‘Turandot’ in Seoul next May

“Turandot,” the story of a fatally beautiful princess in Peking’s Imperial Palace, is coming to Seoul next spring, and will become the longest-running opera production ever staged in Korea.
The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts plans to host the opera from May 14 to 28.
Typically, operas in Korea run from three to six days. An exception was Rossini’s “Barber of Seville,” a relatively small production staged at the Towol Theater in the Seoul Arts Center for 15 days in July of 2003. Generally speaking, staging a large-scale opera for that length of time is a financially risky proposition.
Giacomo Puccini’s last opera, “Turnadot” ―the story of a princess whose suitors must answer three riddles or die ―was left unfinished at his death in 1924, and was completed by a younger colleague, Franco Alfano.
The Seoul Opera Company, BeSeTo Opera, Gloria Opera, the Hangang Opera Company and the Seoul Center for the Performing Arts will co-produce the opera and collaborate in marketing it.
Some members of the cast from a 2003 production will return, including soprano Giovanna Casolla as Turandot, tenor Nicola Martinucci as Calaf and bass Yang Hee-jun as Timur.
Former soprano Katia Ricciarelli will direct; the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine will be conducted by Carlo Palleschi. Andre Kim will design costumes.
Ticket prices range from 50,000 won ($45) to 300,000 won. There will be 45,000 tickets available for the 15 shows; they go on sale Nov. 20. A 20-percent discount is offered for tickets purchased before the end of December. For ticket information, call (02) 587-7771.

by Lee Jang-jik