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This Saturday, 30 January at 5.00 PM there will be a splendid performance of "Tosca" the wonderfull opera by Giacomo Puccini which had it first premiers this month a 109 years ago, on 14 January 1900.
The State Academic Theatre has a many years of practice with Tosca and assembled a great cast of opera singers for this performance. Tickets are available at the the box office of the State Academic Theatre for Opera and Ballet (the pink Roman style building) at Sukhbaatar Square.
Telephone: 70110389, 11 320268, 96683639. Website of the theatre: www.opera-ballet.mn
Summary
In February 1798 French troops had occupied Rome and other parts of the Papal States and proclaimed a new Roman Republic. The opera's Cesare Angelotti (based on the historic Liborio Angelucci[4]) was one of the republican leaders and consul of Rome. The Pope had to flee to Tuscany: Ferdinando IV of Bourbon, King of Naples, tried to rescue him but was himself defeated. In January 1799 the Parthenopean Republic or Neapolitan Republic was proclaimed. In April 1799, while Napoleon was in Egypt, an Austrian-Russian army under General Suvorov crossed into northern Italy and defeated the French. In June Cardinal Ruffo occupied Naples in the name of King Ferdinand, and in September the Bourbon troops entered Rome. The reactionary party was inspired by Maria Carolina of Austria, the wife of Ferdinando IV and sister of Marie Antoinette. After the death of Pope Pius VI in August 1799 she assumed the regency and started a "cleansing" action against republicans, liberals or simply people who had compromised themselves under French rule. There were thousands of victims, including many artists, scientists and intellectuals.
The following spring, Napoleon crossed the Alps with an army and met the Austrians (commanded by general Mélas) at Marengo. The Austrians outnumbered the enemy and, after fierce fighting, took control of the locality in the morning of 14 June 1800. The battle seemed over when Marshal Desaix, at the cost of his life, managed to reverse the situation. By evening the victory had been won by the French army.
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