Turandot was my first opera, and my experience watching it got rid of some of the preconceived notions I had about opera. I entered the Met believing that I would not like Turandot, simply because I never really liked listening to opera music and the idea of sitting through hours of people singing in a language I did not understand seemed extremely boring. However, I really enjoyed my experience watching Turandot. My favorite aspect of the opera was the set, because as Alexandra mentioned before, the set was very grand and extravagant. I especially loved the set for Turandot’s court; it was extremely bright, filled with extravagantly dressed court people, and dancing court ladies. These sets stayed true to the idea of grandeur that most of us have when we think of courts; and most of all just very aesthetically pleasing.
The orchestra was essential to setting the mood of the opera. Even when I did not pay attention to the (extremely helpful) subtitles in front of me, the music showed whether the mood on stage was grave, lighthearted, happy, etc. It also signaled shifts in mood, or helped to seamlessly transition from one mood to another in the same scene. For example, in the scene where Turandot presents Calaf with the riddles, the music signals a shift in mood as it starts out ominous, reflecting the crowd’s belief that Calaf would die, and ends more cheerfully as the crowd gains hope for Calaf’s success with the riddles.
I also liked Liu, the only likeable character for me in the opera. Her singing truly drew out emotion, since she was very good at expressing her sorrowful, one-sided love for Calaf. In the scene where Turandot and the crowd are trying to draw out Calaf’s name from her, her singing and sorrow really drew out sympathy. I did not understand her devotion to Calaf, especially since he was willing to risk his father and Liu for his love (obsession)-at-first-sight for Turandot. But Liu’s singing, along with the music that accompanied it, were so emotionally charged that I found pitying her situation.
The plot was one of the aspects of the opera I did not like–it was very predictable. There was the cold princess, the instant-love, the smitten, clever prince, and finally, the prince who eventually won over the reluctant princess. I know that this plot might not have been as cliched when it came out, but I personally did not find the plot as engaging. I also did not find most of the characters very sympathetic, other than Liu and Calaf’s father. I thought Calaf’s love was selfish and unreasonable, as he would not stop his own challenge for Turandot, even when the villagers begged him to reconsider since their own lives were at risk. His reaction to Liu being tortured was not as strong as I expected it to be–at one point, he even called out something along the lines of “You know nothing, slave!” when he feared that she would reveal his name. He valued his quest to “attain” Turandot more than human life. I found Turandot even more unsympathetic since I really did not understand her reason for beheading all her previous suitors. I guess for me, the killing of an ancestor did not seem like a valid reason to kill off every and any man who approached her.
Overall, though, I did enjoy this opera performance. The sets, the music, and Liu really made this performance stand out beautifully despite the flaws I found in the plot and characters.
Having never been to the Metropolitan Opera House, as I stepped foot onto Lincoln Center I was instantly amazed by the grandiose atmosphere that the luminous fountain and architecturally beautiful buildings created. Similar to Nureen, watching “Turandot” on Thursday was my first time watching an opera. I agree with Nureen in that one of my absolute favorite parts about the opera were the magnificent sets and ornate costumes. Although we were seated far away I could still see the amount of detail and effort that was put into the visuals of the performance. As Nureen previously mentioned, the parts that were most extravagant and which really blew me away were the scenes that involved Turandot’s court. With its brightness and open space I felt that it really contrasted with the rest of the sets that were used in the show. Although the music was a very big part of setting the mood for the scenes I also felt that from the very beginning the sets also contributed to setting the the mood. Depending on the type of set that was used I felt that I could predict the kind of events that would unfold within the scene.
Without a doubt the music and the voices of the performers were outstanding. I especially liked the song titled “Nessun Dorma”. Aside from the performers vocals, the instrumentals transitioned effortlessly and in a way I felt that I could almost feel what Calaf was feeling. Having perviously heard it in the videos Alexandra posted I easily recognized it and felt that I could get a deeper sense of what the song meant now that I was listening to it in the context of the opera.
Overall since I have never been to an opera before “Turandot” I don’t have anything to compare it to. I generally enjoyed the performance as a whole and was really engaged in the storyline although it did have its weaknesses. For example, as others mentioned the quick transition in Turandot’s character from a standoffish and strong persona to a weak and vulnerable one was not very believable.
Ariella Caminero
The first thing that struck about the opera is how we were told to read a synopsis beforehand. With most art forms, it’s generally considered a bad thing to “spoil” the experience ahead of time. I suppose since the opera is very old, it’s better to read the script ahead of time so you know what’s going on, especially since it’s not in English. While watching the opera, I tried to use opera glasses/binoculars and read the subtitles at the same time, which was a bit disorienting as I had to keep refocusing my eyes as I switched between the two. I did end up preferring the close-up though, since I felt that I was seated rather far away. The zoom-in allowed me to make out costume and stage details that I would not have been able to see. It really does seem like the way to go if you don’t have very good seats.
The opera itself was pretty interesting. I had never been to one before, so getting to experience an opera for the first time was a bit overwhelming with all its sights and sounds. For me, the most interesting part was learning from the playbill that the original composer died before he could finish the play, which means that the ending is basically a fan work. We may never know what the “true” ending of this play was, but it serves as writing prompt for those who stage the play today.
The plot reminds of Rumpelstlitskin, with the Prince’s riddle being his name and all. The whole thing feels a bit clichè, so it’s not too surprising to learn it was adapted from a fairy tale. Still, old stories can be entertaining if executed well, and the dazzling costume and stage design combined with the music do an excellent job of pulling you into the story.
I agree that the plot was kind of clichè, but that’s kind of expected when you’re dealing with a story based on an 12th century fairy tale. The way most of the other blogs seemed to like Liu the best speaks to how art can be reinterpreted over time. There are multiple layers of cultural interpretation here- it’s a story set in ancient China written by a 12th-century Italian poet reinterpreted by 18th and