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| THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE NYC |
The opera is told in three acts. It is a story of the Asian Princess Turandot. Any suitor who wants to court and marry Turandot, must answer 3 questions that only she will ask and knows the correct answer. Many have tried but all have failed. If the suitor fails to pass the test he is brutly killed. The latest suitor, the Prince of Persia, has failed in his quest and is condemned to die. The crowd pleads for Turandot to show mercy to the young man, but she cruelly denies the request. The Prince is beaded and his head is placed on a spike...with all the other losers.
In the crowd is a another young but unknown Prince, Calaf. He is smitten with Turandot's beauty. But also in the crowd he finds his father, Timur, who is blind, and a young servant girl Liu. She has taken care of Timer ever since they had to leave their homeland. Calaf decides to seek the hand of Turandot. Timur tries to dissuade him but Calaf goes ahead with his plan.
As the story progresses, Calaf comes before Turandot to answer her 3 questions. As she asks each question Calaf begins to answer them all correctly. She is aghast. But Calaf tells her, he will release her from the vow if she finds out his real name before dawn. If she does, he will willingly die at her hands. She sends many servants out looking for the father and the servant girl. When Liu is captured, she is tortured to make her tell Turandot the name of the Prince. But Liu, who herself is in love with Calaf, she kills herself rather than betray him.
There is a bit more intrigue to the story line but Dear Reader The Travelling Toe will live it at this point.
One of the most interesting things about the live from The Met performances, is that during the intermissions, the cast of performers are interviewed and often discuss their view of the role and other interesting tidbits of information. Also, you get to see the action going on back stage as the next act's scenery is set up.
The price of the ticket to the live Met Opera production at the movie theater is way cheaper than a airplane ticket to NYC!
The opera was written by Giacomo Puccini. However, he died of throat cancer before it could be totally completely and performed. The opera premiered on Sunday 25, 1926 at La Scala in Milan.
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| Giacomo Puccini |
This opera has one of the most beautiful solo's in all of opera - "Nessum Dorma". The song is in many singers repertoire, but the great Luciano Pavarotti is remembered for his rendition of it. If you ever heard Luciano sing it, you would never forget it.
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| Luciano Pavarotti |
METROPOLITAN OPERA CAST
Turandot
Nina Stemme
Liu
Anita Hartig
Calaf
Marco Berti
Timur
Alexander Tsymbalyuk
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