


Turandot
Story & Setting:
The story of the icy princess from Peking evolved first from an ancient Persian romance, and later an 18th century commedia dell'arte-inspired play by Venetian playwright Carlo Gozzi. Puccini wanted to adapt the tale into “something that will make the world weep,” and Zeffirelli's production provides the visual splendor to match the epic proportions of the music and drama.
Opera Notes:
Turandot was Puccini's final opera, and during the long and complicated process of editing and revising the work, he himself admitted that the prospect of finishing the opera was insurmountable. Indeed, he died before completing the final duet in the piece, and composer Franco Alfaro was engaged to complete it. The score uses dense orchestration, adventurous harmonies, and hints of pentatonic scales and eastern folk songs to paint a musical picture of ancient China.
Sung in
Italian
Length:
3 hours & 15 minutes
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Watch/Listen
"Nessun dorma" Yusif Eyvazov
Met Opera (current production)
"In questa reggia" (Christine Goerke)
Met Opera (current production)