Avanti a Lui Tremava Tutta Roma (All Rome Trembled Before Him)
Excerpts from the 1946 film by Carmine Gallone
Original music by Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924)
Orchestral arrangements by Michele Callà, Sebastiano De Salvo and Paolo Orlandi, students and former students of the Conservatory of Music “F.A. Bonporti” in Trento and Riva del Garda
Coordination by Nicola Straffelini

“Avanti a lui tremava tutta Roma” is a historical musical film set in Nazi-occupied Rome in 1944. It is based on the intertwining of Giacomo Puccini’s opera Tosca and a story of the Resistance. The protagonists are opera singers Ada and Marco, who are involved in a theatrical performance while secretly participating in activities in support of the Allies behind the scenes. Marco hides an English paratrooper in the theatre, but a misunderstanding causes Ada to unwittingly denounce him, prompting the Germans to begin a manhunt. At the heart of the film lies the overlap between theatrical fiction and historical reality: scenes from Tosca performed on stage are dramatically reflected in the characters’ experiences, culminating in a final escape that coincides symbolically with the liberation of Rome. Gallone uses opera as a narrative structure and political metaphor, blending opera and war story. Starring Anna Magnani and Tito Gobbi, the film thus takes on both celebratory and civic value, expressing the emotional climate of post-war Italy.