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Opera

Tosca

Giacomo Puccini
The State Opera
English surtitles

Basic information

Venue

The State Opera

Approximate running time

3 hours, 2 intermission (20 minutes) minutes

Language

In Italian, surtitles in Czech, English

Premiere

June 7, 1999

The State Opera production of Puccini’s Tosca features Josef Svoboda’s legendary scenery dating from the era of the May the Fifth Grand Opera; it premiered on 4 May 1947.

The opera about the diva Tosca, her lover, the painter Cavaradossi, and the malicious police chief Baron Scarpia, set in 1800 in Italy during the time of Napoleon’s war against Austria, is one of the most popular operas worldwide.

Cast

  • 2022-2023
  • 2023-2024

Creatives

Stage director
Martin Otava
Sets (reconstruction 1999)
Daniel Dvořák
Lighting design
Pavel Dautovský
Chorus master
Adolf Melichar
Chorus master of the Kühn's Children's Choir
Jiří Chvála

About

State Opera Chorus
State Opera Orchestra
National Theatre Opera Ballet
Prague Philharmonic Children´s Choir

The State Opera production features Josef Svoboda’s legendary scenery dating from the era of the May the Fifth Grand Opera (today the State Opera). This Tosca production premiered on 4 May 1947, six days prior to the designer’s 27th birthday.  In June 1999, Svoboda’s sets, ranking among the most accomplished in Czech post-war theatre, were reproduced by Daniel Dvořák, a pupil of Svoboda’s and the then director of the State Opera Prague. The faithful copy, made by means of modern technologies, contributed to the great popularity of the production.

Giacomo Puccini had mulled over Victorien Sardou’s La Tosca ever since 1889, when he saw in Milan a performance of the drama, starring the feted actress Sarah Bernhardt. Yet owing to the complicated negotiations between his publisher, Giulio Ricordi, and Sardou, and due to Puccini’s working on Manon Lescaut and La bohème, the composition was delayed and Tosca was only completed in 1899. The world premiere of the opera, on 14 January 1900 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome, was a resounding success, even though some scorned it, including Gustav Mahler, who referred to the work as a “Meistermachwerk” (sham masterpiece), and Richard Strauss, who dismissed it in even harsher terms. Today, the opera about the diva Tosca, her lover, the painter Cavaradossi, and the malicious police chief Baron Scarpia, set in 1800 in Italy during the time of Napoleon’s war against Austria, is one of the most popular operas worldwide.

Suitable for audience from 12 years.

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Poster Tosca

A poster for the production of Tosca

99 Kč

Last item in stock

Practical information

Where to buy tickets

The National Theatre sells tickets up to 6 months in advance. On 1 June at 9am we started selling tickets for performances of Drama, Ballet, Opera and Laterna magika until the end of November 2023.


When purchasing online, you can get an e-ticket. You can pick up printed tickets in person at the box offices of the National Theatre.

What to wear?

By their appearance, attire and behaviour, the audience is obliged to adhere to the accustomed practice expected from them when attending a theatre performance.

Parking at the State opera

While visiting the State Opera, you can take the slip road on Wilsonova street from the left lane close to the State Opera building to the Parking Centrum above-ground garage. The parking fee is 40 CZK/h.

Buffets at the State Opera

No waiting. For your benefit, please pre-order your food and beverages at the bar to minimize waiting in the queue!

Menu (PDF, 70 kB)