On January 14, 1900, the premiere of the opera Tosca by Giacomo Puccini took place in Rome.
It is one of the most performed operas in the world today, which has gained and retained great popularity. Tosca is based on the story of singer Florida Tosca, an Italian who lived at the turn of the 18th to 19th centuries. The action takes place in the aftermath of the French Revolution, when Italy was under the rule of the French (Napoleon Bonaparte organized much of Italy in the form of a set of submissive states). Floria Tosca was, according to this story, a celebrated opera singer, who was in love with Maria Cavaradossi, Bonapartist. He was arrested by Roman police commander Baron Scarpia and blackmailed by Tosca. Specifically, he promised to spare him the death sentence if Tosca agrees to a night with the baron. Puccini did not invent the opera Tosca himself, but the theme was taken from the drama by the French author Victor Sardou. This drama was written specifically for actress Sarah Bernhardt in the lead role of Tosca. The libretto for Puccini’s Tosca was written by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. The Tosca premiere took place about 100 years after the time of the opera. The premieres were also attended by Queen Margareta of Italy and then Prime Minister Luigi Pelloux. In Croatia, the role of Tosca was interpreted by the famous Milko Trnina, and Puccini himself rated her performance with the highest marks.
