Turandot by Puccini, Alates (2022/2022), Juhatatud Rareş Cristian Trifan, Dirigent Vladimir Lungu, Opera Romana Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Turandot, the last opera of Giacomo Puccini, finished, due to the composer’s death, by his student Franco Alfano, stands out especially by the way it depicts the feelings of love that stand at the basis of the action. The story takes place in a distant time, in the fairy-tale world of Peking, led by the authoritarian princess Turandot. Firmly determined to keep her purity and independence, she meets her presumable suitors with three difficult riddles and, in case they are not solved correctly, with a death sentence. In spite of Calaf’s unexpected triumph, the princess refuses to accept him as her husband. Unfortunately, the challenge that the ,,foreigner” threw out to her, as well – that Turandot discovers his name – will end by Liù’s (Calaf’s slave) supreme sacrifice, as she tries to protect her master. Her gesture affects deeply the princess, in the end Turandot admiting the feelings she firstly denied, in front of Calaf and the entire citizenry, making everyone happy. While chinese melodies and the oriental sonorities bring genuineness to the opera, the brilliant vocal lines of the soloists successfuly depict both the interior conflict of the heroine and the bravery, passion and will of power of the male lead. After all, Calaf’s second aria – Nessun dorma! found at the beginning of the third act – is one of the most popular in the history of the opera genre, renowned for the degree of difficulty and the expresiveness displayed by world-famous interpreters like Mario del Monaco, Giuseppe di Stefano, Palcido Domingo, José Carreras or Luciano Pavarotti.