In Puccini's TOSCA, the two main characters, Tosca and Scarpia are the
two ends of the spectrum as far as morality and human character are
concerned. Tosca is the vulnerable beauty who devotes herself to her
art, religion and her love, Cavadarossi. Scarpia is the evil incarnate
for whom any means is legitimate in the service of satisfying his
selfish passion. However, seen through the analytic lense, Tosca and
Scarpia are a lot more similar than initially meets the eye. They both
split off and deny unacceptable parts of themselves, the unconscious act
that leads both to destruction. Tosca denies her aggression and anger
and Scarpia, his vulnerability and yearning to be loved. Tosca's
shrewdness as a negotiator when she is trying to save her lover is a
glimpse into the not-so-naive aspects of her internal world. Her killer
instinct literally takes over when she stabs Scarpia. To Scarpia, what
is repulsive is his vulnerability which he rejects and denies, taking on
the outward mask of a villain. His naivete which he tries so hard to
disavow, comes back to haunt him when he fails to recognize Tosca's plan
to kill him. Cavadorossi is the character who comes the closest to being
a "pure soul"- he is dedicated to his art, paints the Madonna, tries to
save his friend and is devoted to Tosca. His human nature flares up very
briefly when he thinks about the Contessa's beauty and appears to
fantasize about (lust over?) her. But he quickly clamps down on his
corporal passion and announces his devotion to Tosca, even when she is
not there to demand it. He can only experience uncontrollable passion
vicariously through Tosca: he tells her that he loves her rage.
The plot of TOSCA is quite apparent from the opening scene. The audiance
is well aware that the food basket is what will give Angelotti away and
the fan will be used by Scarpia in his evil scheme. There is no real
suspense in the story. What makes the plot compelling is the
psychological complexity of the characters. As the audiance, we feel our
own internal conflicts and the ebb and flow of our own passions as we
identify with each of the characters. The sophisticattion of the score
as it rises and falls with these passions and their denial is another
aspect of what makes Puccini a virtuoso of Realism. His depiction of the
internal dynamics of human nature is /verismo,/ indeed.
Thanks to Piyale Comert, our speaker at the next session on February 23 for providing the above preview and preparing us for a stimulating discussion. Piyale Comert, Ph.D. is a psychoanalyst and neuropsychologist in private practice in Seattle. She is on the faculty of Seattle Psychoanalytic Society and Institute (SPSI) and adjunct faculty at the University of Washington, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.
Please share your thoughts with us on this blog.
Get an introduction to Tosca at Tosca on Wiki
two ends of the spectrum as far as morality and human character are
concerned. Tosca is the vulnerable beauty who devotes herself to her
art, religion and her love, Cavadarossi. Scarpia is the evil incarnate
for whom any means is legitimate in the service of satisfying his
selfish passion. However, seen through the analytic lense, Tosca and
Scarpia are a lot more similar than initially meets the eye. They both
split off and deny unacceptable parts of themselves, the unconscious act
that leads both to destruction. Tosca denies her aggression and anger
and Scarpia, his vulnerability and yearning to be loved. Tosca's
shrewdness as a negotiator when she is trying to save her lover is a
glimpse into the not-so-naive aspects of her internal world. Her killer
instinct literally takes over when she stabs Scarpia. To Scarpia, what
is repulsive is his vulnerability which he rejects and denies, taking on
the outward mask of a villain. His naivete which he tries so hard to
disavow, comes back to haunt him when he fails to recognize Tosca's plan
to kill him. Cavadorossi is the character who comes the closest to being
a "pure soul"- he is dedicated to his art, paints the Madonna, tries to
save his friend and is devoted to Tosca. His human nature flares up very
briefly when he thinks about the Contessa's beauty and appears to
fantasize about (lust over?) her. But he quickly clamps down on his
corporal passion and announces his devotion to Tosca, even when she is
not there to demand it. He can only experience uncontrollable passion
vicariously through Tosca: he tells her that he loves her rage.
The plot of TOSCA is quite apparent from the opening scene. The audiance
is well aware that the food basket is what will give Angelotti away and
the fan will be used by Scarpia in his evil scheme. There is no real
suspense in the story. What makes the plot compelling is the
psychological complexity of the characters. As the audiance, we feel our
own internal conflicts and the ebb and flow of our own passions as we
identify with each of the characters. The sophisticattion of the score
as it rises and falls with these passions and their denial is another
aspect of what makes Puccini a virtuoso of Realism. His depiction of the
internal dynamics of human nature is /verismo,/ indeed.
Thanks to Piyale Comert, our speaker at the next session on February 23 for providing the above preview and preparing us for a stimulating discussion. Piyale Comert, Ph.D. is a psychoanalyst and neuropsychologist in private practice in Seattle. She is on the faculty of Seattle Psychoanalytic Society and Institute (SPSI) and adjunct faculty at the University of Washington, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine.
Please share your thoughts with us on this blog.
Get an introduction to Tosca at Tosca on Wiki
1 comment:
Wow! Excellent description. So, in what proportion do you think there is Tosca and Scarpia in all of us? Also, if we all have the same emotions but use different "masks" then what exactly does true/real nature of a man mean?
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