Opera "Turandot": a summary, the author

Giacomo Puccini is a well-known Italian composer who created 10 operas, most of which have been on the stage of the most famous theaters of the planet for more than 100 years. Among them, the special place is occupied by the opera "Turandot", the summary of which is presented below.

Author

Giacomo Puccini was born in 1858 in the Italian city of Lucca, in a family of musicians. After the death of his father, the boy learned how to play various instruments with his uncle, and after becoming older, he entered the Milan Conservatoire. In 1884, the premiere of the first opera by a young composer - "Willys". Then he was offered to write a musical score for the musical performance "Edgar" to order. However, the real success came to J. Puccini after the production of the opera Manon Lescaut. No less successful were also "Bohemia" and "Tosca", which premiered in 1900. Success did not make Puccini rest on his laurels, and after 4 years he pleased the fans with his new work "Madam Butterfly". It caused a furor. Suffice it to say that after the performance Puccini was summoned 7 times on stage. After this work in the life of the composer came a black streak: he got into an accident, his wife accused the housekeeper in connection with her husband, and she committed suicide. In addition, he was diagnosed with throat cancer. The operation to remove the tumor led to complications in his condition, which he died in November 1929.

The history of the creation of the opera "Turandot"

The fairy tale of Gozzi attracted the attention of Puccini in 1919. According to the composer himself, the opera "Turandot" (a short content of the libretto see below) was written after visiting the performance in the Berlin theater of Max Reinhardt. However, he decided to change the plot of the fairy tale a little. To create the libretto, Puccini invited Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni, but he himself actively participated in writing the texts for the arias.

Opera "Turandot", a summary of which is presented below, was created from the summer of 1920 until the last days of the composer's life. During this time, Puccini managed to write about 3/4 of the estimated volume of this work. However, he did not have time to write the final duet Turandot with Prince Calaf and the last scene of the third act. They were later created by Puccini's friend Franco Alfano.

Opera "Turandot": content of the first act

The performance begins with the fact that the mandarin declares the conditions on which everyone can marry Princess Turandot. According to the wish of the Emperor's daughter, the applicant for her hand and heart must first answer her 3 riddles. If he does not succeed, they will be executed. It is also known about the first victim of a cruel girl. She became a Persian prince, whose verdict will be carried out at the rising of the moon. The enraged crowd is eager to witness the execution. A crush begins, because of which an emaciated, ragged old man falls to the ground. It turns out that this is the Tatar king Timur. Recently, he was deposed from the throne, and he wanders around the world in the company of slave Liu. The girl is in despair, as she has no strength to lift her unfortunate master from the ground. Suddenly, the young Calaf comes to her rescue - the only son of the Tsar Timur, who left his native country for a long time and was incognito in Beijing.

Exit Turandot

At this time, the Persian prince appears, who must be executed. His unhappy sight causes pity, murmur and indignation among the crowd. Turandot herself comes to quell people. The beauty of the princess captivates Kalaf, and he decides to achieve its location. Slave Liu, long in love with her prince, tries to prevent trouble and tells him about her love. Timur joins her too. They perform aria from the opera "Turandot" Ah, per ultima volta. In her old man to dissuade his son from the matchmaking of the brutal princess. However, the Tatar prince is adamant and reveals his heart before everyone. Sounds Calaf aria from the opera "Turandot" (Non piangere, Liu), it is one of the main. Upon its completion, the young man strikes the gong, informing everyone of his readiness to guess the riddles of the Chinese princess.

Libretto of the opera "Turandot": a brief summary of the second act (scene one)

There are ministers Pong, Ping and Pang, who are instructed to prepare everything necessary for the ceremony of riddles. In the trio of Ho una casa nell'Honan they mourn the fate of the Chinese empire. According to them, the country is rolling into the abyss because of Turandot. All three are indignant, as the caprices of this wayward girl have turned them all into executioners. The ministers dream of leaving their damned work and going to the provinces.

The second act: the content of the second scene

Then the action is transferred to the square in front of the palace. The old emperor Altoom performs an aria in which he tries to dissuade Kalaf from the competitions. However, the Tatar prince is determined. Turandot appears. In the aria In questa reggia, the girl talks about the story of her grandmother Lo-Lin, which the invaders have dishonored, and speaks of her hatred of all men.

Calaf asks Turandot to ask him riddles. The girl asks him if he can name what a wonderful ghost flies under cover of the night, disappears in the morning, to rise in the heart at sunset. The young man easily finds the right answer and says that this is hope. Then Turandot requires him to answer the question that burns like a flame, although it has nothing to do with fire, at the hour of the last it will become cold, color resembles blood and is similar to dawn. The prince again finds the clue and says that this is blood. The last test remains. The princess asks: "The ice has kindled your heart, but it can not melt it. It is light and darkness. Can make the slave of the will wanted, and the king of the one who wanted slavery. What is it?".

On this question, Calaf can not answer, but he is encouraged by the old emperor, the people, the ministers and even the faithful Liu. The princess looks in his face and, grinning, asks: "A stranger, what is this ice that ignites the flames?". Kalaf guessed what he was talking about and said: "I will melt your ice with the flame of my love, Turandot!"

The princess begs her father not to give her away as a stranger. However, Kalaf does not want to marry against the will of the girl. He offers the princess to guess his name. If she recognizes him before sunrise, he will voluntarily go to his death. Otherwise, the princess will marry him.

The third act

Opera "Turandot" (author - Giacomo Puccini) is coming to its final stage. The action takes place at night, in the imperial garden. The heralds inform everyone about the order of the princess, according to which it is necessary to find out the name of the unknown prince, but Calaf is sure that Turandot will belong to him, since no one can help her to know his secret.

Appear ministers of the emperor, who try to seduce the prince, offering him beautiful girls, wealth and glory. Then it is surrounded by townspeople, begging him to open his name, because otherwise they are threatened with death. But even this does not give results. Then the enraged crowd decides to kill Calaf, but he is adamant. However, the opera "Turandot" (the summary of the first act see above) does not end there.

Decoupling

The guard of the imperial palace introduces the king of Timur and Liu. They want to be tortured so that they will tell the name of the foreign prince. To save the king from torture, the slave declares that only she knows the name of the young man. However, she refuses to give out the name of Calaf, and says that her love gives her strength to keep silent. She commits suicide, having previously predicted the princess that she would love her fiancé. The crowd carries away the body of a slave. Turandot and Calaf remain together. A young man kisses a girl and a flame of love lights up in her heart. He reveals his name to her. However, the princess declares to everyone that the boy's name is Love. Sounds the final chorus.

Now you know who wrote the opera Turandot. The summary of his libretto is also known to you, and you can better appreciate this work when it is performed in the original language.