Giacomo Puccini: Turandot

Soloists:

Luana DeVol, Franco Farina, Barbara Frittoli

Orchestra, choir:

Orquestra Simfònica i Cor del Gran Teatre del Liceu

Conductor:

Giuliano Carella

Director:

Núria Espert



The beautiful but cruel princess Turandot, who executed her suitors if they failed to solve her three riddles, is a unique work in Puccini's oeuvre. Turandot demonstrates the composer's ability to reflect the musical trends of his time more convincingly than any of his other operas. In this work, he combines progressive techniques with his own style without compromising the fundamentals of traditional melodrama. Even today, despite the work's richly inspiring melodies (including Calaf's aria "Nessun dorma" in the third act), the opera's greatest appeal lies in its clever, imaginative tonality and subtle instrumentation. Filmed in 2004, this production of Turandot premiered in 1999 at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, when the theater reopened after extensive repairs following a fire. The cast of this production includes some of the finest singers in the Italian repertoire: The title role is played by Luana De Vol, who has been on the international opera scene for over two decades and whose versatile, dramatic soprano is perfectly suited to the character of the contemptuous but vulnerable Turandot. Lirico-spinto soprano Barbara Frittoli, one of today's most renowned interpreters of Mozart and Verdi, showcases her consummate lyrical vocal qualities in the role of the slave Liù, whose loving and self-sacrificing character contrasts with Turandot. As Barbara Frittoli's recordings are still few and far between, this DVD is a new addition for her growing fan base. Calaf, one of Turandot's suitors, who is interested in victory and conquest and shows little sympathy for the fate of his loyal slave Liù, is a characteristic role for American tenor Franco Farina, whose authoritative voice is well suited to the part. Director Núria Espert has retained the luxurious setting traditionally associated with the opera: the magnificent sets are by Ezio Frigerio and the costumes are by Franca Squarciapino. However, Espert's approach to the work is based on the composer's own doubts about the ending. In Espert's view, Turandot is incapable of becoming a normal, docile woman who can be conquered by a man's strength, so she stabs herself to death.