Recommended for Grades 6-12
In this resource, you will:
- Learn the opera’s background and synopsis
- Meet the opera’s composer
Turandot
by Giacomo Puccini
Turandot
by Giacomo Puccini
A quick overview of Puccini’s 1926 unfinished final opera.
Premiered
1926
Music by
Giacomo Puccini
with Franco Alfano
Libretto by
Giuseppe Adami
and Renato Simoni
Language
Italian
Background
Puccini died before completing Turandot. He left behind more than 30 pages of sketches detailing his plans to complete the opera which specified his preference for Riccardo Zandonai to finish the opera. Puccini’s son, Tonio, objected to his father’s choice, and eventually Franco Alfano was chosen to complete the opera after Vincenzo Tommasini and Pietro Mascagni were rejected. Ricordi chose Alfano because he had written an opera, La leggenda di Sakùntala, that shared similar themes with Turandot.
Alfano provided a first version of the ending with a few passages of his own and even added a few sentences to the libretto. Ricordi severely criticized Alfano’s first attempt, so a second draft, censored by Ricordi, was created. Ricordi’s concern was not Alfano’s work itself, but that it did not sound enough like Puccini had written it. Of this version, about three minutes were cut for performance by Toscanini and it is this shortened version that is usually performed.
Synopsis
Act I
Princess Turandot has decreed that she will marry the nobleman who can answer three riddles, but the unlucky suitor who cannot will be beheaded. A Mandarin announces that the Prince of Persia is Turandot’s latest victim; he will die that very night.
In the ensuing excitement, a young slave cries out that her old master has fallen. A young man bends down to help and recognizes his own father—Timur, a dethroned king. Calaf, the young prince, listens as Timur explains how he fled his conquered kingdom with the help of the slave, Liù. She explains why she has shared such misery—Calaf once smiled at her in the palace.
The Prince of Persia is led out by guards. At the sight of the handsome young prince, the crowd is moved to pity. They call for Turandot to release him; but, when the princess appears, she reaffirms the death sentence. Calaf, however, is dazzled by her radiant beauty and determines to win Turandot for himself. As he rushes to strike the gong to signal his acceptance of the challenge, Ping, Pang, and Pong, three ministers of the Emperor, try to stop him. Timur and Liù add their pleas, but Calaf can think only of the beautiful princess. Striking the gong three times, he accepts the challenge of Turandot’s riddles.
Act II
Depending upon the unknown prince’s fortune, Ping, Pang, and Pong prepare for either a funeral or a wedding, hoping for the latter.
At the Imperial Palace, the Emperor urges the young man to turn back before it is too late, but Calaf (whose name is unknown to the court) is steadfast.
Turandot herself now appears. She has vowed to avenge an ancestress who was brutally raped and slain, and swears that no one will possess her. One by one, Turandot asks the three riddles. Calaf answers correctly each time. As the crowd rejoices, the horrified Turandot begs her father to release her from her own oath, but the Emperor insists that her vow is sacred. Calaf fearlessly proposes that if Turandot can find out his name before dawn, he will release her from the bargain and accept defeat and death.
Act III
Voices echo through the night: “On pain of death, none shall sleep until the name of the unknown prince is discovered.” Calaf vows to reveal his name only after he has won the princess for his bride. The three ministers and a large crowd arrive, threatening Calaf with horrible tortures designed to pry out his name. Timur and Liù are soon led in by guards, who recall that the pair had been seen speaking with Calaf.
The princess orders Timur to reveal the unknown prince’s name. Fearing for her master’s life, Liù quickly comes forward to face Turandot: “I alone know the young man’s name.” Unable to bear the tortures which Turandot orders inflicted upon her, Liù grabs a dagger from a guard and kills herself. Shocked and saddened by Liù’s death, the people carry her body away, and Timur follows in utter grief.
Calaf and Turandot remain alone, facing each other. Calaf addresses the princess with burning passion. Resisting his ardent embraces as a profanation, Turandot’s coldness is ultimately conquered with a kiss. In tears, Turandot reveals that her first glance at the unknown prince filled her with both terror and longing. She begs Calaf to leave with his secret, but he puts his life in her power by telling her his name.
Turandot imperiously orders Calaf to appear before the people with her. When the populace is assembled, Turandot announces that the stranger’s name is “Love.” The crowds rejoice as the lovers embrace.
Meet the Artists
Read the Student Guide
Listen to the Story
Leopoldo Metlicovitz (1868-1944), promotional poster for Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot, 1926.
Presented by Washington National Opera, host Saul Lilienstein takes you through the musical world of Puccini’s 1926 unfinished final opera, Turandot.
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