Giacomo Puccini:
n the 86-odd years since it premiered in 1926, the fortunes of Turandot, Puccini's unfinished final opera, have risen and fallen like so many romantic arpeggios. But if today the opera has established itself more-or-less permanently in operatic repertories around the world. With Rosario La Spina cast as Calaf, Susan Foster as the icy princess and Hyeseoung Kwon as the loyal slave girl Liù, the singing throughout is superlative. The choreography and direction of Graeme Murphy is visionary, add the set and costume designs of Kristian Fredrikson, and the lighting of John Drummond Montgomery and this production is glorious in its beauty.
Recorded live at the Arts Centre Melbourne, on 20 and 25 April 2012.