Composers: Puccini
Compositions: Tosca
Performers: Anja Harteros s, Aleksandrs Antonenko t, Ludovic Tézier bar, Staatskapelle Dresden/Christian Thielemann
Catalogue Number: C Major 748308 (DVD) 748404 (Blu-ray)

Once notorious for its shock value, Michael Sturminger’s decent, modern-dress Tosca from the 2018 Salzburg Easter Festival looks and sounds pretty good, but despite opening with sirens and a gun battle, it’s unlikely to ruffle feathers today. Billed as film-inspired, there’s little evidence of that in what is a fairly static staging. In fact, the innovations seem to be aimed more at the laudable aim of taking the romantic sting...