entries
Very LoONG but USEFUL : Turandot
Thursday, November 20, 2008 @ 2:39 PM
In front of the imperial palace: The original 1926 scene design for Act I.
The courtyard of the palace. Sunrise: The original 1926 scene design for Act II Scene II.
The palace gardens. Night : The original 1926 scene design for Act III Scene I.
The original 1926 scene design for Act III Scene II.
Hey ppl !
okay, i was just surfing the net and did some very LITTLE Research about Turandot, Thinking that it'll be better for us to play with FEEL after knowing the story behind it. =D
and i got some videos from youtube, just try to get some tune and the OPERA feel...OHHH~~~!!!AHHH~~~!!(musical) =D
"Turandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini and was unfinished by the time of Puccini's death.It was later completed by Franco Alfano. The first performance was held at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan on 25 April 1926, and conducted by Arturo Toscanini."
"Turandot is a Persian word and name meaning "the daughter of Turan", Turan being a region of Central Asia which used to be part of the Persian Empire. In Persian, the fairy tale is known as Turandokht, with "dokht" being a contraction for dokhtar (meaning daughter)."
So you know that our scores are divided into different section A,B,C,D ... etcetc
and you may also find names above some of these sections. Different scenes and themes. eg: Popolo di Pechino!, Nessun Dorma! La mia vittoria!
hohoo, these are the different scenes in this story about Love. :D
(but definitely not romance =.= )
So im gonna say no more, you can find alot of brief details from WIKI, though we learnt from research study that it's not advisable to use that. But i think Wiki gives enough brief infor about the storyline.
sO HERE IS the story.
Place: Peking, China
Time: Legendary times
Act 1
In front of the imperial palace
（Popolo di Pekino!）A Mandarin announces the law of the land - "Any man who desires to wed Turandot must first answer her three riddles. If he fails, he will be beheaded”. The Prince of Persia has failed and is to be beheaded at moonrise. As the crowd surges towards the gates of the palace, the imperial guards brutally repulse them; a blind old man is pushed to the ground. His slave-girl, Liù, cries for help. A young man hears her cry and recognizes the old man as his long-lost father, Timur, the deposed king of Tartary. The young Prince of Tartary is overjoyed seeing his father alive but urges him not to speak his name because he fears the Chinese rulers who have conquered Tartary. Timur tells his son that of all his servants, only Liù has remained faithful to him. When the Prince asks her why, she tells him that once, long ago in the palace, he smiled upon her （Indietro, cani）
The moon rises and the crowd's cries for blood turn into silence. The doomed Prince of Persia is led before the crowd on his way to execution. The young Prince is so handsome that the crowd and the Prince of Tartary are moved to compassion and call on Turandot to spare his life (O giovinetto!). She appears, and with a single imperious gesture orders the execution to continue. The Prince of Tartary, who has never seen Turandot before, falls immediately in love. As he cries out her name with joy, the crowd screams in horror: The Prince of Persia has been beheaded.
The Prince of Tartary is dazzled by Turandot's beauty. He is about to rush towards the gong and strike it three times; the symbolic gesture of whoever wishes to marry Turandot when the ministers Ping, Pong, and Pang appear and urge him cynically ( Fermo, che fai) not to lose his head for Turandot but to go back to his own country. Timur urges his son to desist, and Liù, who is secretly in love with the Prince, pleads with him (Signore, ascolta! - "My lord, listen!”) Not to attempt the riddles. Liù's words touch his heart. The Prince tells Liù to make exile more bearable and never to abandon his father if the Prince fails to answer the riddles ( Non piangere, Liù - "Don't cry, Liù" ) . The three ministers, Timur and Liù try one last time to hold the Prince (Ah! Per l'ultima volta! ) but he refuses to listen.
He calls Turandot's name three times, and each time Liù, Timur and the ministers reply, "Death!", and the crowd gasp ("Ah!"). Rushing to the gong that hangs in front of the palace, he strikes it three times, declaring himself a suitor. From the palace balcony, Turandot accepts the challenge, as Ping, Pang and Pong laugh at the prince's foolishness.
Act 2
Scene 1: A pavilion in the imperial palace. Before sunrise
Ping, Pang, and Pong lament their place as ministers, poring over palace documents and presiding over endless rituals. They prepare themselves for either a wedding or a funeral (Ola, Pang!). Ping suddenly longs for his country house in Honan, with its small lake surrounded by bamboo. Pong remembers his grove of forests near Tsiang, and Pang recalls his gardens near Kiu. The three share fond memories of life away from the palace (Ho una casa nell'Honan ) but are shaken back to the realities of Turandot's bloody reign. They continually accompany young men to death and recall their ghastly fate. As the palace trumpet sounds, the ministers ready themselves for another spectacle as they await the entrance of the Emperor.
Scene 2: The courtyard of the palace. Sunrise
The Emperor Altoum, father of Turandot, sits on his grand throne in his palace. He urges the Prince to withdraw his challenge but the Prince refuses (Un giuramento atroce). Turandot enters and explains ( In questa reggia ) that her ancestress of millennia past, Princess Lo-u-Ling, reigned over her kingdom "in silence and joy, resisting the harsh domination of men" until she was ravished and murdered by an invading foreign prince. Lo-u-Ling now lives again in Turandot and out of revenge she has sworn never to let any man possess her. She warns the Prince to withdraw, but again he refuses. The Princess presents her first riddle (Straniero, ascolta!) "What is born each night and dies each dawn?" The Prince correctly replies, "Hope."
The Princess, unnerved, presents her second riddle (Guizza al pari di fiamma) "What flickers red and warm like a flame, but is not fire?" The Prince thinks for a moment before replying, "Blood". Turandot is shaken. The crowd cheers the Prince, provoking Turandot's anger. She presents her third riddle (Gelo che ti da foco) "What is like ice, but burns like fire?" As the prince thinks, Turandot taunts him. Suddenly he cries out victory and announces, "Turandot!"
The crowd cheers for the triumphant Prince. Turandot throws herself at her father's feet and pleads with him not to leave her to the Prince's mercy. The Emperor insists that an oath is sacred, and it is Turandot's duty to wed the Prince (Figlio del cielo ). As she cries out in anger, the Prince stops her, saying that he has a proposal for her. "You do not know my name. Bring me my name before sunrise, and at sunrise, I will die" ( Tre enigmi m'hai proposto ). Turandot accepts. The Emperor declares that he hopes to call the Prince his son come sunrise.
Act 3
Scene 1: The palace gardens. Night
In the distance, heralds call out Turandot's command (Cosi comanda Turandot)"This night, none shall sleep in Peking! The penalty for all will be death if the Prince's name is not discovered by morning". The Prince waits for dawn and anticipates his victory by singing "Nobody shall sleep... Nobody shall sleep! Even you,O Princess" (Nessun dorma).
Ping, Pong, and Pang appear and offer the Prince Women and riches if he will only give up Turandot （Tu che guardi le stelle), but he refuses. A group of soldiers then drag in Timur and Liù. They have been seen speaking to the Prince, so they must know his name. Turandot enters and orders Timur and Liù to speak. The Prince feigns ignorance, saying they know nothing. Liù declares that she alone knows the Prince's name, but she will not reveal it. Ping demands the Prince's name, and when she refuses, she is tortured. Turandot is clearly taken by Liù's resolve and asks her who put so much strength in her heart. Liù answers "Princess, Love!” Turandot demands that Ping tear the Prince's name from Liù, and he orders her to be tortured further. Liù counters Turandot (Tu che di gel sei cinta - "You who are be girdled by ice"), saying that she too shall learn love. Having spoken, Liù seizes a dagger from a soldier's belt and stabs herself. As she staggers towards the Prince and falls dead, the crowd screams for her to speak the Prince's name. Since Timur is blind, he must be told about Liù's death, and he cries out in anguish. Timur warns that the gods will be offended by this outrage, and the crowd is subdued with shame and fear. The grieving Timur and the crowd follow Liù's body as it is carried away. Everybody departs leaving the Prince and Turandot. He reproaches Turandot for her cruelty (Principessa di morte) and then takes her in his arms and kisses her in spite of her resistance. Here Puccini's work ends. The remainder of the music was completed by Franco Alfano.
The Prince tries to convince Turandot to love him. At first she is disgusted, but after he kisses her, she feels herself turning towards passion. She asks him to ask for nothing more and to leave, taking his mystery with him. The Prince however, reveals his name, "Calàf, son of Timur" and places his life in Turandot's hands. She can now destroy him if she wants (Del primo pianto).
Scene 1: A pavilion in the imperial palace. Before sunrise
Ping, Pang, and Pong lament their place as ministers, poring over palace documents and presiding over endless rituals. They prepare themselves for either a wedding or a funeral (Ola, Pang!). Ping suddenly longs for his country house in Honan, with its small lake surrounded by bamboo. Pong remembers his grove of forests near Tsiang, and Pang recalls his gardens near Kiu. The three share fond memories of life away from the palace (Ho una casa nell'Honan ) but are shaken back to the realities of Turandot's bloody reign. They continually accompany young men to death and recall their ghastly fate. As the palace trumpet sounds, the ministers ready themselves for another spectacle as they await the entrance of the Emperor.
Scene 2: The courtyard of the palace. Sunrise
The Emperor Altoum, father of Turandot, sits on his grand throne in his palace. He urges the Prince to withdraw his challenge but the Prince refuses (Un giuramento atroce). Turandot enters and explains ( In questa reggia ) that her ancestress of millennia past, Princess Lo-u-Ling, reigned over her kingdom "in silence and joy, resisting the harsh domination of men" until she was ravished and murdered by an invading foreign prince. Lo-u-Ling now lives again in Turandot and out of revenge she has sworn never to let any man possess her. She warns the Prince to withdraw, but again he refuses. The Princess presents her first riddle (Straniero, ascolta!) "What is born each night and dies each dawn?" The Prince correctly replies, "Hope."
The Princess, unnerved, presents her second riddle (Guizza al pari di fiamma) "What flickers red and warm like a flame, but is not fire?" The Prince thinks for a moment before replying, "Blood". Turandot is shaken. The crowd cheers the Prince, provoking Turandot's anger. She presents her third riddle (Gelo che ti da foco) "What is like ice, but burns like fire?" As the prince thinks, Turandot taunts him. Suddenly he cries out victory and announces, "Turandot!"
The crowd cheers for the triumphant Prince. Turandot throws herself at her father's feet and pleads with him not to leave her to the Prince's mercy. The Emperor insists that an oath is sacred, and it is Turandot's duty to wed the Prince (Figlio del cielo ). As she cries out in anger, the Prince stops her, saying that he has a proposal for her. "You do not know my name. Bring me my name before sunrise, and at sunrise, I will die" ( Tre enigmi m'hai proposto ). Turandot accepts. The Emperor declares that he hopes to call the Prince his son come sunrise.
Act 3
Scene 1: The palace gardens. Night
In the distance, heralds call out Turandot's command (Cosi comanda Turandot)"This night, none shall sleep in Peking! The penalty for all will be death if the Prince's name is not discovered by morning". The Prince waits for dawn and anticipates his victory by singing "Nobody shall sleep... Nobody shall sleep! Even you,O Princess" (Nessun dorma).
Ping, Pong, and Pang appear and offer the Prince Women and riches if he will only give up Turandot （Tu che guardi le stelle), but he refuses. A group of soldiers then drag in Timur and Liù. They have been seen speaking to the Prince, so they must know his name. Turandot enters and orders Timur and Liù to speak. The Prince feigns ignorance, saying they know nothing. Liù declares that she alone knows the Prince's name, but she will not reveal it. Ping demands the Prince's name, and when she refuses, she is tortured. Turandot is clearly taken by Liù's resolve and asks her who put so much strength in her heart. Liù answers "Princess, Love!” Turandot demands that Ping tear the Prince's name from Liù, and he orders her to be tortured further. Liù counters Turandot (Tu che di gel sei cinta - "You who are be girdled by ice"), saying that she too shall learn love. Having spoken, Liù seizes a dagger from a soldier's belt and stabs herself. As she staggers towards the Prince and falls dead, the crowd screams for her to speak the Prince's name. Since Timur is blind, he must be told about Liù's death, and he cries out in anguish. Timur warns that the gods will be offended by this outrage, and the crowd is subdued with shame and fear. The grieving Timur and the crowd follow Liù's body as it is carried away. Everybody departs leaving the Prince and Turandot. He reproaches Turandot for her cruelty (Principessa di morte) and then takes her in his arms and kisses her in spite of her resistance. Here Puccini's work ends. The remainder of the music was completed by Franco Alfano.
The Prince tries to convince Turandot to love him. At first she is disgusted, but after he kisses her, she feels herself turning towards passion. She asks him to ask for nothing more and to leave, taking his mystery with him. The Prince however, reveals his name, "Calàf, son of Timur" and places his life in Turandot's hands. She can now destroy him if she wants (Del primo pianto).
Scene 2: The courtyard of the palace. Dawn
Turandot and Calàf approach the Emperor's throne. She declares that she knows the Prince's name: "It is ... love!" (Diecimila anni al nostro Imperatore!). The crowd cheers and acclaims the two lovers (O sole! Vita! Eternita).
Turandot and Calàf approach the Emperor's throne. She declares that she knows the Prince's name: "It is ... love!" (Diecimila anni al nostro Imperatore!). The crowd cheers and acclaims the two lovers (O sole! Vita! Eternita).
oh you finisshed it ! So the bold ones are the themes. Since we are playing Selections from this opera, not all themes are need to be played. (Nessun Dorma is very popular ;D)
hope you had some takeaway ! put yourself into the story and play it with your expression next time ! =)
Adapted and Edited from Wikipedia ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turandot
Arranged by Duoni. =)
