Monday, May 26, 2008

Popolo d' Atene, la legge é questa! UPDATED


Just 1 week to go ´till the opening night of
Turandot

at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

Renata Scotto who is the stage director
has given interviews to many newspapers regarding the new production
that she describes as
"stylish and simple, spectacular but without exaggerations, traditional but also a bit modernised and with an unexpected finale that i 'd rather keep it to myself".

*** Parsi has already found out what the finale is all about. It's not a happy ending! It has to do with vampires and death. I won't spoil it anymore....I 'll tell you after the premiere***

Renata Scotto and Elena Kelessidi during rehearsal


Turandot is on my operatic Top 10!

I mean, i could watch a Turandot almost every 15 days without ever getting bored. And especially when this particular Turandot means my first encounter with Janice Baird who i immensely admire, the few days left to opening-night (on the 1st of June) or the lesser days to the dress rehearsal fill me up with anxiety...

Elena Kelessidi & Renata Scotto, photo by Parsifal


Janice Baird as Turandot (www.janicebaird.com)

Due to the extreme demand, 2 performances have been added and a new cast too, featuring Susan Foster (booked to do Turandot also in Savonlinna and Los Angeles), Piero Giuliacci, Olga Mykytenko (2 links) and Christophoros Stamboglis.

Hope i find the time to watch some rehearsal....

But till the premiere....


What's the surprise that Renata Scotto won't reveal?

How are we gonna stand Franco Farina's Calaf (OMG)?

Should i watch both casts?
(i mean, i 'm sure that Mykytenko will be an exceptional Liú but what about the others?)

Will Janice Baird be able to fullfil the immense Roman Odeon with her (wonderful) voice?


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ypo8etw oti 8a yio8etnsei to telos pou ypoti8etai n8ele arxika o Puccini kai to opoio dei3ave stnv ekdoxn tns Turandot priv xrovia sto Bilbao, av dev kavw la8os. Symfwva me autnv n Turandot autoktovei sto telos afou pei Padre augusto, conosco il nome dello straniero....il suo nome è amor. Nomizw oti allazouve to kleisimo tns operas meta alla de 8ymamai pou akribws basizovtai.

Parsifal said...

H autoktonia yiothetithike apo th Nuria Espert sthn paragwgh me thn opoia ksananoikse to Liceu to 2000. De nomizw oti tha thelei h Scotto na antigrapsei thn Espert....

Willym said...

what a question! Of course you should do both - is there any doubt in your mind?

Saw Baird in Wozzeck here last fall - she's a powerful performer. She should be a wonderful Turandot.

Ντεμης said...

Do you think that maybe they will do the "alternative ending" presented some years ago, where at the end Liú is heard from the other world as a ghost giving her blessing to Turandot and Calaf? And if not musically, perhaps only in the stage? It was a modern composer (Berio I think) who composed this based on notes left by Puccini himself, because Alfano supposedly improvised (I have even heard that it was Toscanini himself who actually wrote the last 10 minutes).
By the way, dear Parsifal, in the Greek poster they write (in greek) "Τουραντότ"? The final "t" is pronounced? I have always seen it writen and pronounced as "Τουραντώ"....(?)

Parsifal said...

Well, It's either Turandeau or TurandoT. No, its not gonna be the Berio finale (thank God) but the typical Alfano finale. I'll find out at the dress rehearsal and let you know!