Tosca from The Royal Opera: Netrebko returns, with a vengeance

Anna Netrebko (Tosca) and Gerald Finley (Scarpia)

The Royal Opera Chorus

Gerald Finley (Scarpia)

Anna Netrebko (Tosca)

Freddie De Tommaso (Cavaradossi)

By David Karlin, 12 September 2025

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“I doubt I will ever see a better performance in this title role”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 11 September 2025

Puccini, Tosca

The Royal Opera

Jakub Hrůša, Conductor

Oliver Mears, Director

Simon Lima Holdsworth, Set Designer

Ilona Karas, Costume Designer

Fabiana Piccioli, Lighting Designer

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Royal Opera Chorus

Anna Netrebko, Floria Tosca

Freddie De Tommaso, Mario Cavaradossi

Gerald Finley, Baron Scarpia

Carlo Bosi, Spoletta

Ossian Huskinson, Cesare Angelotti

Siphe Kwani, Sciarrone

Alessandro Corbelli, Sacristan

Raphy Laming, Shepherd Boy

Anna Morrissey, Choreography

Peter Grimes drops anchor again at The Royal Opera

Christopher Woodley, 5th May

Allan Clayton and Sir Bryn Terfel lead a strong cast in a revival of Deborah Warner's dark staging of Britten's signature work at Covent Garden.

****1

Two funerals and a bedding at the Linbury Theatre

Eleanor Knight, 1st May

Tales of love and loss as operas by Elena Langer, Charlotte Bray and Elizabeth Maconchy form a varied triple bill in this showcase for The Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Artists.

****1

The Turn of the Screw at RBO Linbury: Darkness and denial

Eleanor Knight, 26th March

Natalie Abrahami’s mesmerising new production of Britten’s ghostly tale of sexual abuse is very dark indeed.

*****

A riveting Rigoletto revival at the Royal Opera House

Dominic Lowe, 25th March

Sir Mark Elder celebrates 50 years at Covent Garden by returning to his first opera there in 1976 – Verdi's Rigoletto – in a revival of Oliver Mears' excellent 2021 production.

****1

Siegfried at the RBO: Kosky and Pappano surprise and delight

David Karlin, 17th March

A revelatory orchestral performance and a cast led by Andreas Schager, Christopher Maltman and Elisabeth Strid make this a Siegfried for the record books.

*****

Terfel’s craggy Boris Godunov returns to Covent Garden

Mark Pullinger, 29th January

The second revival of Richard Jones' staging of Mussorgsky's original 1869 version of Boris Godunov once again stars the Welsh knight.

****1

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David Karlin

David is a co-founder of Bachtrack. He is a musical omnivore interested in almost all types of music, but with a particular love of Italian opera. You can contact him from this link.

A new Tosca from The Royal Opera: Anna Netrebko returns, with a vengeance