Classical Music Work of the Week - August 8, 2005

For my first opera, I had the pleasure of seeing Tosca at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Many years later, the performance of Vissi d'arte remains in my mind, unclouded by time. Unfortunately, I did forget one small detail... I can't remember who sang the role of Floria Tosca! Since then, I've been searching for the perfect recording of Vissi d'arte, but to no avail.

Vissi d'arte is the most famous aria from Puccini's opera Tosca. Since its debut on January 14, 1900, the opera Tosca, has been the most performed. Set in Rome between high noon on July 16 and the following dawn, Tosca takes us on an emotional roller coaster ride through love, lust, action, and politics. The aria,Vissi d'arte, is a breath-taking dedication of Tosca's life to art and love. (Read the full synopsis here).

If you don't have a copy, I was able to find a 30+ second clip of the end of the piece on a German website. The sound clip is part of the website, so it should start playing automatically after it loads. Remember to post your comments on the Classical Music forum!