28.02.2024

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Despite the cruelty of its plot, Turandot has earned a pre-eminent place in the canon of the universal repertoire and also in the hearts of audiences around the world. With a brilliant and unprecedented score, Puccini portrays the soulless, cold and implacable princess pitted against the man determined to win her at all costs.  

Last December the Liceu revived the 1999 production that re-opened the theatre after the catastrophic fire of 1994. Created by Núria Espert, the opera is set in the imperial city of Beijing, where Princess Turandot protects her virginity under an oath: she can only marry the man of royal blood who solves three riddles that she herself will dictate. Whoever fails will die. 

A monumental, evocative and orientalist scenography with an extremely harsh and oppressive setting, full of beauty and formal balance, heighten the epic poetry of the story.  

Puccini died in 1924 in Brussels before he could finish the last act and duet.It was Franco Alfano, who completed the score. 

Alfano’s truncated ending – about 15 minutes of the music was butchered by Toscanini- has become the norm in opera houses all over the world, but the Liceu offered the complete Alfano ending. Singers like the truncated ending for its brevity and it is less demanding vocally. 
Recently, for reasons that have much to do with extending the opera's copyrights, the publisher commissioned a new ending from Luciano Berio. I was present at the world premiere in 2002 and not unexpectedly Berio was extremely unpuccinian in texture and no match for Alfano. 
For the 15 runs of Turandot the artistic management obviously chose for two alternate casts for the principal roles and two “retired” tenor stars for the emperor Altoum: Siegfried Jerusalem and Raoul Gimenez.

Both Turandots Elena Pankratova and Ekatarina Semenchuk had the right steely kind of voice for the role. Martha Mathéu was Liù delivering floating beautiful pianissimi when needed and most touching in her acting while Vannina Santoni was a very Italianate in style but small voiced slave.
Michael Fabiano was a dramatically and vocally very convincing Calaf while Martin Muhle the other Calaf was more of a solid Calaf old style with impressive breath control and delivering long exciting top notes much to the public’s liking. 


Fabiano Calaf (Credit, Toni Bofil)

The trio of ministers sung by Manuel Esteve, Moisés Marin and Antoni Lliteres delivered a precision which was also one of the highlights of the production.

Alondra de la Parra’s conducting had plenty of energy and theatrical muscle but a bond with the orchestra seemed to be missing to make it a complete success.

In January the Liceu moved from “Pekino” to Sevilla with a repeat of Calixto Bieito’s production of Carmen, his most successful endeavor as a producer so far.

Its main attraction was the role debut of Michael Spyres as Don José. Like Spyres the don José of the world première was also an ex-baritone.


Michael Spyres & Carmen Licey (Credit, Toni Bofil)

While he acted the part with the intensity of the great Don Josés of yesteryear the role was still a tad too heavy for this previous Rossini tenor. This was especially noticeable in the finale and the great vocal outbursts.

Assets were his good French and of course the musicality expected from this fine tenor. He is one of the few tenors who can sing the trill in the unaccompanied song ‘Dragon d’Alcalà and the sensitive execution of the subsequent flower song with a wonderful voix mixte delivery of the B-flat of the penultimate phrase earned him many bravos. 

Many bravos and a final ovation were also bestowed on the wonderful Carmen of Clémentine Margaine who was fully capable of assuming each of the gypsy’s many faces. She provided plenty of voice, excellent diction and in the final scene she had dignity and tremendous purpose. 
Adriana Gonzales displayed a warm beautiful sound as Micaela but also dramatic tension with a lovely third-act prayer. She as well was rewarded with an ovation.

Simon Orfila cut quite a dashing figure as a dramatically involved Escamillo but was vocally charmless.

Special mention has to go to the luxury casting of Jasmine Habersham as Frasquita, what a fine voice she has. The Mercedes of Laura Vila was sung with hearty gentility.

The conductor was Josep Pons who accelerated the tempi from time to time and couldn’t avoid some discordance between stage and pit. 

One of the fine traditions of the Liceu is providing galas for opera stars to shine. In December Sondra Radvanovsky gave a recital and in January opera’s newest glamour star Lise Davidsen sang in a joint recital with new tenor star Freddie de Tommaso who will later sing Riccardo in Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera also at the Liceu.



Both provided a generously long evening of arias and songs. Up until now I only knew Mrs Davidsen and Mr De Tommaso from their recitals for the Decca company. Live the Norwegian soprano displayed a huge voice combining warmth and brilliance, a wonderful top and a commanding stage presence. The British tenor has a fine full-toned voice tenor voice and there was a fine interaction with the soprano in the duets from Un Ballo and the Merry Widow. The pianist on duty was the South African James Baillieu who coped smoothly with the different styles of the varied repertoire performed.

In May another gala follows, this time with orchestra featuring Ermonela Jaho, Lisette Oropesa, Javier Camarena and Carlos Álvarez!

If you are undecided where to go for a next holiday consider Barcelona and its Gran del Liceu. This beautiful grand and well organized city offers culture in abundance be it in architecture, the art of painting, music or of course Camp Nou. 
 
Rudi van den Bulck, 2024



Valenti Oviedo, CEO of The Gran Teatre de Liceu


Garcia de Gomas, Artistic director of the Liceu