Puccini’s blood-and-thunder thriller is not, traditionally, an opera that has reacted well to directorial intervention. The great achievement of Robert Carsen’s Zurich production (filmed in 2009) is that it adds layers of interpretation without undercutting the work’s essential drama. Those layers largely involve plenty of meta-theatrical touches, emphasising Tosca’s own status as performer. Anthony Ward’s set gives glimpses of another proscenium arch set askance upstage; rows of chairs face in that direction in Act 1, the Sacristan picking up <i>Tosca</i> programmes left behind by an earlier audience. At the climax of the Te Deum, Tosca is revealed in her own kitschy apotheosis, which blurs the line between art and religion brilliantly; the very end is ambiguous and troubling in the best sense. </p>

<p>It doesn’t all work, and Scarpia’s first appearance from between columns is unintentionally comic. Elsewhere, the nuts and bolts of the opera’s plot perhaps fit a little uneasily with Carsen’s more impressionistic take, and there are times when it can feel a touch detached and cerebral. But it’s all executed with the director’s characteristic flair and style, and is refreshingly thought-provoking. </p>

<p>Part of the reason why it works so well is that the three principals are such good actors, turning in dramatic performances that are full of subtle details. Emily Magee’s Tosca is sympathetic and proud, cunning and thoughtful; and although the voice is a little more tense than ideal, she sings with total commitment. Thomas Hampson’s civilised <i>Kavalierbariton</i> is stretched by the demands of Scarpia and he is reduced to hectoring rather too often. As recompense, though, he brings sly understatement and intelligence to the role elsewhere. Jonas Kaufmann is a terrific Cavaradossi. His voice, dark and baritonal, lacks the <i>squillo</i> of some of the best Cavaradossis but it’s a subtle, sensitively sung portrayal that matches the production well. </p>

<p>The only slight shame is that Paolo Carignani’s conducting rarely rises above the routine, fails to catch fire and is apparently uninterested in finding anything to match Carsen’s insights. Still, for a new take on an old warhorse, this release has much to recommend it.