Libretto: Giuseppe Adami, Renato Simoni
Conductor: Enrico Dovico
Stage director: Václav Věžník
Sets: Ladislav Vychodil
Costumes: Josef Jelínek
Chorus master: Adolf Melichar
Choreography: Otto Šanda

State Opera Orchestra

State Opera Chorus

Premiere: September 15, 1995

The Persian fairy-tale Turandot from the dervish Mokles’s 17th-century collection The One Thousand and One Nights has inspired numerous poets and composers. Giacomo Puccini worked on Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni’s libretto, based on Carlo Gozzi’s play, in the final years of his life, when he was fighting cancer of the larynx. Just as in the case of Madama Butterfly, he diligently strove to gain thorough knowledge of the culture and songs of an exotic, faraway land (in this case China). Puccini died before he managed to complete the opera: the task was undertaken by his friend and pupil Franco Alfano, who drew upon the 36 pages of sketches left by the composer.

The opera was premiered on 25 April 1926 at Milan’s La Scala, conducted by Arturo Toscanini, who paid tribute to the late Puccini when in Act 3, after the words “Liu, poesia!”, he laid down his baton, turned to the audience and announced: “Here the opera ends, because at this point the maestro died”. Alfano’s finale was only included in the next performance. The cruel and beautiful Princess Turandot tests her wooers with riddles and when they fail they are duly executed. Only Prince Calaf succeeds, and his love ultimately overwhelms Turandot’s coldness.

The opera is staged in Italian original version and Czech and English surtitles are used in the performance.

Photo: Dan Jäger

Duration of the performance: 2 hours and 40 minutes, 2 intermissions

PERFORMANCES

Sunday February 1, 2015

Thursday March 19, 2015

Wednesady April 8, 2015

CAST

Turandot Anda-Louise Bogza

Kalaf Michal Lehotský

Timur Oleg Korotkov

Liu Jitka Burgetová

Emperor Altoum Lubomír Havlák

Ping Jiří Brückler

Pang Richard Samek

Pong Václav Sibera

Mandarin Roman Vocel

Prince of Persia Lubomír Havlák