[Rob Babcock]

Okay, I'm not sure if this belongs in the HT forum as it's a DVD or the Music Circle, but I guess I'll take a guess.   I realize this one's been out on DVD for awhile but I only recently found a copy locally so I thought I'd give a few comments.  Turandot is probably my favorite opera and I've been looking forward to this rare performance in China for some time.

First off the sets and costumes are amazing!  Absolutely first rate.  Of course, 1000+ Chinese extras goes a long ways towards the authentic look!    I was very impressed by Sergej Larin in the role of Calef as well as Barbara Frottoli as Liu.  They performed their roles with aplomb, not just the singing, which was superb, but the acting as well.  A bit disappointing was Biovanna Casolla as Turandot...I realize it's an Opera, and musical talent is the prime requisite, but she was far too old and, frankly, not attractive enough to believably inspire a love at first sight that would lead a man to risk his life.  Plus, she didn't seem to really throw herself into the role.  Our Liu rather stole the show, as is sometimes the case.

The disc navigation is a nightmare- I don't know what the guys who mastered it for DVD were smoking.  It's difficult to chose the language and enable subtitles and any "wrong move" requires opening the tray and restarting it.

Still, I will admit to actually weeping at least three times during the DVD!   This has always been a favorite of mine and although the DVD isn't perfect it doesn't disappoint, either.  A wonderful Caleb, a sublime Liu and a solid effort all around!

I give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

[woodsyi]

If it was produced for DVD, was it 5.1?  I have seen the Zeffirelli DVD which is as good as it gets for a stage production.  I am not familiar with the singers so I will have to check it out.  It would be hard to beat Domingo/Marton though.  Leona Mitchel's Liu in the Met production was not delicate enough for me but then I can be very picky when it comes to lyrical sopranos.  Forbidden city location would be an awesome background.  I saw the movie Hero, a movie in which Tarantino shows that he can do Kurosawa too, that had great scenes at the palace.  Turandot there should be visually stunning. 

[goldlizsts]

Okay, I'm not sure if this belongs in the HT forum as it's a DVD or the Music Circle, but I guess I'll take a guess.   I realize this one's been out on DVD for awhile but I only recently found a copy locally so I thought I'd give a few comments.  Turandot is probably my favorite opera and I've been looking forward to this rare performance in China for some time.

First off the sets and costumes are amazing!  Absolutely first rate.  Of course, 1000+ Chinese extras goes a long ways towards the authentic look!    I was very impressed by Sergej Larin in the role of Calef as well as Barbara Frottoli as Liu.  They performed their roles with aplomb, not just the singing, which was superb, but the acting as well.  A bit disappointing was Biovanna Casolla as Turandot...I realize it's an Opera, and musical talent is the prime requisite, but she was far too old and, frankly, not attractive enough to believably inspire a love at first sight that would lead a man to risk his life.  Plus, she didn't seem to really throw herself into the role.  Our Liu rather stole the show, as is sometimes the case.

The disc navigation is a nightmare- I don't know what the guys who mastered it for DVD were smoking.  It's difficult to chose the language and enable subtitles and any "wrong move" requires opening the tray and restarting it.

Still, I will admit to actually weeping at least three times during the DVD!   This has always been a favorite of mine and although the DVD isn't perfect it doesn't disappoint, either.  A wonderful Caleb, a sublime Liu and a solid effort all around!

I give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

First, sets and costumes - the production utilized "Chinese" artistic talents, including the renowned Zhang Yimou I think, so authenticity is not an issue.  We all fall for the "old" nostalgic past, 'cos it's exotic.  Anyhow, I have observed many opera with non-English themes, it's only fairly recently that they began to perhaps realize that may be authenticity is important.  I remember they used to make the western singers into looking like orientals.  Awful, awful.  Now, because there's more oriental singer/artists available and of the caliber to do the job, productions begin to look more attractive.

Singer - the role of Turandot requires a buffalo kind of a singer with strong stomach muscles to do it.  Birgit Nilsson used to be THE choice singer because she was sooooooo strong.  She had the voice of steel, sort of.  Many singers are, simply, just singers.  They don't have acting ability.  Not that many Maria Callases out there.  Liu is a tear-jerker, so it's easy to please or to draw out our tears.

[Rob Babcock]

Callas was an amazing Liu, no argument there!  And yeah, I don't like it when they use a lot of makeup to make Westerners look Chinese.

I like the DVD.  Not my favorite cast but everyone was pretty good.  I liked the Calef role although his Nessun Dorma was a tiny bit disappointing (not bad, just not a Pavarotti).

[goldlizsts]

Callas was an amazing Liu, no argument there!  And yeah, I don't like it when they use a lot of makeup to make Westerners look Chinese.

I like the DVD.  Not my favorite cast but everyone was pretty good.  I liked the Calef role although his Nessun Dorma was a tiny bit disappointing (not bad, just not a Pavarotti).

It was probably very hard to assemble a better cast in Beijing to do the whole project, so they just had to use whoever was available, even 2nd stringers.  Puccini operas are tough to sing for many less endowed singers because he hangs the tessitura well above the staff much of the time (so with many verismo operas), requiring much stamina (unlike Mozart kind of opera, where the singer usually just "zing" along, IMO).

[Rob Babcock]

It was probably very hard to assemble a better cast in Beijing to do the whole project, so they just had to use whoever was available, even 2nd stringers.  Puccini operas are tough to sing for many less endowed singers because he hangs the tessitura well above the staff much of the time (so with many verismo operas), requiring much stamina (unlike Mozart kind of opera, where the singer usually just "zing" along, IMO).

Yeah, probably so. 

I realize the professional reviews are mixed on this recording, and I can understand why.  I dunno how "authentic" the sets were, but they were beautiful.  I thought the executioners Wushu-dance was amazing (if that's what would call it).  It had a lot of charm, and if it's not the best Turandot ever it was very moving and exciting.  I probably wouldn't recommend it as your only copy but it's quite nice.  And I'm just a total sucker for that opera!

BTW, I think Birgit Nilsson sang in the first version of that one I ever heard.  But I never really loved opera until I first heard Maria Callas.

[goldlizsts]

It was probably very hard to assemble a better cast in Beijing to do the whole project, so they just had to use whoever was available, even 2nd stringers.  Puccini operas are tough to sing for many less endowed singers because he hangs the tessitura well above the staff much of the time (so with many verismo operas), requiring much stamina (unlike Mozart kind of opera, where the singer usually just "zing" along, IMO).

Yeah, probably so. 

I realize the professional reviews are mixed on this recording, and I can understand why.  I dunno how "authentic" the sets were, but they were beautiful.  I thought the executioners Wushu-dance was amazing (if that's what would call it).  It had a lot of charm, and if it's not the best Turandot ever it was very moving and exciting.  I probably wouldn't recommend it as your only copy but it's quite nice.  And I'm just a total sucker for that opera!

BTW, I think Birgit Nilsson sang in the first version of that one I ever heard.  But I never really loved opera until I first heard Maria Callas.

When I first heard Callas's recordings, they were her latter years', when her vocal quality (timber, etc.) had begun to deteriorate.  Somehow it stuck in my mind that she wasn't to my liking (first impression most of the time sticks), and that was a fact.  Her voice in her younger years was much better, however.  As always, she is admired for her ability to do you know what already, combing acting with vocal, an extremely rare commodity in opera singers.  Nowadays, singers are more tuned to emphasize both the dramatics and vocals.  But, Callas was unique and the first.

I'm not a die-hard opera lover either, just like good singing, whatever it may be, opera, recital, pop....  I happen to like opera to a certain extent because of the fact I learned to sing for a few years, thus know the intricacies of vocal techniques, etc., which actually added to my enjoyment, and skepticism also.

Birgit Nilsson was a different breed.  Those Swedes are strong as a bull.  So they can belt out the (her) steely vocals.

The staging of the Turandot here is authentic to a certain extent because they engaged in real Chinese in the production.  These people (Zhang Yimou et al) know their history, and thus were able to incorprate some authenticity into it.  Of course, there'll always be those less-authentic elements as they at times tend to improvise.  But overall, many aspects/scenes are very Chinese, that's for sure, more Chinese than any production ever.  Some are just awful when no Chinese (in the past) were involved.  Have you ever seen Lehar's Land of Smiles?  Those older stagings were laughable, sometimes insulting, like what they used to do to the Charlie Chan role...... instead of The Ugly American, we were given The Ugly Chinese........ 

[Rob Babcock]

No doubt, Birgit Nilsson was awesome, too.  When I first heard her I probably just wasn't ready for opera yet.  Truth be told, I'm a huge fan of Anna Netrebko, and not just because she's gorgeous, either.

I'm far from expert, and I too like a wide variety of musical styles and genres.  The day I bought this Turandot DVD is also bought the newest album from Kaki King.

[goldlizsts]

No doubt, Birgit Nilsson was awesome, too.  When I first heard her I probably just wasn't ready for opera yet.  Truth be told, I'm a huge fan of Anna Netrebko, and not just because she's gorgeous, either.

I'm far from expert, and I too like a wide variety of musical styles and genres.  The day I bought this Turandot DVD is also bought the newest album from Kaki King.

I like Bebrebko simply because she's so sexy, a rare commodity in opera.  Slim and great opera singing do not equate to each other seems the rule.  But, in recent years we have seen the opposite.  Guess modern humans eat better, are healthier, stronger, so to sustain that 5000-seat opera house space becomes possible.

Good chatting with you.  I am not an opera buff (those fanatics) either, just like it a little, among other forms of art/music.  Not artistic person either. 

[goldlizsts]

Just read in the local Chinese papers that Chang Yimou just staged Turandot in Beijing, in the Nest (you know what that is!), with an Italian Turandot, and a Chinese Calaf.  Chang staged the Beijing Olympics.  So, this Turandot probably is very authentic and eye candy.  I bet DVDs will be released soon.  It was supposed to be a vey good production (according to the text), eye candy-wise, at least.

[woodsyi]

http://www.china.org.cn/video/2009-10/09/content_18667823.htm

Apparently it's a production that will tour the world.  Clearly the music and singing has to be amplified in a large outdoor stadium.  I don't know how I feel about that.  Be that as it may, I would love to see it if it comes to USA.

[Rob Babcock]

Interesting.  It would be worth a look, for sure.