Welsh National Opera |
| Welsh National Opera- Turandot , New Theatre, Cardiff , September 21, 2004 |
| Princess Turandot, back in a timeless mythical Peking, seems determined to resist the love of a man, any man. The portraits of the one hundred plus admirers that she has fatally rejected hang on the wall of the semi-circular, purple painted giant corrugated iron oil-drum that forms the background to the opera. She has devised an ‘enchanting’ way of ridding herself of her suitors; she has decreed that any man who is able to solve three riddles will win her hand, fail and they will be executed. Of course the questions are impossible to answer. As the curtain rises we see, The Prince of Persia, her latest wooer being lead to his execution. Most certainly this is the stuff of ‘Grand Opera’ At the climax of the opera a handsome prince answers her questions and wins her hand but she still seems reluctant to give it. One can wonder why the prince bothers when he has such a lovely young slave girl so desperately in love with him that she is prepared to be tortured and killed to save him. It’s a bit of a surprise to realise that this is a twentieth century opera, first performed in Milan in 1926. The story is very much the stuff of nineteenth century opera and one might ask if it carries any relevance in this 21st century. The relevance then, can only arise from the opportunity that this production provides to allow us to experience great and exciting artistry. In Puccini’s music, which in this opera shows signs of moving into a more ’modern’ idiom, we have it in magnificent and voluptuous waves, delivered with both vigour and sensitivity by the baton of Julian Smith and WNO orchestra. We have it in the superb and captivating singing of the chorus under the spirited direction of chorus master Donald Nally and a touch of masterly singing from the soloists. What we don’t get from director Christopher Alden and his designer Paul Steiberg is a well thought out and totally coherent production. The costumes and the ‘modern’ setting seem to me to be somewhat pragmatic and do little to empathise with the flow and emotion of the music. This prevents the production from becoming the total overall work of art we have come to expect from this company. The programme tells us that the highly regarded opera critic Ernest Newman regarded Turandot’s ministers Ping, Pang and Pong as ‘perhaps the subtlest of Puccini’s creations’. The fact that their names have been purloined by pantomime policeman is, in my view, not sufficient reason to depict them as such here. Nevertheless Matthew Hargreaves, Philip Lloyd Holtam and Anthony Mee, despite their antics are in fine voice and make a significant contribution to the production. The clarity and emotion in the singing and the sincerity of her acting make Olga Mykytenko’s Liù a thrilling delight. Rafael Rojas as Calaf has a very good ever-developing tenor voice, he needs to find a more commanding stage presence. This did strengthen as the narrative progressed but he was not helped by having the executioner’s axe placed between his face and the audience as he starts to sing one of opera’s best known arias. He managed, however, to give us a warm and sensitive ‘Nessun Dorma’. Princess Turandot is obviously a very strong and determined woman. From her first appearance Francesca Patanè makes her presence felt, her act two opening aria is a near triumphant piece of soprano singing. It was the overall vocal and musical strength of this Turandot that made it a relevant and rewarding experience. The Welsh National Opera season continues in Cardiff until Saturday 2nd October, Swansea 12th to 16th October, Llandudno 9th to 13th November. |
Reviewed by: Michael Kelligan |
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