Ice princess melts opera audience

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This article was published 19/04/2015 (3296 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While in many ways Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot is a flawed fairy tale with plenty of illogical twists and turns along the way, it still resonates — like all good opera — with its perennial “love shall conquer all” ethos where even heinous crimes may be forgiven by that which makes the world go round.

Manitoba Opera closed its 2014/15 season with the Asian-inspired drama set to Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni’s libretto, sung in Italian (with English surtitles) and directed by Winnipeg-born Tom Diamond. The three-act opera set in ancient Peking tells the tale of ice princess Turandot, who is consumed with avenging her ancestress’s death by merrily ordering her lovesick suitors to be executed after they fail her test of three cryptic riddles. Only the unknown prince, Calaf, is able to crack the code and eventually wins her heart. MO last staged Puccini’s final, unfinished opera completed by his student Franco Alfano in 1996. It originally premièred at Milan’s La Scala in 1926.

Moscow-born soprano Mlada Khudoley, who also appeared in the title role during MO’s 2011 production of Richard Strauss’ Salome, reaffirmed her status as an operatic force of nature. Her dramatic intensity seemed only to grow with each passing scene, from her first “teaser” entry where, veiled and silent, she perches atop sky-high scaffolding, to her final duet Del primo pianto, in which she confesses her love to Calaf. The mesmerizing emotional trajectory that sees her melt from a stony, cold princess to a deeply wounded woman hiding behind pride and power is masterful. Khudoley’s powerhouse vocals stand out, especially when she poses the three riddles to Calaf during Act II’s pivotal scene.

Winnipeg-based soprano Lara Ciekiewicz also shone in her role debut as slave girl — and moral presence — Liu, who is secretly in love with Calaf. She crafted her guileless character with unaffected simplicity, faithfully tending to American bass Valerian Ruminski’s deposed Tartar King Timur, while begging Calaf to abandon his obsessive pursuit of Turandot during Act I’s Signore, ascolta! Her crystal clear voice radiated sincerity during Act III’s Tu che di gel sei cinta, performed just before Lui takes her own life in order to spare Calaf’s.

Cuban-born lyric tenor Raùl Melo, marking his MO debut, did not fare as well. His performance was uneven, and his voice did not always fully project, although it did grow stronger throughout the 165-minute (including two intermissions) production. His iconic Act II Nessun Dorma — one of opera’s most famous arias — should be a showstopper. Melo showed some strain in his upper range, with clunky amplification of the backstage chorus also becoming a distraction. And while yes, the show did go on, his commitment nonetheless resulted in loud whoops and cheers from the opening-night crowd.

The three fan-snapping ministers: Ping (Benjamin Covey), Pang (Keith Klassen) and Pong (Christopher Mayell) made a magical entrance during their opening trio, Fermo, che fai?, pushed about in wheeled, skirted pedestals. Their dreamy Act II ensemble Ho una casa nell’Honan, wherein they pine for their former homes on peaceful, bamboo-flanked lakes, proved another highlight.

The lavish production, with vibrantly colourful sets and costumes from Opera Carolina, creates stunning eye candy, including effective video and photo projections that add further dimensionality and contemporary appeal. The image of skulls bobbing in blood does not easily leave the imagination — but neither does the enormous, breathtaking moon or starry night sky that served as a visual canvas for the top of Act II.

Characters are also positioned on towering scaffolds that clearly show the pecking order of power. The Emperor Altoum wonderfully sung by Manitoban bass — and real-life organic farmer — Terence Mierau seated among shards of light at the very height of the hall, added gravitas to the entire show.

The always spot-on Manitoba Opera Chorus prepared by Tadeusz Biernacki was augmented by the equally fine Children’s Chorus led by Carolyn Boyes, with the latter ensemble’s youthful vocals effective in voicing the rising moon in Perche tarda la luna? Maestro Tyrone Paterson led the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra throughout Puccini’s lushly orchestrated score infused with exotic, Eastern flavoured themes.

Opera at its grandest should ideally move the heart or inspire the soul — as witnessed during MO’s season-opener of Fidelio last November. But Puccini’s opera remains a conundrum; a fantastical tale that ends happily only after its most innocent characters, Liu and the countless suitors including the Prince of Persia (George Nytepchuk) are brutally slaughtered. It’s also somewhat troubling that the strong-willed heroine, arguably only seeking her own self-determination, must in the end sacrifice her fiery independence for the mere sake of a man.

Still, MO is to be commended for breathing new life into this ice princess after an absence of 19 years. The audience certainly seemed to agree, clearly melted themselves by the cast’s performances — especially Khudoley’s — springing to their feet at the end in a rousing standing ovation with cries of bravo.

holly.harris@shaw.ca