The Israeli Opera Festival Takes the Leap with TOSCA, Staged at the Foot of the Historic Masada Fortress

At an hour-and-a-half's drive, the historic citadel at Masada--the mountain fortress in Israel's Judean Desert--is close enough to visit from Jerusalem as part of a pilgrimage or other tourism adventure.

For visitors to the Israeli Opera Festival, held at the foot of Masada, the better idea may be to stay at one of the Dead Sea hotels, like the Daniel, that's a short trip away. This can be handy when the performance goes past midnight and the car park is slow to empty. And, when you're not taking in your cultural fix, you can take in some local mud, float in the 33% salt water, contemplate Jordan on the opposite side of the sea, or simply bask in the sun at the lowest place on earth. (But do it quickly, because it's shrinking by 3.5 feet a year.)

At Masada, a group of besieged Jewish rebels killed themselves rather than be taken alive by the Romans almost 2000 years ago. In Puccini's TOSCA, the centerpiece of this year's festival, the eponymous heroine jumps from Castel Sant'Angelo rather than being taken prisoner for killing the evil chief of police, Scarpia, during the Napoleonic Wars.

So much for the logic of staging this rather intimate work as part of the fifth edition of the Israeli Opera Festival, in handsome, temporary quarters built at the base of Masada. But, remarkably, the very traditional production by French director Nicolas Joel worked very well indeed in the great outdoors.

Welcome to cultural tourism, 21st century-style. While the Festival might not offer the brilliant natural sound of a Roman-built amphitheatre, or the man-made acoustics of one of the world's great opera houses, this site has the dramatic presence of Masada that's unmatchable.

With an effective Tosca in the hands of Bulgarian soprano Svetla Vassileva and the fortress itself playing a powerful supporting role in the final act, alit and towering over the opera stage, as TOSCA's climactic scene took shape, the performance held the audience in its grip.

There was also no shortage of sound from the Israel Symphony, under the Festival's music director, Daniel Oren. He led a sweeping performance that still brought out the nuances of the score. The amplification may not have always brought out the most refined sound, but, frankly, the audience was there for the grand experience and the orchestra played its role quite well. So did the chorus, comprised of the Israel Opera Chorus, under Ethan Schmeisser, and the Moran Youth Choir, under Naomi Faran and Sarit Steckler.

Add to that soprano Vassileva, who cut a glamorous figure and had plenty of voice for Tosca, though she and the other singers were abetted by an amplification system necessary in the venue (though it was not always their friend). Nevertheless, this was definitely Vassileva's evening, with her famed aria, "Vissi d'arte," in Act II a highlight. Tenor Gustavo Porta and baritone Sergei Murzaev were fine as the object of Tosca's affection (and jealousy) and nemesis, respectively.

Except for a huge curved wall, in front of which the action takes place, the scenic effects were all created through computer-generated projections that brought a cinematic feel to the proceedings. Designer Emmanuelle Favia worked magic with the help of Vinicio Cheli's lighting in Acts I and III. Act II, which takes place in the confines of the police chief's office in the Palazzo Farnese and cries out for intimacy, was less successful. Tosca pleads for the life of her lover, Mario Cavaradossi, but here, it was as if the interplay between Tosca and Scarpia were being played out on a football field. The production otherwise had smooth sailing.

The Festival's other "opera" was not an opera at all: Carl Orff's cantata, CARMINA BURANA. Even if you're not a classical music lover, the opening will likely be familiar from its use in many movies, and the over-the-top staging from Polish director, Michael Znaniecki, who calls it "Indiana Jones in Masada" in the program notes, had the audience entertained.

Next year, the centerpiece of the Festival is the biblically inspired SAMSON AND DELILA by Saint-Saens--paired with a less obvious choice, Verdi's UN BALLO IN MASCHERA--which should feel right at home in this cultural oasis in the Judean Desert.

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I visited the Israeli Opera Festival, the Dead Sea and other fascinating sites in Israel as the guest of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism.