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Wednesday, August 3 at 8 pm. Swedish dramatic soprano Nina Stemme sings the demanding title role of Puccini’s imperious Chinese princess, with Anita Hartig as the angelic slave girl Liù. Marco Berti sings Calàf, the suitor who risks his head for Turandot’s hand, and Alexander Tsymbalyuk sings Timur. Paolo Carignani conducts Franco Zeffirelli‘s visually stunning 1987 production.
The opera, which premiered at La Scala, Milan in 1926, is an epic fairy tale set in a China of legend. Featuring a most unusual score with an astounding and innovative use of chorus and orchestra, it is still recognizably Puccini, bursting with instantly appealing melodies. The unenviable task of completing the opera’s final scene upon Puccini’s sudden death was left to the composer Franco Alfano.
The story has its roots in various folk tales about a princess who tests the worthiness of her suitors by posing a series of riddles and who has those who answer incorrectly killed. The characters of Ping, Pang, and Pong are descended from the Italian tradition of commedia dell’arte that influenced much of the opera and drama of the 20th century.
Reviewing the present production, The New York Times noted that “[Nina Stemme] managed to render the grisly ice maiden surprisingly vulnerable… Her powerful, luxuriant voice retained its warmth throughout the evening, with blazing high notes that were never forced or shrill, even when projected over the massed ensembles of orchestra and chorus… The soprano Anita Hartig sang beautifully as the self-sacrificing Liu, her alluring voice plaintive and expressive; the rich-voiced bass-baritone Alexander Tsymbalyuk rendered Timur with dignity. Paolo Carignani conducted a lithe and detailed reading of Puccini’s sumptuous score.”
