Opera Turandot

[sunflower]

Hi all! Today i´ve seen opera Turandot at first time on Classica (german TV). It played on opera house in Sydney and i think the most of interprets were terrible . Has anyone seen it? What do you think of Turandot?

[DueBaci]

I love Turandot ...

... this is a great Puccini opera ...

please rent someone elses interpretation ... you might like it.

[marti]

I love Turandot too! It's one of my favorites operas.
The thing Ilove more are the protagonists: Calaf is very passional and so in love with Turandot that is ready to die; Turandot is very cruel but at the end she admits to love him and....love wins!!!
My favorite moment is when Turandot is in front of the imperator and sings:"Padre Augusto, conosco il nome dello straniero! Il suo nome è...Amor!" I cry every time I listen to it.
What a beautiful opera! it's strange if you think that Puccini didn't finish it because he died before....
anyway, this is one of the most beautiful operas I've never seen!!!


marti

[Brittany Bowman]

What a beautiful opera! it's strange if you think that Puccini didn't finish it because he died before....

I have never seen the opera performed at all, but I LOVE to listen to it. I went to Peking/Beijing a month ago, and I listened to the opera in the city where it is set. I thought that that was pretty cool. It is hard to believe that Puccini died before completing his opera, but the more that I listen to it, the more I can hear where the style changes. The person who finished the opera stayed pretty true to the opera's template, but I can hear the minor differences in the music. Toscanini conducted this opera first, and ended where Puccini died. He told the audience that they would end there because it is where the maestro died. I listen to that opera way too much (is there such a thing?). LOL. The version I have is with Franco Corelli and Birgit Nilson. All this talking about Turandot, makes me want to see it performed.

[marti]

Yes, it's true, Puccini didn't finish it. the ending was made by Luciano Berio from "Tu che di gel sei cinta" to the end.
I read also that first time this opera was performed in 1926 in Milan (Puccini died in 1924), the director of the orchestra was Arturo Toscanini.
then when he arrived to the point of the aria "Tu che di gel sei cinta", he stopped all musicians and said to the audience:" I stop here music, because in this moment Master Puccini is died" , and the audience brusted into applause.

[Brittany Bowman]

Wow Marti. Great minds think alike. I just edited my other post and added the same thing that you have already said, but you beat me to the draw.

[sunflower]

Marti, you are talking about this soo beautiful:) Now i know how it´s important to understand what about opera is. When i was watching Turandot i just was listening to interprets sing without understanding.

[westsiderny]

I have to see "Turandot" again! In Torre del Lago I slept almost throughout the entire performance. I had a very bad allergy attack and took a medicine that made me drowsy. My companion, a French guy that was staying in the same hotel in Viareggio and with whom we shared the taxi, offered me his shoulder as a pillow... poor guy... I tried very hard to keep my eyes open, but niente!

[DueBaci]

Yes, it's true, Puccini didn't finish it. the ending was made by Luciano Berio from "Tu che di gel sei cinta" to the end.
I read also that first time this opera was performed in 1926 in Milan (Puccini died in 1924), the director of the orchestra was Arturo Toscanini.
then when he arrived to the point of the aria "Tu che di gel sei cinta", he stopped all musicians and said to the audience:" I stop here music, because in this moment Master Puccini is died" , and the audience brusted into applause.

Berio is not the only ending that was written. Before Berio was commissioned to write an ending... there was the ending written by
Alfano... he wrote a long ending... and Toscanini cut it here and there... and made it shorter. So there is a short Alfano.. and a long Alfano ending. ... and yet another ending is by none other than my favorite conductor... Maestro Steven Mercurio. Most productions use the shortened Alfano ending.