Turandot

Turandot by Giacomo Puccini at Opéra Bastille. Duration: 2h40 with 1 intermission. Language: Italian. Surtitles: French / English.

To avenge one of her ancestors, Princess Turandot subjects any royal suitor to a cruel trial: whoever fails to solve her three riddles will have his head cut off. But the arrival of an unknown prince might finally make her sensitive to love...

Giacomo Puccini's final opera, swept away by illness before he could finish his final duet, Turandot is created two years after his death, in 1926, at La Scala in Milan.

To his usual melodic inspiration, evidenced by the famous 'Nessun dorma', the composer infuses an Oriental atmosphere to characterize the legendary China of the tale.

Like Madame Butterfly which he had performed at Opéra Bastille in 1993, Turandot perfectly embraces the stylized aesthetic of Robert Wilson, who passed away in 2025. His staging, which offers images of striking beauty, is his last for the Paris Opera.

Robert Wilson Staging, sets and lighting. Eun Sun Kim Musical Direction. Elza van den Heever Turandot (27 Nov. ) Yusif Eyvazov Calaf. Adriana Gonzalez Liù (27 Nov. ) Carlo Bosi Altoum. Alexander Tsymbalyuk Timur. Biagio Pizzuti Ping. Bergsvein Toverud Pang. Manase Latu Pong.

Christian Rodrigue Moungoungou A Mandarin.