Atlanta Opera up to challenge of “Tosca”

8 p.m. Oct. 11 and 3 p.m. Oct. 13. $26-$133 plus fees. The Atlanta Opera. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta. 404-881-8885, www.atlantaopera.org.

“Tosca” is one of Puccini’s most exciting operas, filled with drama, politics, murder and suicide. Its music has been the soundtrack for as many free skate programs and commercials as it has multiple-tenors acts because of its beauty and passion.

Atlanta Opera’s season opening production meets the challenge as it builds in intensity through each of its three acts.

Making her debut with Atlanta Opera in the title role, Kara Shay Thomson has presence. She commandeers the stage, her luscious soprano ringing throughout Cobb Energy Centre. While Thomson delivers the typical neediness and jealousy of Tosca, she balances the drama with superior expression and subtlety, especially with her hands. Her clever flips of the wrists while wielding a knife, and that especially deliberate hand-cleaning to eliminate blood spatter after the murder of the Baron Scarpia, capture the emotion as much as her singing.

Tenor Massimiliano Pisapia portrays Mario Cavaradossi, the painter, with verve. His rendition of the third act aria “E Lucevan le stelle,” is as remarkable as it is wrenching. Many audience members were happy to have their breath back, and shouted tributes to Pisapia from their seats. (Pisapia, from Turin, Italy is also making his Atlanta Opera debut, and seemed to have a legion of fans who hailed his performance from the balcony.)

Together, Thomson and Pisapia’s voices are well-matched, their duets in Act 1 (“Qual’occhio”) and Act 3 (“Amaro sol per te m’era il morire,”) were highlights.

There is some inconsistency that appears in the casting, with some voices fading into dress circle or not rising above the orchestra. Fortunately, the supertitles were there to tell us what we were supposed to be hearing.

The company’s staging of Tosca is visually stunning. The grand cathedral and towers by scenic designer Andrew Horn along with the wonderfully detailed costuming by Lena Rivkina and the wigs and makeup by Richard Jarvie work together to make the sets look first rate.