Giacomo Puccini's masterpiece still attracts the widest audience around the world due to its insightful intertwining of political background with a relentless play of power and emotion. Put at the forefront is the rise and fall of prima donna Tosca, who finds herself in the uncompromisingly passionate swirl of art, love, faith, power, lust and jealousy. Love and power are inseparable components in the fierce reality that inevitably lead to a tragic end. Puccini's seemingly simple score, aimed at the individual, is extraordinarily demanding in terms of its performance on stage and thus presents a considerable challenge for its creators.

Text and image from www.opera.si