Review: The Story Of An Imperial China Under Threat Of Being Left Without A Ruler Because Of The Cold Hearted TURANDOT Unfolds In Handa Opera On Sydney Harbour

Thursday 24rd March 2016, 7:30pm, Fleet Steps, Mrs Macquaries Point, Sydney

For its fifth year, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour and Opera Australia have delivered another stunning production, confirming its position as one of the world's greatest outdoor operas. For 2016, director Chen Shi-Zheng has paired Giacomo Puccini's beautiful music with an incredible set and design to give new depth and understanding to the famous fable, TURANDOT.

Chen Shi-Zheng breathes new life into the story of the headstrong prince who will risk his life to win the hand of the beautiful and cold hearted Princess Turandot. Whilst the text remains unchanged, Shi-Zheng presents the story in a way to give greater emphasis of the Princess' reluctance to become a stranger's bride, bringing focus onto the fear that she will be subjected to the horrors her ancestor faced at the hands of a foreign prince and the refusal to be treated as a 'possession'. As the determined Prince declares his intentions, the Emperor and his Ministers seek to dissuade him from his goal in order to save him from the same fate as 12 suitors before him.

Drawing on iconic motifs of Imperial China, designer Dan Potra has created a breathtaking floating set that immediately places the work in a time when Emperors ruled, land was fought for and protected from Northern invasion by the Great Wall, pagodas reached into the skies and fierce dragons scared off spirits. Whilst the massive dragon's head that reaches out off the stage, with a body that curls around to the rear of the set, looks lifted out of an illustration or tapestries, Potra has created a stylized pagoda that towers over the stage and looks more futuristic than ancient, pulling the work into a more mythical world rather than any specific time in China's history. Potra has created multiple levels on which to present the action, including moving parts to deliver characters, keeping them on high, separating the royalty from the kingdom below and establishing a hierarchy. Whilst opening night was a clear calm night, it will be interesting to see how this multi layered technology will handle any wind and rain given some of the transitions could have been smoother in good conditions.

Potra has then filled the impressive multilayered set with a heaving cast of detailed characters from the 10 principals to the crowds of villagers, armies of soldiers and troupes of dancing girls and ladies maidens. Members of the Emperor's court and village are dressed in bold blocked colors. The Emperor (David Lewis), in his throne high above the proceedings wears the legendary Imperial Yellow. The cold, shut off 'ice princess' Turandot (Dragana Radakovic) and her ladies in waiting wear a pale blue of purity. The Ministers Ping (Luke Gabbedy), Pong (John Longmuir) and Pang (Benjamin Rasheed) are in bold bright robes of russet, green and sky blue, respectively giving each of the fat officials an individuality whilst still maintaining their collective influence. In contrast to the Emperor and his subjects, King Timur (Conal Coad), his faithful servant Liù (Hyeseoung Kwon) and the mysterious Prince, Timur's son Calaf (Riccardo Massi), are in more 'homely' muted tones with distinctly different styles to those worn by the 'locals' confirming their position as 'foreigners'.

The performance opens with the rich baritone of Gennadi Dubinsky, reprising his role from last year's Opera Australia production, as the government official, a Mandarin, who provides a preface to the situation that the governs the land, in particular, Turandot's challenge, which the Prince of Persia has failed. The stage allows for a range of activity to take place at once, in particular an old man, the deposed King of Tartary, Timur, being reunited with his son, Calef, Prince of Tartary, when his servant Liù calls for help. Coad presents Timur with a deep warmth whilst Kwon gives the young Liù a pure ringing tone as the trio are reunited. Kwon later gives an incredible performance of Liù's aria, Tu Che Di Gel Sei Cinta as she expresses her love and devotion for Calef and loyalty to Timur, presenting the song with passionate but innocent clarity.

Gabbedy and Longmuir also reprise their roles from Opera Australia's 2015 production, and are joined by Rasheed to present the Ministers with a lightness and humor in contrast to the macabre story as they seek to warn Calef off his deadly quest and they also lament the days when they led peaceful lives of learning and leisure. There is some wonderful physical humor thrown in to the ridiculousness of a situation where they joke that they must prepare for a wedding in red and a funeral in white whilst also being cognizant of the potential demise of the empire if Turandot refuses to marry.

Turandot's aria In Questa Reggia is powerful and moving as Radakovic expresses the Princess' reasons for distrusting men and not wanting to become a possession. The fear and desire to avenge the treatment of her ancestor at the hands of a foreigner is expressed with a deeper ominous bitterness whilst a projection of the battle for land in which her ancestor was ravished and murdered by an invading foreign prince plays out across the body of the dragon.

As Calef, Massi expresses the Prince's infatuation with the Princess that would rather see him dead like the men before him. He expresses the dogged determination to win Turandot's affection and presents the famous Nessun Dorma with a powerful, passionate conviction and as he tells the Princess, and the Kingdom, that neither will sleep trying to discover his identity and he will be triumphant. There is a joy in his voice, and in Puccini's underlying orchestrations, as Calef feels he has been successful in tricking the Princess to agreeing to the challenge which he believes she will fail. Whilst Turandot has ordered the Kingdom to help her discover the Prince's name, his declaration that she shall not sleep that night is met with fanfare that there is the prospect of a wedding.

Opera Australia's selection of TURANDOT for this year's Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour's ensures that the work is accessible to all audiences, even those unfamiliar with Opera. The plot is simple enough and expressed with the right balance of physical charactisation and expression to reduce the reliance on the subtitles, provided in English and Chinese. The work is presented at a good pace to keep the story moving whilst letting the orchestrations, conducted by Brian Castles-Onion from beneath the stage, be fully appreciated. The work includes texture and subtlety whilst drawing on Puccini's understanding of the Oriental sound which comes through from the lightness of bells and flutes to the boldness of drums and horns.

Opera Australia and Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour's TURANDOT is a must see for locals and visitors alike as it showcases both the wonderful talents of Opera Australia and the beautiful Sydney Harbour. This is more than just a performance, it is an event that should be a must see for everyone.

TURANDOT

Opera Australia Presents Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour

24 March- 24 April 2016

Fleet Steps, Mrs Macquaries Point

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