I lived for art, I lived for love, I never harmed a living soul…

Puccini s great aria, ‘Vissi d arte’, is a moment when time stands still. Who could resist such a heart-breaking appeal?

And who could resist the glorious voice of Nicole Youl in the title role of Opera Australia s first new production of Puccini's Tosca for nearly thirty years?

Although we think of Puccini as the ultimate romantic, Tosca is anything but. There is love, yes, but there is also jealousy, lust and murder. In this new production, originally created for Opera North, director Christopher Alden meets the casual brutality and violence head on. An evocative set, designed by Charles Edwards, locates the action in a run down church vestry with a confessional which serves first as a hiding place for Angelotti and later as a torture chamber. The result is hugely powerful.

Floria Tosca and Mario Cavaradossi are embroiled in a plot to help a friend escape from prison. Baron Scarpia, the chief of police, is determined to extract the truth from Cavaradossi, and a kiss and the rest from Tosca. Will she sacrifice herself to save her lover? Christopher Alden directs an outstanding cast in this much praised production. Nicole Youl is joined by Rosario La Spina as Cavaradossi and the compelling John Wegner as Scarpia. Tosca’s vivid score is in the hands of Puccini expert, Shao Chia Lü.