Turandot
Turandot
Turandot is a truly icy princess. Her steely glare and unfeeling beauty comes across in the original 1926 poster (a postcard-sized version of which is keeping Constance company on the Opera Couch).
Although there are two women, various potential lovers, a problem that has to be solved at pain of death, and lots and lots of singing, Disney “Frozen” this is not… not everyone survives to the end of the story…
In fact Puccini died before completing the score. At the first performance, the conductor, Toscanini stopped the music part way through the third act and announced “Qui finisce l’opera, perché a questo punto il maestro è morto” (“Here the opera ends, because at this point the maestro died”). An ending was created by another composer.
Constance and I very much enjoyed the sumptuous production designed by Franco Zeffirelli, and the glorious singing by all the principals, but we do worry about the karma of a princess who leaves a trail of bodies behind her as she works her way toward an understanding of the meaning of love.
To view Constance’s other opera reviews go to this link
Quimper Hittys 
Thanks for more opera enchantment and education. I think it’s marvelous that you have this opportunity in your vicinity…wish it would spread around to other locales.
We are lucky and have several cinemas in our town that show the live in HD opera from the MET- but our favourite is about 20 km away in a much smaller town where they order in pizza for intermission snacks and recognise our faces, and miss us when we don’t come.
Constance looks so elegant in her frock and that wonderful chair.
Constance is always glad to rush home from the opera, (which is the matinee shown live New York time), because the CBC radio has it on Saturday Afternoon at the Opera, starting three hours later, so we can usually catch the ending it all over again! Constance’s Opera couch is the best place for opera-listening, comfortable, amply proportioned, and has hankies stuffed into the cracks between the cushions in case she needs them!
So glad Constance got to enjoy this opera. Sounds like it was well worth viewing.
We do like to go out to the opera, even in the morning!