Turandot

Can sublime music and a visually stunning production make up for a creaky story and wooden acting? That is the question posed by the return of the Graeme Murphy directed and choreographed production of Turandot.

It first graced the stage of the Sydney Opera House way back in August 1990, but there was no sign of any rust.  

The visual treats include swirling sails, carved wooden like ornaments, granite like warrior attire, an emperor’s robe that was two storeys high, an imposing gong, beef cake sword swishing guards and delicately stitched stunning dresses.

The people of Peking (otherwise known as the chorus) swarm onto the stage, giving the impression of a crowded ancient city, cleverly weaving amongst each other, without appearing to put a foot or note wrong.

The story is tailor made for soaring arias including the immortal Nessun Dorma, but it does not make a lot of sense.

Why would a Prince fall in love with an ice maiden at first sight? Particularly one who has just ordered the decapitation of a suitor, for making a mistake in her three question riddle.

And why would the Prince’s ardour stay strong, even when  the ice maiden’s behaviour later leads to the death of a beloved slave girl?

We can’t blame Mr Puccini for the abrupt ending to the Opera, as he died before it was completed by another composer.  No wonder it took the Chinese almost 75 years to be able to stomach such an unflattering depiction of their culture and only stage it for the first time in 1998.

Exposing the brittle bones of the story was a lack of stage chemistry between the suitor Calaf  (Yonghoon Lee) and Turandot (Lise Lindstrom).  Each of them conquered the stratospheric arias Mr Puccini gifted their roles to earn ovations from the opening night audience, but they lacked a little emotional connection.  A smile at the end of the performance came as a shock.

 Some of the minor roles were more fun to watch.  Ping (Luke Gabbedy), Pong (John Longmuir) and Pang (Graeme MacFarlane) from the Emperor’s court, revelled in the fiendishly clever choreography which had them rolling and sliding across the stage. Hyeseoung Kwon as (Lieu) also charmed the audience.

We could forgive the holes in the drama. This is opera after all.

David Spicer