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|Startsida | Sångare | Andra artister och kreatörer | Libretton | Operahus | Jag och min operavärld | Sökord |
Music:Giacomo Puccini - music fulfilled by Franco Alfano.Lyrics; by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni after Carlo Gozzi and Schiller.
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Worldpremičre at Teatro alla Scala in Milano 1926
| Role | Voicetype |
|---|---|
| Turandot,princess | soprano |
| Calaf,son of Timur | tenor |
| Liů,a young slave | soprano |
| Timur,tartar-king | bass |
| Ping,chancellor | baritone |
| Pong,head of the royal kitchen | tenor |
| Pang,marshall | tenor |
| Althoum,emperor of China | tenor |
Time and place: China in fairy-time.
A mandarin states that the Princess Turandot will marry the first man of royal blood who succeeds in answering her three riddles. If a suitor fails - he will be executed.
A crowd has gathered outside the Emperor Palce in Peking. The Prince of Persia has failed to answer the Princess´three riddles and is now to be executed.
In the crowd is Timur, an old blind Tartar king who has fled his kingdom, and a slave girl Liú. The old man falls and a young man steps forward to assist. It transpires that the stranger is in fact Timur´s son, Prince Calaf.
When Turandot appear, Calaf falls in love with the beautiful princess and despite three ministers, Ping, Pong and Pang, trying to dissuade him, he insists on trying the riddles.He strikes the great gong as a signal of his intent.
Ping, Pong and Pang are in their pavilion. They reflect on the violence of Turandot´s reign, compared to a more peaceful past for which they now yearn.
In the palace people are gathering to hear the stranger answer the three riddles of the Princess. Turandot appears, explaining that her vengeance against men is inspired by an historical event in which an ancestress of hers was taken, raped and kille. In revenge for this act she, Turandot, will take the life of any man who dares to desire her. She then poses the three riddles for Calaf, who, to the amazement of all, answers all three correctly.
Turandot is horrified and begs her father to free her from her contract with Calaf. The Emperor declares that she is bound to her word, but Calaf says that if she can discover his name before dawn he will sacrifice himself for her.
Turandot has decreed that no one will sleep until the stranger´s name is discovered. Liu and Timur are brought before Turandot having been seen in Calaf´s company. So as not to weaken under torture and yield Calaf´s name Liu snatching a dagger from one of the soldiers commits suicide.
Left alone with Turandot Calaf reproaches her for her cruelty,then he kisses her passionately.Turandot submits and tells Calaf that his strength has caused her to both fear and love him from the moment she saw him. He deliberately puts himself into her power by revealibng his name.
Turandot and Calaf appear before the Emperor. Turandot declares that she knows the stranger´s name: it is love.
