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| Opera Australia-Turandot. |
The Story
Composed by Puccini (his last opera) but completed by his student Franco Alfano, Turandot is set in imperial Peking, China. Calaf, a brave yet selfish prince falls in love at the sight of Turandot, a beautiful yet cold-hearted princess who sends her suitors to the their deaths if they fail to answer her three riddles.
Against the wishes of his exiled father Timur and slave girl Liu who loves him, Calaf rings the gong and successfully answers all three riddles. Distraught, for Turandot must now marry the successful suitor, Calaf gives her a riddle of his own and will sacrifice his life to win her love.
Against the wishes of his exiled father Timur and slave girl Liu who loves him, Calaf rings the gong and successfully answers all three riddles. Distraught, for Turandot must now marry the successful suitor, Calaf gives her a riddle of his own and will sacrifice his life to win her love.
On the contrary, Liu was perhaps the only character that stirred genuine emotion in me for she displayed depth in emotion, complexity and courage as she struggled with her unrequited love for Calaf. Her words in her final aria "Such secret love, and unconfessed, so great that these tortures are sweetnesses for me, because I present them to my lord...I give him your love...I give him you, Princess, and I lose all!..."(Arnesen, pg.259) presents her in a position of power, as a redeemer, as an instigator. She chose to sacrifice her life for them both! Without her, the ensuing relationship between Turandot and Calaf wouldn't have been possible.
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| Joan Sutherland Theatre-Sydney Opera House. |
All being said, it is after all just a fable. Even though the story raises many questions for me, but the experience of an opera is still one to be savoured, especially in celebration of Opera Australia's 60th Anniversary.
Main Cast
Turandot – Zara Bennett
Calaf – Rosario La Spina
Liu – Daria Masiero
Timur – Pelham Andrews
Ping – Luke Gabbedy
Pang – Graeme Macfarlane
Pong – John Longmuir
Timur – Pelham Andrews
Ping – Luke Gabbedy
Pang – Graeme Macfarlane
Pong – John Longmuir
Conductor – Benjamin Northey
Director/Choreographer – Graeme Murphy
Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra
Opera Australia Chorus
Director/Choreographer – Graeme Murphy
Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra
Opera Australia Chorus
References:
https://opera.org.au/aboutus/past_events/2015/turandot-sydneyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turandot
The Romantic World of Puccini: A New Critical Appraisal of the Operas, Iris J. Arnesen
