August 30, 2005: Turandot in Verona

2005-08-30 Turandot (Puccini), Arena di Verona

Turandot = Giovanna Casolla
Altoum = Angelo Casertano
Timur = Paolo Battaglia
Calaf = José Cura
Liù = Maya Dashuk
Ping = Marco Camastra
Pong = Giovanni Floris
Pang = Iorio Zennaro
A mandarin = Carlo Kang
The prince of Persia = Saverio Bambi

Lü Jia, conductor



Arena
30 August 2005 - 21.00

Turandot


Dramma lirico in 3 acts by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Giuseppe Adami e Renato Simoni


Principal Conductor Lü Jia
Director Yuri Alexandrov
Scenographer Viacheslav Okunev
Costume Designer Viacheslav Okunev
Choir Master Marco Faelli
Director of the Corps de Ballet Maria Grazia Garofoli
Lighting Designer Paolo Mazzon
Director of stage design Giuseppe De Filippi Venezia


On August 29 my parents and I went to Venice. It was a wonderful and hot day. This day, August 30th we visited the house of Juliet and her "tomb". So it should have been more appropriate if it was Bellini's "I Capuleti ed i Montecchi" or Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette" that was the opera of the evening. Instead it was the great fable of Turandot, the same opera that I saw most of in 2003, but this time, luckily, the weather was on our side, no rain or thunder interrupted the opera. And I got to hear and see the whole end of the opera from "Principessa di Morte" and the happy ending.

This was truly an happy ending for our trip to Verona. The next day we would be turning back to our home.

Needless to say it was a wonderful opera night. I think this Turandot production very beautiful as it is, is still not quite to my liking. Jose Cura was powerful as Calaf, if the singing was not ringing enough, the acting was. It would have been wonderful to see Turandot twice, but that August 27 was canceled did not hurt so much after such a wonderful end.

From OperaDuets Travel and Photos

July 14, 2006: Cavalleria Rusticana in Verona

2006-07-14 Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni), Arena di Verona

Santuzza = Giovanna Casolla
Lola = Rossana Rinaldi
Turriddu = José Cura
Alfio = Carlos Almaguer
Lucia = Paola Fornasari

Lü Jia, conductor

Arena
14 July 2006 at 21.15





Principal Conductor Lü Jia
Director Gilbert Deflo
Scenographer William Orlandi
Costume Designer William Orlandi







Finally I was going to see Jose Cura as Turriddu in Cavalleria Rusticana, and he was wonderful. He sang the Siciliana high up on the steps. Unfortunately for me where I was sitting a saw only the column hiding him. He sang and walked very relaxed. He was the perfect Turriddu. Giovanna Casolla who sang Turandot last year with Jose Cura as Calaf was not so right as Santuzza. She really reminded me why I think this role should be sung by a mezzo soprano. But she did her best to be Santuzza but she was obviously only acting. Rossana Rinaldi was an attractive Lola, making it very obvious why Turriddu preferred her to Santuzza. Jose Cura played a man very much in love with Lola. Carlos Almaguer was an efficient Alfio, very dry voice though. PaolaFornasari was perfect as Lucia. Giovanna Casolla's Santuzza was always best in interaction with Turriddu and Lucia.

OD Travel + Photos

June 28, 2003: Turandot in Verona

2003-06-28 Turandot (G. Puccini), Arena di Verona

Turandot = Giovanna Casolla
Altoum = Aldo Bottion
Timur = Hao Jiang Tian
Calaf = José Cura
Liù = Micaela Carosi
Ping = Marco Camastra
Pong = Iorio Zennaro
Pang = Gianluca Floris
A mandarin = Giuseppe Riva
The prince of Persia = Angel Harkatz
First maidservant = Daniela Forapani
Second maidservant = Antonella D'Amico

Alain Lombard, conductor



Arena di Verona
28 June 2003 - 21.15

Turandot


Dramma lirico in 3 acts by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Giuseppe Adami e Renato Simoni


PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR Alain Lombard


DIRECTOR Yuri Alexandrov
Assistant Director Tatiana Karpacheva


SCENOGRAPHER Vjacheslav Okunev
COSTUME DESIGNER Vjacheslav Okunev
CHOIR MASTER Marco Faelli
Director of the Corps de Ballet Maria Grazia Garofoli
Light Designer Paolo Mazzon
Director of stage design Giuseppe De Filippi Venezia

Turandot 28.6.2003 with Jose Cura. Jose Cura sang wonderfully, all the bravos (and some shouting of "bis." they sounded more like dislike-shouting, than "Da Capo" in French) after his wonderful Nessun dorma.

It was a colorful, beautiful Turandot. But I did not like all of the directors ideas. The choreography of the crowd was disturbing, and some of the dancing was too. One could be distracted so that one suddenly did not know where Cura was. Cura looked dashing in the soldier-uniform, with all that black hair. It was definitely "there he is!!". But to make Calaf a soldier, was a fault. He is the unknown Prince, who is in exile, trying to hide from his enemies. And certainly as a soldier he would have seen Turandot before. So it was an illogical choice. But he looked great in the silver-armor.

All C´s got al lot of applause, Cura (Calaf), Cassolli (Turandot) and Caresi (Liu). But too much circus in this Turandot, to my taste.

The opera stopped early because of rain, when Turandot sings :"La mia gloria e finita!" We waited a bit, but the weather forecast was not good, so a bit over midnight it was all over. And I went back to my hotel in the rain and in Blitz und Donner!

"Non piangere, Liu!"

OD Travel + Photos