Word: turandote
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After months of surrealist palavers, the princes finally met last week in the capital city of Vientiane. But the meeting settled nothing, and more than ever the Three Princes recalled, in their operatic futility, the Three Ministers in Puccini's Turandot -Ping, Pong and Pang...
...reason that Fanciulla failed to catch on permanently is that it was not truly a singer's opera: moving in the direction of Turandot, Puccini at the time was experimenting with more complex harmonies, increasing the importance of the orchestra and giving the singers fewer of the swooning set pieces that illuminated works like Boheme. And although the libretto is no more farfetched than that of many another opera, it falls strangely on American ears attuned to Hollywood and TV westerns...
Later in the week, completing the cycle of new roles for the season. Soprano Price gave a touching performance of the less demanding part of Liù in Turandot. If anybody was unhappy about her success, it was the Manhattan ticket brokers: obtaining Price tickets these days, they report, is about like wangling a reserved seat beside the first astronaut...
This album features Jussi Bjoerling's penultimate recorded performance. From it, we are all the more aware that this great Swedish tenor died when he still was near the top of his form. His battle of high notes with Turandot at the end of their last duet (itself the one truly exciting moment in Alfano's scoring) is a most extraordinary display of vocal power. His lyric rendition of much of the first act music makes his Calaf more sympathetic and more credible than any other I have heard...
...Metropolitan is bringing its sumptuous revival of Turandot to Boston this spring--with Nilsson, France Corelli, a great new Calaf, Anna Moffo as Liu, and Tozzi in his first performance as Timur. If it is at all possible that any seats still remain, snap them up: It will prove--I am absolutely sure--an unforgettable evening. However, if you discover that others have beaten you to it, console yourself by obtaining this recording. It, too, has its unforgettable moments...