“A
Turandot filtered through a modern brain,”
wrote Puccini, describing his plans to rework
the eighteenth-century fable by Carlo Gozzi.
According to Mosco Carner, Puccini’s last and
supreme work is an advanced score which, with
an orchestration that reflects contemporaries
such as Richard Strauss and Stravinsky as well
as genuine Chinese rhythms and harmonies,
remains true to the Italian vocal tradition.
The musicologist Jürgen Maehder analyses
of the ending, which Franco Alfano composed
from Puccini’s sketches. In addition, the great
British Soprano, Dame Eva Turner, recalls her
experiences of singing the title role, of which
she was a legendary interpreter.
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'Brilliantly produced and superb value.'
Sunday Times
'All these will provide the new opera-goer with food for thought.'
Daily Telegraph
'Wholehearted recommendation of this valuable new series.'
TLS
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By the same author:
