Puccini Tosca Arena di Verona (2011)

Puccinis melodrama about a volatile diva a sadistic police chief and an idealistic artist has offended and thrilled audiences for more than a century Critics for their part have often had problems with Toscas rather grungy subject matter the directness and intensity of its score and the crowdpleasing dramatic opportunities it provides for its lead roles But these same aspects have also made Tosca one of a handful of iconic works that seem to represent opera in the public imagination