“I have lived for art, I have lived for love” – Camilla’s “Tosca” debut at the Finnish National Opera
“Everything has been wonderful, actually […] and I am so grateful and so happy.” After 11 performances of Puccini’s “Tosca” at the Finnish National Opera, Camilla expressed her gratitude towards her colleagues, friends and fans in a video message shared on the closing night of the production.
She had initially prepared for the role during the very first Covid-19 lockdown in the Spring of 2020, performed parts of it in concertante form at the Lech Classic Festival (Vorarlberg, Austria) alongside Piotr Beczala, only for the planned stage debut to be postponed for another year. On September 16th 2021 she was then finally able to take the long awaited step into new repertoire at the Finnish National Opera, starring in a production by Christof Loy, which had formerly premiered in 2018.
Being no stranger to the audience of her home country – as she has previously featured in the Helsinki opera’s productions of “Die Tote Stadt” (Korngold) and “Der Fliegende Holländer” (Wagner) – Camilla’s interpretation of Tosca was received well with reviews praising her for rich sound and vocal flexibility, as well as superb acting – especially in the demanding second act of the show.
“Vissi d’arte”, as a highlight of each night and likely one of the worldwide most well-known arias, seemed effortlessly delivered – which can in fact be said for the entirety of the performance. While we are familiar with Camilla’s portrayals of Wagner’s Elsa and Sieglinde or Strauss’s Empress in “Die Frau Ohne Schatten”, Tosca’s impulsive and volatile nature was a contrast she seemed to very much enjoy performing – which in turn created a captivating presentation, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats throughout the entire duration of the opera.
While in the beginning of the 2021/22 season Camilla told the Finnish National Opera, “Debuting in the role of Tosca is a dream come true to me,” it is now safe to say that it has also been a dream to see her grow and excel in this new repertoire and fascinating character of Floria Tosca.
Natasha Orrell