Two of opera's venerated statesmen captivated the crowd in a Zurich staging of ''Tosca,'' despite imperfect performances by the orchestra and title role.

Two of opera's venerated statesmen captivated the crowd in a Zurich staging of ''Tosca,'' despite imperfect performances by the orchestra and title role.

Brooklyn-born tenor Neil Shicoff battled a sore throat Friday night as the romantic hero Mario Cavaradossi struggled early on, particularly in the opening aria ''Recondita armonia.''

But, like Cavaradossi in the Puccini opera, Shicoff grew stronger as the drama unfolded, bellowing out the ''Vittoria'' lines that lead him to the gallows.

By the opera's final act he was at his best, delivering that ''singing from the gut'' that maestro Seiji Ozawa once said was Shicoff's unique sound.

Shicoff was matched by Ruggero Raimondi in the role of the evil police chief Scarpia. Raimondi may be past the height of his powers, but still possesses a booming baritone and wonderful stage presence.

Isabelle Kabatu as Tosca was somewhat less impressive. Kabatu is a talented actress with a luminous voice, one that easily filled Zurich's compact Opernhaus. But at times, she seemed indecisive on the stage, perhaps because of Gilbert Deflo's questionable direction.

In the final scene, when Tosca usually jumps to her death off Rome's Castel Sant'Angelo, Deflo had Kabatu grab a gun and kill herself, collapsing on her dead lover as Juliet falls on Romeo in Shakespeare's play.

The idea fell flat and looked forced.

The orchestra under Nello Santi was at times wonderful, with subtle changes in tempo helping draw the listener in. But the blasts of brass lacked some crispness, and one could have asked for a more electrifying sound to highlight the tension in this most dramatic of operas.

Four more performances are planned through April 24.