Opera
Turandot
Aurora Theatre

Despite the oppressive heat, I left the theatre very happy with the successful outcome of this ambitious venture. Staging Turandot is no joke, whichever way one looks at it. It was carried off in a singular way making one marvel at tiny Gozo.

Grandeur and splendour are beautiful

This time the Aurora came up with one of its best productions ever. Having the famed Maria Guleghina on stage is an event in itself.

Did not her huge voice fill up the big house! It was all in character with the role which demands stamina and intelligence. Guleghina also struck one as a generous singer and a generous colleague, touching everybody’s heart when, at the end, she congratulated and acknowledged all fellow members of the cast.

The audience loved her and she responded with utter sincerity and warmth.

Reflecting upon the outcome of the plot, it remains an eternal mystery as to how Puccini would have managed to transform the icy, cruel Princess into one who opens her heart to the Prince who wins her hand via a set of riddles and eventually her heart.

Well, had he lived he would have managed for he was a genius.

Here was another case of a great work heard so many times yet not failing to excite again because of it being done so well. Grandeur and splendour are beautiful.

The sets, designed by Novella Tabili and entrusted to artist Paul Falzon and Anthony Buhagiar who built them, plus costumes and mis en scène often saw to that.

The beauty of character and tenderness of Liù (soprano Miriam Cauchi on best of forms) too lent a most touching aura: loyal, steadfast, loving and ready to lose her life for Calaf.

The latter role was tackled by tenor Valter Borin, whom I heard was singing the role for the first time. He has an undoubtedly fine presence and a voice with a most attractive timbre on which there was enough evidence as in his Non piangere Liù, but the voice is not dramatic enough to carry the heavy load imposed upon it by the merciless score. Still, he coped well enough in the riddle scene with its awesome crescendi with Turandot.

However, in the still well-received Nessun dorma which everybody expects to be a sine qua non, one did not feel he was completely comfortable and the final climax did not have the expected full power and richness.

He recouped somewhat in further taxing singing in the closing duet with Maria Guleghina but it would be a shame were he to damage his voice if he continued singing such dramatic roles.

That trio of imperial officials – Ping (baritone Pier Luigi Dilengite, with a voice with a particularly fine ring to it), Pong (tenor Leonardo Alaimo) and Pang (tenor Roberto Cavatta) – provided some comic relief, although their true conformism came out when Liù was being tortured. The roles are very difficult and tricky and require precision and perfection as theirs is a continuous, well-timed exchange of patter.

Bass Noel Galea did very well as Timur, Calaf’s aged father. Other roles were taken by tenor Stefano Consolini (Altoum) and bass Louis Cassar as a Mandarin.

Choreography was by Michelle Vella. The management of the crowd scenes was slick and the Aurora Opera Chorus did splendidly. Colin Attard is to be lauded for that and for his fine direction of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra. He wielded the whole team of musicians and singers very ably.