Turandot, 2007
Photo: J. Reeder
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Turandot
By Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni, based on the play by Carlo Gozzi
Time: Unspecified
Place: Peking
ACT I
In front of the imperial palace.
A Mandarin announces to the people that any man who desires to wed Turandot must first answer her three riddles. If he fails, he will be beheaded – the Prince of Persia has failed and will soon die. In the clamoring crowd, a blind old man is pushed to the ground while his slave, Liù, cries for help. A young man, Calaf, hears her cry and recognizes the old man as his long-lost father, Timur, the deposed king of Tartary. Timur tells his son that only Liù has remained faithful to him. When Calaf asks her why, she tells him that once, long ago in the palace, he smiled upon her.
The moon rises, and the crowd’s grows silent. Then, as the doomed Prince of Persia awaits his execution, the crowd calls for Turandot to spare him. She appears, but orders the execution to continue. Calaf, who has never seen Turandot before, falls immediately in love while the crowd screams in horror over the beheading of the Prince of Persia. Timur and Liù both plead with Calaf to ignore Turandot. The ministers Ping, Pang and Pong also warn him that Turandot is unattainable, but Calaf refuses to listen. He strikes the palace gong three times, declaring himself a suitor. Ping, Pong, and Pang laugh, and the curtain falls.
ACT II
Scene 1: A pavilion in the imperial palace, before sunrise.
Ping, Pang, and Pong lament their place as ministers in Turandot’s palace; they must continually accompany young men to their death. The three share fond memories of life away from the palace, but are shaken back to reality. As the palace trumpet sounds, the ministers prepare themselves for the entrance of the Emperor.
Scene 2: The courtyard of the palace at sunrise.
The Emperor Altoum, father of Turandot, sits on his grand throne in his palace. He urges Calaf to withdraw his challenge, but the unknown Prince refuses. Turandot enters, and in the aria “In questa reggia,” she explains that her ancient ancestor was ravished and murdered by a foreigner and now, out of revenge, Turandot has sworn to never let any man possess her. She warns the Prince to withdraw, but again he refuses. The Princess presents her first riddle: “What is born each night and dies each dawn?” The Prince correctly replies, “Hope.” The Princess, unnerved, presents her second riddle: “What flickers red and warm like a flame, but is not fire?” The Prince thinks for a moment before replying, “Blood.” Turandot is shaken. She presents her third riddle: “What is like ice, but burns like fire?” As the prince thinks, Turandot taunts him. Suddenly he cries out in victory and announces, “Turandot!” The crowd cheers for the triumphant Prince. Turandot throws herself at her father’s feet and pleads with him not to leave her to the Prince’s mercy. The Emperor insists that she must marry the unknown Prince. Calaf counters that he has a proposal for her: if Turandot can find out his name before sunrise, Calaf will die. Turandot accepts. The Emperor hopes the Prince will emerge victorious, and as he exits, the curtain falls.
ACT III
Scene 1: The palace gardens. Night.
In the distance, heralds call out Turandot’s command: “This night, none shall sleep in Peking! The penalty for all will be death if the Prince’s name is not discovered by morning!” The Prince, in the aria “Nessun dorma,” anticipates his victory. Ping, Pang and Pong appear and offer the Prince women and riches if he will only give up Turandot, but he refuses. A group of soldiers then drag in Timur and Liù. They have been seen speaking to the Prince, so they must know his name. Turandot enters and orders Timur and Liù to speak. The Prince feigns ignorance, saying they know nothing. Liù declares that she alone knows the Prince’s name, but she will not reveal it. Ping demands the Prince’s name, and when she refuses, she is tortured. Turandot is clearly taken by Liù’s resolve and asks her who put so much strength in her heart. Liù answers “Princess, Love!” Turandot demands that Ping tear the Prince’s name from Liù, and he orders her to be tortured. Liù counters Turandot saying that she too shall learn love. Having spoken, Liù seizes a dagger from a soldier’s belt and stabs herself. As she staggers towards the Prince and falls dead, the crowd screams for her to speak the Prince’s name. Since Timur is blind, he must be told about Liù’s death, and he cries out in anguish. Timur warns that the gods will be offended by this outrage, and the crowd is subdued with shame and fear. The grieving Timur and the crowd follow Liù’s body as it is carried away. Even Ping, Pang, and Pong express remorse and leave Turandot and the Prince alone.
Here Puccini’s work ends. The remainder of the music was completed by Franco Alfano.
The Prince tries to convince Turandot to love him. At first she is disgusted, but after he kisses her, she feels herself turning towards passion. As dawn breaks, the Prince reveals his name: Calaf, son of Timur.
Scene 2: The courtyard of the palace. Dawn.
Turandot and Calaf approach the Emperor’s throne. She declares that she knows the Prince’s name: “His name is...love!” As the crowd cheers, the curtain falls.
This Synopsis is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License and uses material from the Wikipedia article “Turandot.”
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