April 30, 2006: Turandot in Zurich

2006-04-30 Turandot (Puccini), Opernhaus Zurich

Turandot = Paoletta Marrocu
Liu = Elena Mosuc
Calaf = José Cura
Timur = Pavel Daniluk
Ping = Gabriel Bermudez
Pang = Andreas Winkler
Pong = Boguslaw Bidzinski
Althoum = Miroslav Christoff
Mandarin = Valeriy Murga

Alan Gilbert, conductor



Turandot - Puccini
Ein Kultursponsoring der Julius Bär Gruppe

Dirigent Alan Gilbert
Inszenierung Giancarlo del Monaco
Bühnenbild Peter Sykora
Kostüme Peter Sykora
Lichtgestaltung Hans-Rudolf Kunz
Choreinstudierung Jürg Hämmerli



Matinee opera. A new production of TURANDOT with Jose Cura as Calaf. Wonderful music. Played very well by the orchestra and sung wonderfully by the chorus. Well, I am a traditionist so this production was not quite my taste. It did not seem too bad in the beginning. But in the end I must say that this 2nd Alfano ending of Turandot did include some un-necessary notes that almost ruined the great duet Calaf/Turandot.

Paoletta Marrocu as Turandot had not the kind of big voice that I believe this role needs. Elena Mosuc was a wonderful Liu and seemed to have a bigger voice than Marrocu. Pavel Daniluk was grand as Timur. JOSÉ CURA was wonderful as Calaf. I am sure that Cura enjoyed this new approach to Calaf. Making him a modern man in ancient China. Calaf solves the riddles with his computer.

I never knew how important it was to me that Calaf solved the riddles with his own brain, no cheating before seeing the PC onstage. I found the ending when Turandot changes to a Miss Saigon beautiful but not well funded in the production. That a modern China with chorus and all clothed modern for the end of the opera. WHY? But I would have loved to have a photo of Cura and Marrocu sitting at the table with Champagne and Pang, Ping, Pong changed to cook, waiter and restaurant manager, especially with Jose waiting to the audience....

I waited and saw Jose Cura & Elena Mosuc at the stage door. And talked to other members of JC Connexion. And then it was time to go the the airport for my flight home.

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