BaL 7.07.12 - Puccini's Turandot

[Nick Armstrong]

I've tried but I continue to find the 'epic chinoiserie' of this piece tedious and unmoving. Worst of all, those modulations at the end of "In questa reggia" are plain ridiculous

I saw 'Turandot' a couple of times in the 80s, and my reaction then (mingled boredom and revulsion) remains.

Always a relief when BAL doesn't cost me money

More generally, that fad for chinoiserie in the early 20th century usually leaves me cold, with melodic and harmonic clichés reducing the music to pastiche (even in the hands of one of my heroes like Ravel).

[Richard Tarleton]

Wasn't Mehta also the choice last time Turandot was on BAL? There were a couple of moments where I thought I was listening to a repeat - the descriptions of Sutherland and Pears sounded very familiar.

I like Roger Parker's style though.

[Resurrection Man]

....

I like Roger Parker's style though.

Mmmmm... I found his opening comments a little bit too 'clever' by half....came across as 'listen to me...aren't I a clever and erudite so-and-so'.

[Resurrection Man]

.....

In my view the Pavarotti/ Sutherland/ Caballe/ Mehta recording with the VPO is pretty much unsurpassable. The playing and sound quality is very good and that's an unbeatable cast.

....

Having listened to the programme I have to agree.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

...except that it ain't the VPO

[Richard Tarleton]

Mmmmm... I found his opening comments a little bit too 'clever' by half....came across as 'listen to me...aren't I a clever and erudite so-and-so'.

Possibly - he opened hs first ever BAL (Forza) in quite a striking fashion - but he is an example of what one might call the David Owen Norris school of forensic BALs. He certainly knows his stuff - he did all the Verdi operas for the New Grove Book of Operas ed. Sadie.

[Flosshilde]

I saw 'Turandot' a couple of times in the 80s, and my reaction then (mingled boredom and revulsion) remains.

It's a strange work. I like it, but none of the characters I find particularly engaging or sympathetic (except perhaps for the Emperor & Timur), and the music is often bombastic & overheated, although the worst of it is in the last scene, which isn't Puccini. The music for the Emperor's entrances, with the fanfares, can be seen in the same way as the entry to Valhalla in Rheingold - mocking the gods. In the only production I've seen live, for SO/ON, the emperor entered through a door at the back of the stage, & walked very unsteadily to the front. At each blast on the brass he staggered, as if he'd been physically battered by the sound. A weary old man, waiting to be released by Turandot's capitulation to the, or any, prince.

[Mandryka]

I like (most of) the music but find the libretto/storyline very affected and pretentious. I'd agree with Flosshilde about the characters being a deeply unsympathetic bunch; I also get the feeling that Puccini was stretching hsi material somewhat (that awful scene with the three 'Masks') and the ending, as others have said, doesn't really work. On the whole, probably the leat of GP's operas, when considered as a stage work.

[Stephen Smith]

I'm not sure where I rank this in Puccini's output - other than I find Madam Butterfly very cruel and am reluctant to see it. The ROH production is impressive (colourful, etc). 2 memories - Ben Heppner making his first entrance, which looked as though he was having a quick look at the set for the 1st time before a rehearsal started - and the 2nd, Robert Tear, as Emperor, descending on the fantastical throne, from above the Proscenium - his last performance, well sung, he retired that night!

[Pianorak]

In 1994 [Sharon] Sweet made her debut at Covent Garden Opera London as Turandot by Puccini.

Unforgettable!

[Richard Tarleton]

In 1994 [Sharon] Sweet made her debut at Covent Garden Opera London as Turandot by Puccini.

Unforgettable!

Ah yes, the Sweet Trolley as Covent Garden stage hands named the contraption in which she was wheeled onstage....

[Nick Armstrong]

Ah yes, the Sweet Trolley as Covent Garden stage hands named the contraption in which she was wheeled onstage....

[Alf-Prufrock]

I liked the Berio ending too: it seemed to have the right hesitancy & uncertainty. I tend to find thge usual ending, with Turandot suddenly swept away by lurve rather too unlikely, given her previous ideas.

So how does the Berio effort end then? With Calaf getting his head chopped off as he might be thought to deserve?

[martin_opera]

Reasonably good BAL although it doesn't seem that long ago that I heard Iain Burnside come to the same conclusion. IB made a good point that always stuck in my mind: ironically Sutherland's diction is better than Nilsson's. Case in point: In Questa Reggia on "Quel grido e quella morte!" Sutherland really attacks the word grido and Nilsson decides to approximate the words in order to hit the note. Oh and I do wonder why no mention was made of the marvellous Stokowski live performance with Corelli, Nilsson and Moffo as a superb (but admittedly sobbing) Liu. Mention also warranted for Heppner's lyrical Calaf and Margaret Price's Liu in the Roberto Abbado at budget price.

[visualnickmos]

I'm being a little lazy, as I probably won't do a "listen again" but I'm guessing Sutherland and Pavarotti were the "winners"? It is a damn fine performance, I must say, but at the same time I like Callas/Serafin on EMI.