Name: Turandot
Start: 2008-05-24T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2008-06-01T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía

Organization

Tenor

Roger Padullés

Pong

Baritone

Fabio Previati

Ping

Vicenç Esteve

Pang

Soprano

Maria Guleghina

Turandot

Marcello Giordani

Calaf

Bass

Alexander Simbaliuk

Timur

Alexia Voulgaridou

Liù

Conductor

Zubin Mehta

Stage director

Chen Kaige

Javier Agulló

The Emperor Altoum

Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia

Others

Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana

Orchestra

Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana

Iodáilis

Valencia

Spain

Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía

Auditori

In the center of Valencia, the futuristic city of science and art, the Spanish star architect Santiago Calatrava has created an opera house with the Palau de les Arts whose appearance is just as spectacular as its acoustics. Since its opening in October 2006, the Palau, which is under the patronage of Spain's Queen Sofía, has developed into one of the most important international opera stages.

For the premiere of its Festival del Mediterrani, the Palau de les Arts staged a spectacular new production of Giacomo Puccini's opera "Turandot". The eerily touching fairy tale about the equally beautiful and cruel princess was staged by Chinese star director Chen Kaige. His film "Farewell my concubine" based on Lilian Lee's novel of the same name received numerous European awards (BAFTA, Golden Palm in Cannes) and was nominated for an Oscar in the category Best Foreign Language Film.

Chen Kaige lived abroad for a few years and also made a film in Hollywood (Killing Me Softly, 2002), but has since returned to China. His staging of Puccini's "Turandot" offers an opulent stage design with historical costumes specially made in China and colossal magnificent buildings. "I hope," he says, "that this 'Turandot' that I put together with Westerners will help audiences see certain aspects of Chinese culture more clearly."

Beijing, in a fabulous past. Altoum, Emperor of China, proclaims that every man who wants to marry his daughter Turandot must first solve three riddles. If he fails, he will be handed over to the executioner. Calaf, a young prince, is smitten by the beauty of the princess and gets involved in the dangerous game. In fact, he can answer all three questions. Turandot pleads with her father not to simply give her away. But Altoum insists on keeping the promise. Calaf turns the game around and gives Turandot a task: if she succeeds in finding out his name by the next morning, he wants to die. Turandot fails. Ultimately, she gives in to Calaf's love.

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