Turandot

Big ideas. Bold themes. Beautiful singing. Graeme Murphy’s grand vision of Ancient Peking is back, with American soprano Susan Foster heading an international cast for Puccini’s late, great masterpiece Turandot. This production, which is now considered a classic in the Opera Australia repertoire, features spectacular choreographic chorus moves, sculptural stagecraft and larger than life costumes. 

Also making her Australian debut is Italian soprano Daria Masiero, who appears as Liù, Calaf’s ill-fated slave girl. Masiero is, as they say in Italy, a ‘Pucciniane’: a true Puccini soprano. She appeared with Plácido Domingo at the Festival of Torre del Lago as one of his hand-picked ‘Donne di Puccini.’ As for Calaf, the hero of the piece singing iconic aria 'Nessun dorma!', this towering role goes to Australia’s answer to Luciano Pavarotti,  Rosario La Spina. Arvo Volmer, chief conductor of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, conducts the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra.

Turandot plays at the Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House from January 17 to March 19, 2012, then the State Theatre, the Arts Centre, Melbourne from April 10 to May 11, 2012

Photography by Lindsay Kearney, Lightbox Photography.

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