Turandot
An opera forbidden by the Chinese government
For many years, the Government of the People's Republic of China forbade performance of Turandot because they said it portrayed the Chinese in an unfavorable light.
Finally, in September 1998, the opera was performed for 8 nights at the Forbidden City, complete with opulent sets and soldiers from the People's Liberation Army as extras. It was an international collaboration, with director Zhang Yimou as choreographer (who also directed the 2008 opening/closing Beijing Olympic ceremonies and the film House of Flying Daggers) and Zubin Mehta as conductor.
This was the
original poster for the premiere of the opera in 1926.The opera composer Giacomo Puccini had throat cancer and died before he could see this opera to completion. He told fellow Italian opera composer Riccardo Zandonai to finish the opera. Puccini's son objected, and so Franco Alfano finished it instead. Alfano's original ending was criticized by his editor and conductor, so he created a second ending that follow Puccini's sketches more closely.
There tends to be much debate over which version of the ending is better, but many are drawn towards Alfano's first original score.
About the Opera
Where does it take place?
In legendary times at an imperial palace in Peking, China.
Who is Turandot?
Turandot is the ultimate ice princess. She is extremely beautiful, and many princes want to marry her. In fact, The Prince of Tartary wants to marry her. She forces men who pursue her to answer three riddles.
Analysis: Turandot explains early in the opera (in her song In questa reggia) that her ancestor, Princess Lo-u-Ling, reigned over her kingdom "in silence and joy, resisting the harsh domination of men" until she was murdered by an invading foreign prince. Turandot believes that her ancestor lives in her, and out of revenge, she swears never to let any man possess her.
The Three
Riddles
The Prince of Tartary must answer Turandot's three riddles - or
else he will be beheaded. Here are the three
riddles:
"What is born each night and dies each dawn?"
"What flickers red and warm like a flame, but is not fire?"
"What is like ice, but burns like fire?"
The Prince answers all three riddles correctly - Hope, Blood and
Turandot. Turandot is still hesitant to marry and begs her father
to avoid marriage. The Prince comes up with this proposal - if she
finds out what his name is by the next day's sunrise, he will place
his life in her hands and be killed - just like the other princes
who unsuccessfully answered the riddles.
The Search
for the Prince's Name
Turandot searches high and low to find out the Prince's name to
avoid marrying him. She brings in a slave girl named Liù, who is
secretly in love with the prince. She refuses to divulge his name,
saying instead that his named is "Love". Liù the slave girl kills
herself and Princess Turandot still hasn't found out his
name.
The
Ending
So far the Prince is victorious. Turandot still doesn't know his
name at sunrise. He tries to convince her to love him, but she's
disgusted at first. But more and more, she is starting to feel
emotions for him. She asks for him to leave.
The Prince tells Turandot his name: "Calaf, son of Timur", thereby
placing his life in Turandot's hands. At this choice, Turandot
decides that she will keep him. She declares that she knows the
Prince's name: "It is love!"
Why is
Turandot so famous?
Puccini is regarded as one of the best and most famous opera
composers of all time. This opera is considered his most ambitious
and adventurous play, in terms of musical style. It is the last
Italian opera to enter the international repertory.
This romantic comedy soon reveals, in the
ageless power struggle of the sexes, that winning is losing - at
least when it comes to love!
Nessun
Dorma
Perhaps the most famous song from Turandot is "Nessun
Dorma". I'm sure you've heard it before - it was sung by Paul Potts
in the British reality TV show Britain's Got Talent.
It is perhaps the most famous aria sung by opera
tenors.
Watch Pavarotti sing "Nessun Dorma" in
this video clip below.
Images/References
Wikipedia
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