Puccini's Tosca at Castello St'Angelo.
by breughel
I love classical music but I'm more oriented to chamber music than to opera. For me the perfection of music results of three instruments: Piano, Violin and Violoncello i.e. the classical trio.
This said Puccini and his Tosca are great moments of music and song although I am a bit lost with the libretto of Puccini's Tosca. I understand that this happened after Napoleon's Roman Republic and the restoration of the Popes powers in Rome but I'm getting confused with the political prisoner Angelotti and the painter Cavaradossi and their sentiments for the diva Floria Tosca.
Clear for me is the fact that baron Scarpia, a prelate and chief of the secret police is a sadist who wants to conquer Tosca.
Here we move to Castel St'Angelo to hear some of the best arias of Puccini on the upper terrace of the Castel. Nobody can forget the sublime "E Lucean le Stelle."
Meanwhile Tosca stabbed Scarpia with a knife, Cavaradossi has been tortured and a firing squad shoots him. Now, this is the crux of the matter, the bullets should have been blank but they were real (tricky Scarpia!).
Here the desperate Tosca jumps of the ramparts of the Castel St'Angelo.
I can assure you that this scene is most difficult to play.
My wife saw this opera performed at the Terme di Caracalla. La Tosca jumped over the fake rampart but instead of lying quietly on the other side until the end of the opera she stand up before the end provoking a general laughter in the public.
"Gloires et servitudes de l'Opéra!"
Great graphic art was the original poster by Adolfo Hohenstein for the first production of this opera in 1900 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome.
there is a place where you can...
by richy
there is a place where you can find yourselves any time you need to go inside yourselves visit the franciscian convent punti di vista convento S Maria del Giglio,49
01023 Bolsena(VT)
t.fax modem 0761799066
puntidivista@pelagus.it
this is the adress im going back before august driving from edinburgh passing through europe if yur gonna be in the vicinity why not try it yourself
or check out www.madglass.co.uk
Red City Sightseeing Bus AVOID AVOID!
by hzangel2
I hate to do this but I'd like to recommend to all tourist traveling to Rome and wanting to do a "Bus tour" to AVOID the red City sightseeing bus at all costs!!
I chose this tour cause I have done it on 2 other occasions, (Edinburgh & Cambridge) and absolutely loved it. However, the bus in Rome is horrible.
in 4 days, my husband and I never caught the bus. It only comes every 2-3 hours, not every 20 minutes like I asked the gentleman who sold me the tickets.
Not to mention, when I bought the tickets, I first asked (in italian) if he spoke english and he said yes, and i said, i'd like to make sure this bus comes every 20 minutes, and he said yes mam!
I still have the unused tickets that I paid 15 euro each for. I do plan on complaining to the company. We went back to the place that i bought the tickets, and they offered to trade if for the Christian bus, which was no good for us considering my husband is not religious at all.
There is, however, a green city sightseeing bus, and while we sat on the curb waiting for ours (only to have it never show up) we saw plenty of those busses passing by... I would recommend that bus!
Hope i've helped!
Don't miss the best gelato in Rome!
by va8eha about Blue Ice (or Blue Nile)
Both times I've been to Rome, the Blue Ice (or was it the Blue Nile -- sorry, I can't find my journal) has been rated the 'best gelato in Rome'. Try it -- you'll have to agree! Plus, it's by the Trevi Fountain and you know you have to throw a coin in, else you may never return. :)
Romantic Sunset Drink
by Hugh02
Probably the best place for a romantic sunset drink is the roof garden of the Hotel Raphael near Pizza Navona. The hotel has a fully furnished rooftop bar and restaurant and is a spectacular place for a sunset drink, with views across the city in all directions. This is a smart place and a chance to dress up slighly.
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Roman subway graffiti
Sculpture of a Pope
Vatican museum tickets queue
The Window at Moriondo & Gariglio, May 2007
