The NCPA opera Turandot is the first western opera the NCPA launched since its inauguration. Puccini Festival Foundation, as the specially invited partner in the NCPA's production, has rendered full support from opera creation to rehearsal. HAO Weiya, the Chinese young composer, entrusted by NCPA, becomed the third composer of the world and also the first Chinese artist to complete Puccini's Turandot.

 

 

 

 

In the NCPA production, Chinese composer HAO Weiya gave a fresh and original 18-minute finale, making him the third one to finish the ending of Turandot in the world.

 

Turandot depicts a love story of mystery. Turandot, she is a most beautiful Chinese Princess, but coldhearted. And she stipulates that any prince seeking to marry her must answer three riddles - and if he fails, he will be sentenced to death. Three poor princes have unfortunately lost their lives. Calaf, the prince of Tartary who is in exile in China, smitten with the princess's beauty, determines to win her as his bride and answers all the questions correctly.

 

 

However, Princess Turandot refuses to accept defeat. Calaf generously offers Turandot a riddle of his own: if she can learn his name by dawn, he will forfeit his life. Princess Turandot captures the father of the prince and his maid Liù and extorts a confession from them by torture. Liù kills herself to keep the secret. Liù's death gives coldhearted Turandot a great shock. At dawn, Turandot still has no idea of the prince's name.

 

Calaf forces Turandot to kiss him and melts her icy heart and finally tells her his real name. Yet Princess Turandot does not announce the prince's real name. O n the contrary, she announces to the public that she will marry the prince and his name is Love.

 

 

Ending Aria Composer: Hao Weiya

Stage Director: Chen Xinyi

Set Designer: Gao Guangjian

Costume Designer: Mo Xiaomin

Light Designer: Vladimir Lukasevich

Make-up Designer: Zhao He

Chorus Master: Jiao Miao

 

Presenter: China NCPA Chorus & China NCPA Orchestra