Baritone Michael Chioldi was extremely impressive in his portrayal of what is lowest in a human being. He took on Scarpia with absolute commitment: he abused his power, cursed, lied and tried to rape Tosca, dying by her knife in his attempt. His performance in the demented sequence of scenes during the second act, shares the masterful capacity to sing and embody evil that brought international fame to Justino Díaz.