Turandot at Teatr Wielki - Opera Narodowa, Moniuszko Auditorium

The Torture Garden as terrible as in Octave Mirbeau’s novel where fear, desire and ecstasy are expressed in trance-like singinging – such is Puccini’s last opera. Turandot has retained some perfidiousness of Venetian masks (since it has been brought to life by Gozzi’s pen in Venice) and the hieratic ceremoniousness of mandarin China. But there’s a fire raging underneath. The passion and contempt of the cruel princess Turandot coupled with Kalaf’s blind fascination and the loving devotion of the slave girl Liù carry on a necrophilic fencing duel using poisoned daggers in Oriental dream-like scenery, unknown to any other opera work. For over a year this mysterious drama has been returning to the Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera stage – the bitter fruit of a transformed guilt feeling of its composer. We know that Puccini’s love to his jealous wife has been saved by the suicide of a humble servant girl – the shadow of death concealed in the music is not a delusion.