Hot on the heels of Robert Wilson’s production of Turandot for the Canadian
Opera Company, Torontonians have the chance to see Zeffirelli’s granddaddy of
all stagings at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Zeffiirelli directed the
production back in 1987 but is has been repeatedly revived with different casts
and is still going strong.
Zeffirelli produced operas on a grand, magnificent and some would say
ostentatious scale. Opera houses with a smaller budget (and that should include
just about all of them) could not imagine constructing the sets, designing the
costumes and hiring the chorus and extras that the Met does for this Turandot.
And it can hardly hire second rate singers.
Christine Goerke in the title role. Photo: Marty Sohl / Met Operaa
The sets, designed by Zeffirelli himself are intricate and colossal. In
the opening scene we have the Mandarin (Javier Arrey) reading the law that the
pure Princess Turandot will marry only the man of royal blood who can solve the
three riddles that she puts to him. If he fails, he will lose his head.
Zeffirelli has massive ramparts viewable in the dark background and
masses of people to hear the edict. There is commotion, hubbub, and singing, of
course but this is not a simple scene to get the plot going. The mob cries for
blood, the Prince of Persia is mercilessly sent to be executed and we have a scene
on stage worthy of Cecil B. DeMille.
The first scene of Act II in the private apartments of ministers Ping (Alexey
Lavrov), Pang (Tony Stevenson) and Pong (Eduardo Valdes) is almost domestic as
they bemoan bloodshed and miss their homes in the provinces.
We then are put inside the imperial palace where we find the old Emperor
on the throne and witness imperial grandeur that most emperors could only dream
of, but, the Met
delivers. The Emperor (Carlo Bosi) in splendid regalia is seated on a gold
throne above the rest of the world. There are grand pillars, structures and
stairs that fill the stage and dazzle the eye. Turandot appears wearing a huge
tiara and a gown studded with jewels. Beautifully gowned ladies are beside her
as are guards attired in gold standing beside and below the emperor.
The sages of China in white robes of splendour parade in front and
soldiers with masks that make them look menacing are also present.
In such surrounding, singers with big voices and impeccable delivery are
a sine qua non and the Met rarely fails to find them. Soprano Christine Goerke
has a splendid voice that expresses Turandot’s imperiousness (and nastiness, if
you look carefully) but she rises to legendary status as the icy hater of men.
Tenor Yusif Eyvazov makes a powerful and impassioned Calaf who brings
the house down with his “Nessun dorma.” Eleonora Buratto as the slave girl Liu
is simply splendid with her moving performance and lyrical beauty among the
heroics of Calaf and Turandot. James Morris as Timur, approaching his fiftieth
anniversary of singing at the Met was met with epic applause by the audience that
he certainly deserves.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducted his first Puccini at the Met and the
Orchestra and Chorus played outstandingly. Turandot is a truly choral opera and
the Met Chorus deserves praise on the same level of recognition as the singers.
I have devoted most of my review to the grandiosity of the production because
it represents a style that is from the past and a strong indicator of tastes in
New York. The Met has been using it for more than 30 years and it still works.
It is opera on a grand scale that may be past its apogee and unlikely to be
continued very frequently. But there it is without much thought of changing it.
You will recall that there was an attempt to shelve Zeffirelli’s Tosca
by Luc Bondy’s staging but it was met with derision from the audience and
management had e no choice but to run for cover. It was replaced by a more realistic
and palatable to New Yorkers approach by David McVicar.
I have seen this production several times as well as other stagings but
it still astounds me with its opulence and magnificence,
which combined with the choral, orchestral and vocal splendour defines
an era at the Met which may be on its way out.
Franco Zeffirelli died on June 15, 2019.
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Turandot by Giacomo
Puccini was transmitted Live in HD form the Metropolitan Opera on October 12,
2019 at the Cineplex Odeon Eglinton Town Centre Cinema, Toronto and other
theatres across Canada. It will be shown
again in select theatres on November 2, 4, 6 and 10, 2019. For more
information: www.cineplex.com/events
James Karas is the Senior Editor –
Culture of The Greek Press.
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