Erstwhile blogger/author of Sieglinde’s Diaries presents his view on Ms. Voigt’s triumph on Saturday.   Read it along with the version by Mr. Tommasini of the NY Times (quoted below).  Additional performances will be on Wednesday, Saturday, and May 5, 8,
11 and 16 at the Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center; (212)
362-6000.

excerpt from review by ANTHONY TOMMASINI; NY Times, April 24, 2006 :   "The soprano Deborah Voigt had wanted to sing the title role of Puccini’s "Tosca" long before she tried it out for the first time with the Florida Grand Opera in 2001. She adored the role and felt it was a good vocal fit. But, as she has recently explained, she was too uncomfortable with her considerable weight back then to make Puccini’s character, an acclaimed prima donna in Rome of 1800 and a great beauty, part of her repertory.

That was then.  ……   Ms. Voigt took that step before an adoring audience on Saturday night, the first "Tosca" of the season. She may not be the Tosca of our time, but Ms. Voigt gave an involving, impetuous and vocally burnished portrayal. Hers is not a creamy-toned Tosca. Her bright and penetrating sound recalls Birgit Nilsson’s Tosca. And she still seems to be adjusting her technique to her new body. Her voice may have lost some warmth and gained some cool shimmer, though she delivered some long phrases of melting legato singing."

Rest of review at NY Times website  Photo – Ken Howard/The Metropolitan Opera