Prague Journal

Friday, December 10, 2004.

Vicki arrived from Denver yesterday evening. As an added treat, she brought half a suitcase of US goodies, including marshmellows and graham crackers so I can make s'mores for Eva and Ales. She also contributed Hershey almond bars to my chocolate drawer. As if I wouldn't love her anyway!
I had intended to show Vicki some of the old city of Prague this morning, but she had set up an appointment with a potential distributor for 11:30 a.m., which cut into our plans. We arrived at the office of Mr. Topinka close to noon, so she anticipated that she would go to lunch with him. I went to the Hilton Hotel not far from Mr. Topinka’s office on Krizikova, to proofread the paper I am writing and read some articles I had downloaded the day before. When I didn’t hear from Vicki by 3:00 p.m., I decided to give her a call. She and Mr. Topinka were having a leisurely lunch at fancy restaurant at Maltézké námĕstí, and would not be finished for another hour. I hopped on the metro and met them at the restaurant at about 3:45 p.m., whereby I joined them for coffee, dessert, and Becherovka -- and delightful conversation with Mr. Topinka! Vicki and I finally left at 4:30 p.m. and headed home to change for the opera.
Our original plans had been to go to dinner at 5:30 p.m. downtown, and then to Narodni Divadlo at 6:45 p.m. to meet Eunice for the 7:00 p.m. curtain. Instead, Rick gobbled cold cuts and the three of us headed downtown at 6:00 p.m., arriving almost exactly at 6:45 and getting to our seats just before curtain. I was only able to get second-balcony tickets, but nonetheless, the opera was grand.
The story of Tosca is set Rome, in June of 1800, the year Napoleon invaded Italy. During the action, the Austrian General Melas is reported to have defeated Napoleon and the consequent celebrations were likely to be attended by Queen Marie Caroline, wife of the Neapolitan king Ferdinand IV, daughter of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and sister to Marie Antoinette of France. Baron Scarpia, the much-feared Chief of Police, is based on a real-life Sicilian figure, who incidentally affected old-fashioned dress more appropriate to an earlier period. Cavaradossi and Angelotti are supporters of the liberal group hoping for Napoleon’s victory.
Tosca is a story of cheating and doubt. Nothing seems honest and direct: even love is troubled by jealousy. Cavaradossi's torture forces Tosca, not himself, to confess. Scarpia is killed with a table knife by "sweet and innocent" hands. And even the marginal characters like the sacristan and the prison guard lie or act dishonestly. At least Angelotti seems a direct, idealistic figure, but he takes a woman's disguise when he goes to his hiding place in a fake well... The inappropriate use of objects and situations is used systematically to create a suffocating atmosphere of doubt and suspicion. Even something as definitive as Mario's death is just a “faked simulation” and causes joy and relief to Tosca. According to the synopsis in the program, Tosca, discovering Mario’s death at the end, jumps over a wall and escapes. But this version – and most others – have Tosca leaping to her death in grief to be with her Mario in heaven.
Vicki and Rick and I understood the story from the English overtitles; Eunice understood the Italian and was amused at some of the translation. After the theater, the four of us went to Kavarna Slavia for drinks and dessert. I was happy to have introduced Eunice to Vicki, since they both are managing high-tech companies in a hostile environment, in European transition countries.

posted by JWinn @ 4:23 PM