Review: TURANDOT at Metropolitan Opera

The Met's production of Turandot delivers a visual blast from the moment the curtain rises. The gilded set is probably one of the most brilliant, opulent, and dense sets of any opera. It really is gorgeous. Likewise, the chorus is strong and magnificent. The memorable combination takes this somewhat trite and even satirical (Ping, Pang, Pong!) story to its much deeper level as a story about revenge, morality, and the transformative power of love.

For me, in terms of music, this opera is about the chorus. I realized that throughout the evening-with the exception of Nessun Dorma-I was much more enthralled by the chorus than Martina Serafin, the Austrian soprano who plays the title role of ice princess. Despite this, the pleasant timbre and range of Marcelo Alvarez, the lyric tenor who plays Calaf and sings Nessun Dorma, is perfect for the part.

For entertainment, Turandot, another great Zeffirelli production for the Metropolitan Opera, can't be better anywhere else.