Turandot
When the chorus as the proud people of Peking entered the stage, they were so jam-packed you felt if someone pushed in the wrong direction they might all tumble into the orchestra pit.
We know China is crowded, so it was apt that the stage was as well.
More than sixty members of the children’s and adult chorus swayed, marched and mocked in bloodthirsty time to the music.
It was the highlight of the sweeping night of passion, drama and gore of this opera which Puccini famously died before he could finish, allowing the descendants of his much younger collaborators to benefit from royalty cheques into the 21stcentury.
The production by Graeme Murphy, although twenty years old, has many beautiful flourishes of light, sweeping silk and grand imperial China.
It was a regal night to match. Sitting in the plum seats were the Premier of NSW, The Governor of NSW and Governor General. Next to the freeloading (sorry hard working) reviewers in A Reserve were enthusiasts who had forked out a right royal $280 a seat. (Mind you they can be a lot cheaper further back).
The couple next to me thought it was money well spent.
Aficionados dissected the performances, compared to the glorious recordings they have feasted on.
Susan Foster as Princess Turandot had a powerful and imposing voice which could chill the blood in the veins of any tremulous suitor.
Rosario La Spina as Calaf looks a little like Pavorotti (on the trimmer side, mind you) so the inevitable expectation is that he will sound like him, especially during Nesun Dorma.
It is a titanic role for a tenor and while he soared to great heights there was slight disappointment on some of the money notes.
Elsewhere Warren Fisher boomed out as the Emperor in an impossibly large costume and Daria Masiero was sweet at the slave girl Liu.
The audience was well satisfied.
David Spicer
Photographer: Branco Gaica.
See our photographic feature of of this production
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