed from its inception in 1880. It is a horseshoe shape which makes for an excellent acoustic but poor sightlines from the boxes close to the stage. It is beautiful and a welcome contrast to the foyer and halls re-designed in the 20th century. The most worrying aspect of the public spaces is the bar. It is immediately inside the doors on the left before it is necessary to show a ticket. This seems to be the only bar. In the interval door keepers issue drinkers with tickets for re-admission and a long queue forms to be served. Eventually everybody is served (no pre-ordering allowed) and the rigmarole repeated in the second interval.
If you could pick an opera to see in Rome it must be Tosca. It had its first outing here in 1900 and the story, set in 1800, unfolds over the course of twenty-four hours in Rome. The production we saw was perfect. Magnificent sets depicting the interior of Sant’ Andrea della Valle (Act I), Scarpia’s office in the Palazzo Farnese (Act II) and the roof of Castel Sant’ Angelo (Act III) with a view of the exterior of Sant’ Andrea in the distance. Note in the picture the imbalance. There is an angel top left and none top right. The sculptor fell out with his employer and told him if he wanted another, he should do it himself.
For once Tosca was set in the period intended by Puccini and the cast sang well to his ravishing score. Our stalls seats (Euros 115) were about half Covent Garden prices so no complaints on that score. It is a refreshing change to see an opera done without any gimmicks or directorial flights of fancy. When I see a bad Tosca my mind wanders and I remember that it is an anagram of Ascot.