Tosca Was Franco Zeffirelli’s Sixth Met Opera Production

Summary: Tosca was Franco Zeffirelli’s sixth Met Opera production, which debuted during the 1984-1985 season as his second Puccini opera at the opera house.

Franco Zeffirelli directed and designed the sets for the 1984-1985 Met Opera season’s new production of Giacomo Puccini’s Rome-based opera, Tosca: Fondazione Franco Zeffirelli Onlus @fondazionefrancozeffirelli, via Facebook March 11, 2019

Tosca was Franco Zeffirelli’s sixth Met Opera production, which debuted in the 1984-1985 season and numbered as the Italian designer, director and producer’s second staging of a Puccini opera at the Metropolitan Opera.

The Metropolitan Opera debuted Franco Zeffirelli’s new production of Tosca on Monday, March 11, 1985, in the opera house’s 678th performance of the Rome-based opera by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924). The new production received 11 performances in the 1984-1985 Met Opera season.

Puccini operas inspired three of the 11 productions designed and directed by Franco Zeffirelli (Feb. 12, 1923-June 15, 2019) for the Metropolitan Opera. Zeffirelli’s involvement in Tosca marked his second staging of a Puccini opera at the Metropolitan Opera. In the 1981-1982 season, he had staged La Bohème as his fifth Met Opera production and as his first Puccini opera at the opera house. In the 1986-1987 season, Zeffirelli debuted Turandot as his seventh Met Opera production and as his third Puccini opera at the opera house.

Zeffirelli produced the 1984-1985 Met Opera season’s Tosca as the new production’s director and set designer. His production team comprised Peter J. Hall as costume designer and Gil Wechsler as lighting designer.

Italian composer and conductor Giuseppe Sinopoli (Nov. 2, 1946-April 20, 2001) conducted the new production’s season premiere. His appearance on the premiere’s podium marked his Metropolitan Opera debut. The premiere season’s 11 performances number as Sinopoli’s only conductorship at the Metropolitan Opera.

German soprano Hildegard Behrens (Feb. 9, 1937-Aug. 18, 2009) sang in the title role opposite Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo (born Jan. 21, 1941) as Tosca’s lover, Cavaradossi, and American operatic baritone Cornell MacNeil (Sept. 24, 1922-July 15, 2011) as their nemesis, Scarpia. Behrens had made her Metropolitan Opera debut Oct. 15, 1976, as Giorgetta in the opera house’s 33rd performance of Puccini’s Il Tabarro. Domingo had made his Metropolitan Opera debut Sept. 28, 1968, as Maurizio in the opera house’s 16th performance of Adriana Lecouvreur by Italian composer Francesco Cilea (July 23, 1866-Nov. 20, 1950). MacNeil had made his Metropolitan Opera debut March 21, 1959, in the title role in the opera house’s 390th performance of Rigoletto by 19th-century Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

The Metropolitan Opera staged 16 revivals of Zeffirelli’s Tosca in the 22 seasons since the production’s 1984-1985 season debut. The production has skipped six seasons in the interim.

The first three revivals were staged, after the production’s March 11, 1985, debut, successively in seasons 1985-1986 through 1987-1988. No revivals were offered in the 1988-1989 and 1989-1990 seasons.

The fourth revival took place in the 1990-1991 season. No revival was offered in the 1991-1992 season.

The fifth through seventh revivals occurred successively in seasons 1992-1993 through 1994-1995. No revival was offered in the 1995-1996 season.

The production’s eighth revival took place in the 1996-1997 season. No revival was offered in the 1997-1998 season.

The 9th through 12th revivals were staged successively in seasons 1998-1999 through 2001-2002. No revival was offered in the 2002-2003 season.

The 13th through 16th revivals occurred successively in seasons 2003-2004 through 2006-2007. The production’s final performance took place Dec. 2, 2006. Closing night numbered as the 214th performance of Zeffirelli’s production and as the opera house’s 891st performance of Tosca. From debut to final performance, Zeffirelli’s Tosca remained in Met Opera’s active repertory for 21 years 8 and two-thirds months.

Two seasons passed before the Metropolitan Opera launched a new production of Tosca. Luc Bondy (July 17, 1948-Nov. 28, 2015) debuted his new staging Sept. 21, 2009, in the opera house’s 892nd performance of the opera. The Swiss film and theatre director’s production received 16 performances in the 2009-2010 season. Four revivals were staged in four (2010-2011, 2011-2012,2013-2014, 2015-2016) of the six seasons after the production’s debut. The final performance Dec. 1, 2015, marked the production’s 59th performance and the opera house’s 950th performance of Tosca.

Absent during the 2016-2017 season, Tosca resurfaced as a new production in the 2017-2018 Met Opera season. Sir David McVicar’s new staging debuted Dec. 31, 2017, in the opera house’s 951st performance of Tosca. The production received 15 performances in its debut season. Two successive revivals have been staged, with 13 performances in the 2018-2019 season and seven performances in the 2019-2020 season.

The takeaways for Tosca as Franco Zeffirelli’s sixth Met Opera production are that the Italian designer and director’s staging marks his second involvement in a Puccini opera at the Metropolitan Opera and that his Tosca production received 214 performances and experienced 16 revivals in the 21 years since its 1984-1985 season debut.

Franco Zeffirelli’s new production of Puccini’s Tosca for the Metropolitan Opera debuted March 11, 1985, and experienced 16 revivals over 22 seasons: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook June 22, 2019

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Franco Zeffirelli directed and designed the sets for the 1984-1985 Met Opera season’s new production of Giacomo Puccini’s Rome-based opera, Tosca: Fondazione Franco Zeffirelli Onlus @fondazionefrancozeffirelli, via Facebook March 11, 2019, @ https://www.facebook.com/fondazionefrancozeffirelli/posts/829596754042471

Franco Zeffirelli’s new production of Puccini’s Tosca for the Metropolitan Opera debuted March 11, 1985, and experienced 16 revivals over 22 seasons: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook June 22, 2019, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10162094339535533/

For further information:

“Debut: Cornell MacNeil.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 181530 Rigoletto {390) Metropolitan Opera House: 03/21/1959.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=181530

“Debut: Giuseppe Sinopoli.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 279860 New Production Tosca {678) Metropolitan Opera House: 03/11/1985.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=279860

“Debut: Peter J. Hall.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 228890 New Production Otello {184) Metropolitan Opera House: 03/25/1972.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=228890

“Debut: Plácido Domingo.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 216130 Adriana Lecouvreur {16} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/28/1968.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=216130

“Debut: Raimund Herincx, Gil Wechsler, Stuart Sebastian.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 248030 Le Prophète {74) Metropolitan Opera House: 01/18/1977.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=248030

“Debuts: Hildegard Behrens, Gianfranco Cecchele, Josella Ligi, Neil Shicoff.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 247060 Il Trittico {29} Il Tabarro {33} Suor Angelica {29} Gianni Schicchi {93} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/15/1976.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=247060

“Debuts: Luigi Alva, Leonard Bernstein, Franco Zeffirelli.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 197440 New Production Falstaff {67} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/6/1964.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=197440

Fondazione Franco Zeffirelli Onlus @fondazionefrancozeffirelli. “L’11 marzo del 1985 a New York va in scena la Tosca di Puccini con Placido Domingo e Hildegard Behrens: 'E pensare che ci volle del tempo per convincermi a mettere in scena Tosca un’altra volta, dopo averla fatta con Maria, a Londra. Ma poi mi resi conto che non potevo rimanere "vedovo della Callas” per tutta la vita e accettai di metterla in scena a New York.' FZ Alla scoperta delle grandi messe in scena di Zeffirelli, la visita guidata di fine mese a cura del personale del Museo ➡ https://bit.ly/2Rjeqif.” Facebook. March 11, 2019.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/fondazionefrancozeffirelli/posts/829596754042471

Marriner, Derdriu. “2018-2019 Met Opera Season Premiere of Tosca Is Thursday, Oct. 25.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Oct. 15, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/10/2018-2019-met-opera-season-premiere-of.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Andrea Velis Made Beppe Role Debut at Met Opera in Zeffirelli’s Cav Pag." Earth and Space News. Monday, July 6, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/07/andrea-velis-made-beppe-role-debut-at.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Antony and Cleopatra Was Franco Zeffirelli’s Second Met Opera Production." Earth and Space News. Monday, June 15, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/06/antony-and-cleopatra-was-franco.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Cav Pag Was Franco Zeffirelli’s Third Met Opera Production.” Earth and Space News. Monday, June 22, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/06/cav-pag-was-franco-zeffirellis-third.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Franco Zeffirelli Made His Met Opera Debut in Staging Verdi’s Falstaff." Earth and Space News. Monday, June 1, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/06/franco-zeffirelli-made-his-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Grace Bumbry Made Santuzza Role Debut at Met Opera in Zeffirelli’s Cav Pag." Earth and Space News. Monday, June 29, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/06/grace-bumbry-made-santuzza-role-debut.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “La Bohème Was Franco Zeffirelli’s Fifth Met Opera Production.” Earth and Space News. Monday, July 20, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/07/la-boheme-was-franco-zeffirellis-fifth.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Luigi Alva Made Met Opera Debut in Zeffirelli’s Falstaff Production." Earth and Space News. Monday, June 8, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/06/luigi-alva-made-met-opera-debut-in.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Only Two of 11 Zeffirelli Productions Are Still Revived at Met Opera." Earth and Space News. Monday, May 25, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/05/only-two-of-11-zeffirelli-productions.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Otello Was Franco Zeffirelli’s Fourth Met Opera Production.” Earth and Space News. Monday, July 13, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/07/otello-was-franco-zeffirellis-fourth.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Sir David McVicar Directed Five 2017-2018 Met Opera Season Productions.” Earth and Space News. Monday, May 14, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/05/sir-david-mcvicar-directed-five-2017.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Tosca Is the April 6, 2019, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, April 1, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/04/tosca-is-april-6-2019-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Tosca Was To Be April 11, 2020, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, April 6, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/04/tosca-is-april-11-2020-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Tosca Is Jan. 27, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Jan. 22, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/01/tosca-is-jan-27-2018-met-opera-saturday.html

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “Legendary director Franco Zeffirelli (1923–2019), who created 11 Met productions between 1964 and 1998, worked with many of opera’s greatest artists, from Leontyne Price to Leonard Bernstein to Plácido Domingo. Look back on his unparalleled career with this collection of snapshots of him at work. Photo: Working with Plácido Domingo, Hildegard Behrens, and Cornell MacNeil on Puccini's Tosca in 1985 Photo courtesy of Met Archives.” Facebook. June 22, 2019.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10162094339535533/

“New Production: Tosca.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 279860 New Production Tosca {678} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/11/1985.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=279860

“New Production: Tosca.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353073 New Production Tosca {892} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/21/2009.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353073

“New Production: Tosca.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356838 New Production Tosca {951} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/31/2017.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356838

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“United States Premiere: Tosca.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 25960 United States Premiere Tosca {1) Metropolitan Opera House: 02/4/1901.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=25960