Puccini's 'Turandot' brings Persian fairy tale to life

The Metropolitan Opera Company’s Live in HD broadcast of Giacomo Puccini’s “Turandot” will be shown at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center at 10:55 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12. Set in ancient China and spectacularly lush, it is sung in Italian with English subtitles; total run time is 3:22 hours, including two intermissions. Tickets are available at the door for $20 for adults, $5 for students, and $10 for college students, cash or check.

As a special treat to kick off the new season of Live from the Met in HD, Whitefish’s acclaimed tenor Mike Eldred will sing the famous tenor aria “Nessun dorma” from “Turandot” at 10:45 a.m.

This “Turandot” is the Franco Zeffirelli production that has been performed at The Met since 1987. It features a large orchestra, opulent sets, and lots of people onstage in exotic costumes. Critics call this “Turandot” “a gem in The Met’s repertory … a time travel fantasy that can take your breath away.”

Puccini’s “Turandot” is based on a somewhat gruesome 12th century Persian fairy tale. Turandot is a beautiful but cold-hearted Chinese princess whose princess ancestor was kidnapped and killed by an invading foreign prince. As a result, Turandot does not like men — especially foreign princes who come to Peking to marry her. Her policy is to ask her suitors three riddles, and if they answer incorrectly, she orders their execution. So far, none of her suitors have guessed the riddles. Indeed, the set is decorated with a number of dead princes’ heads.

The opera opens with the most recent prince facing his execution. Among the onlookers is Timur, the old exiled King of Tartary; Timur’s slave girl helper Liu; and Calaf, an unknown wanderer who is actually the exiled Prince of Tartary in disguise. Calaf is immediately smitten with Princess Turandot, and no sooner than one prince literally loses his head, Calaf figuratively loses his own and steps forward to announce that he is the next suitor — bring on those riddle questions! Everyone tries to dissuade Calaf, including Turandot’s Emperor father and the three government officials Ping, Pang and Pong who are sick of all this bloodshed. However, the confident Calaf is not deterred. Turandot asks him three riddle questions, and to the amazement of all, Calaf answers them correctly.

Turandot begs her father to get her out of having to marry Calaf. In an attempt to impress her, Calaf offers to release Turandot from the marriage and even execute him if she can discover his name before sunrise. Turandot orders everyone in her kingdom to stay awake until they can discover his name. Calaf is unknown in Peking except for Timur and Liu who know him. Turandot’s soldiers torture Liu to get her to reveal his name, but Liu has always been in love with Calaf. To protect him, she cries out, “Only I know his name, and I will never tell!” and then kills herself with a dagger in front of all. Turandot is impressed with Liu’s selfless act for the man she loves. Calaf thinks that maybe this is the moment he can win her heart, so he impetuously kisses Turandot, who begins to weep. Calaf then reveals his identify as the exiled Prince of Tartary, and Turandot falls in love with the handsome prince.

All of Puccini’s operas have an aria for a lead singer that is separate enough from the opera that it’s often sung as a stand-alone piece. “Turandot’s” most famous stand-alone aria is “Nessun dorma” (“No one sleeps”); indeed, this may be the most famous aria in all of opera. The wandering Prince Calaf sings this at the beginning of Act 3 when he claims that no one will discover his name and he will win the hand of Princess Turandot (“At dawn I will win!”).

Filling in as Prince Calaf after another tenor canceled at the last minute is Azerbaijani dramatic tenor Yusif Eyvazov, the real-life husband of soprano superstar Anna Netrebko. The American dramatic soprano Christine Goerke sings the role of Princess Turandot, which few sopranos can handle. Italian soprano Eleonora Buratto sings the role of Liu, and American bass-baritone James Morris sings the role of King Timur. The charismatic new Met music Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducts.