An encore screening of the Met Opera’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca at St James Cavalier Cinema will take place on Thursday at 7pm.

This melodrama about a volatile diva, a sadistic police chief and an idealistic artist has offended and thrilled audiences for more than a century.

Critics, for their part, have often had problems with Tosca’s rather grungy subject matter, the directness and intensity of its score, and the crowd-pleasing dramatic opportunities it provides for its lead roles.

But these same aspects have made Tosca one of a handful of works that seem to represent opera in the public imagination.

Tosca’s popularity is further secured by an exhilarating dramatic sweep, a driving score of melody and theatrical shrewdness, and a career-defining title role.

The Met Opera’s production of Tosca will be screened at St James Cavalier Cinema, Valletta, on Thursday at 7pm. A matinee screening will also be held on February 18 at 2.30pm. For tickets, visit www.kreattivita.org or call 2122 3200.