Giacomo Puccini’s opera in three acts
In the court of the beautiful and distant Princess Turandot, all suitors who fail to solve the three riddles posed by the princess are killed mercilessly. Then, the mysterious Prince Calaf arrives, knowing the right answer…
Turandot, Giacomo Puccini’s final opera, can be described as a Chinoiserie in Three Acts – the interpretation and imitation of Chinese aesthetics, literature, and music by an Italian composer who never travelled to the Far East. In the mid-18th century, Western European culture was pervaded by the phenomenon of Orientalism – an aesthetic longing for another way of being.
The texture of Turandot’s score has a richness of instrumental and harmonic colour. The ever-changing layers of Puccini’s music reveal each of the characters in their various ambiguities and discords, as well as the human need to love and to be loved. Giorgio Madia strives to offer an equally dramatic staging for this grandiose fairytale and Puccini’s powerful music, while also paying homage to the work’s historical context.
Scenically, Turandot is one of the most challenging Italian operas to produce effectively. Mass scenes with choir and ballet fill the stage, at the same time there is a need to convey the story and emphasize the musical composition. Puccini’s Turandot is rich in the music, in the drama, in the aesthetic – this Italian composer knew how to conceive his work for the operatic stage to provide the audience with a unique experience. I will wholly embrace this fairytale to unfold the very special world and poetry of this beautiful opera.
– Giorgio Madia, director and choreographer
Premiere on April 13th 2024 at the Vanemuine Theatre Grand Building
Language: Italian
Surtitles: Estonian, English
Composers Giacomo Puccini and Franco Alfano
Librettists Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni
Musical Director and conductor Risto Joost
Conductors Endel Nõgene, Aleksandr Brazhnyk
Director, choreographer and lighting designer Giorgio Madia (Italy)
Set and Costume Designer Maarja Meeru
Director’s assistant, Movement repetitor for chorus and soloists Janek Savolainen
Musical assistant Martin Sildos
Repetitors, concertmasters Piia Paemurru, Ele Sonn
Vocal consultant Toomas Kaldaru
Head chorusmaster Aleksandr Brazhnyk
Chorusmaster Kristi Jagodin
Chorus concertmaster Katrin Nuume
Dancers’ Repetitor Matthew James Jordan
Repetitor for students of the Vanemuine Dance and Ballet School Rita Dolgihh
Lighting Designer’s Assistant Kaspar Aus
Cast Liene Kinča Latvia, Gabriele Mangione Italy, Tamara Kalinkina Ukraine or Kadri Kõrvek NO Estonia, Pavlo Balakin or Märt Jakobson, Simo Breede or Taavi Tampuu, Roland Liiv Finnish NO or Mart Madiste NO Estonia, Rasmus Kull or Hisatoshi Nezu, Atlan Karp or Kristjan Häggblom, Hisatoshi Nezu or Oliver Timmusk, Oliver Kuusik or Juhan Tralla, Karmen Puis, Grete Oolberg, Helen Hansberg
Vanemuine symphony orchestra, Vanemuine opera choir (expanded composition),
Vanemuine ballet company, students of the Vanemuine Dance and Ballet School,
Tartu Boys’ Choir, the students of Jakobi Mäe Theatre Laboratory
Videos
Articles
Arvustus | Sinine unistus | ajakiri Muusika | juuni 2024
Arvustus | Vanemuine mängis Turandotiga suurtele panustele ja võitis | Eesti Päevaleht | 16.05.2024
Maarja Meeru võttis «Turandoti» kujunduse aluseks vana Hiina portselani mustrid | Tartu Postimees | 23.04.2024
Arvustus | „Turandot“ – vaimustav tunneteküllane lugu armastuse kõikvõimsusest | Õhtuleht | 22.04.2024
Arvustus | Igatsedes teistsugust olemisviisi | Sirp | 19.04.2024
Paranenud sopranile pöialt hoidnud publik tänas «Turandoti» truppi hiigelpika aplausiga | Tartu Postimees | 14.04.2024
Lavastust ja oma rolle tutvustavad solistid Liene Kinča ja Kristian Benedikt ning lavastaja Giorgio Madia ja muusikajuht Risto Joost | TV3 "Seitsmesed uudised" | 11.04.2024
Vanemuises tuleb lavale ooperiajaloo üks ikoonilisemaid teoseid | Tartu Postimees | 11.04.2024
"Turandotist" räägivad solist Aile Asszonyi, kunstnik Maarja Meeru ja lavastaja Giorgio Madia | "Aktuaalne kaamera" | 10.04.2024
Опера "Турандот" в театре "Ванемуйне" переместит зрителей в сказочный мир китайской эстетики | "Aktuaalne kaamera" RUS | 10.04.2024
Ooperi „Turandot“ muusikajuht Risto Joost: Puccini „Turandot“ on üks ooperiajaloo ikoonilisemaid teoseid | Vanemuise uudisvoog | 8.04.2024
Kuula intervjuud | Aile Asszonyi: Ooperi šlaager “Nessun dorma” kuulub Calafile ja kogu publik on armunud Liùsse. Kadri Kõrvek: Olen täielikult armunud nii sellesse rolli kui ooperisse | Klassikaraadio "Delta" | 8.04.2024
Külalissolist Aile Asszonyi maailmalavadel laulmisest, perekonnast ja taas Vanemuise laval laulmisest | ETV "Ringvaade" | 3.04.2024 | Vaata alates 47:10
Vanemuise "Turandotis" värvub kõik sini-valgeks | ETV "Ringvaade" | 20.03.2024
Galerii: Vanemuise teatris algas ooperi „Turandot“ prooviperiood | Vanemuise uudisvoog | 13.02.2024
Orientalistlik muinasjutt Vanemuise ooperilaval | Hooajakiri Ramp kevadnumber 2024
Interviews
Dramaatiline sopran Aile Asszonyi meenutab oma ooperidebüüti: Despina rolli Mozarti ooperis „Così fan tutte“ Vanemuises, Aile rollist ooperis „Turandot“ ning Aile töödest Euroopa ooperilavadel | "Vanemuise veerand" | 4.04.2024
Muusikajuht ja peadirigent tutvustab lavastust "Turandot" | "Vanemuise veerand" | 7.03.2024