Turandot

With his last opera - left incomplete by his death in 1924 and finished by Franco Alfano– Giacomo Puccini took an ambitious step in the adaptation of his style to the new currents in music which evolved after the Great War.  As a point of departure, the composer took a piece of the 17th century Commedia dell’Arte Del, to advance in a direction that pointed unequivocally – but without forsaking it own identity– to the author of The Rites of Spring. As a result, in Turandot there coexist the melodic intensity of its arias –«Nessun Dorma»–,  the echo of Chinese popular songs —«Mòlìhuā» or «Jasmine Theme »—,  characters from the puppet theatre –Ping, Pang and Pong–  along with instrumentation and colourful tribal rhythms that definitely beat from Stravinsky.

Yet, Turandot is also –as is The Rites of Spring– a grandiose ritual of fertility in which, by way of the ceremony of the three enigmas – plus a fourth–, the sexual act is no longer a brutal demonstration of male dominance, but one that transforms into an amorous encounter of mutual consent. It is along this line – ritualistic and symbolic – that the stylized stage production by Robert Wilson returns to the Teatro Real – as the culmination of the season –   which we had the opportunity to see four seasons ago.

Lyric drama in three acts

Music by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)

Libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni, based on the homonymous fable by Carlo Gozzi

Premiere at the Teatro alla Scala of Milán 25 de April, 1926

Premiere at the Teatro Real, 14 February, 1998

Production of the Teatro Real, in coproduction with the Lithuanian National Opera, the Canadian Opera Company of Toronto, Houston Grand Opera and the Opéra National de París.

Artistic team

Musical conductors | Nicola Luisotti

                                    Diego García Rodríguez | 18, 21 July

Stage director, stage designer, and light designer | Robert Wilson

Codirector | Nicola Panzer 

Associate light designer | John Torres 

Costume designer | Jacques Reynaud 

Dramaturg | José Enrique Macián

Chorus Conductor | Andrés Máspero

Children chorus Conductor | Ana González 

Cast 

Princess Turandot | Anna Pirozzi - 3, 6, 16, 19, 22 jul

                                    Elena Pankratova - 4, 7, 10, 13, 17, 20 jul

                                    Saioa Hernández - 5, 8, 11, 14, 18, 21 jul

The emperor Altoum | Vicenç Esteve

Timur | Adam Palka - 3, 6, 16, 19, 22 jul

            Liang Li - 4, 7, 10, 13, 17, 20 jul

            Fernando Radó - 5, 8, 11, 14, 18, 21 jul

The unknown Prince (Calaf) | Jorge de León - 3, 6, 16, 19, 22 jul

                                                     Michael Fabiano - 4, 7, 10, 13, 17, 20 jul

                                                     Martin Muehle - 5, 8, 11, 14, 18, 21 jul

Liù | Nadine Sierra - 3, 6, 16, 19, 22 jul

        Ruth Iniesta - 4, 7, 10, 13, 17, 20 jul

        Miren Urbieta-Vega - 5, 8, 11, 14, 18, 21 jul

Ping | Germán Olvera

Pang | Moisés Marín

Pong | Mikeldi Atxalandabaso

Mandarin | Gerardo Bullón 

TICKETS ON SALE

• General: 14 March
• Subscribers and young people: 9 March
• Friends of Teatro Real and Young Friends of Teatro Real: 8 March
• Collaborating and benefactor friend: 7 March
• Protector friend: 6 March