New production of 'Turandot' premieres in Baku after 98 years

A new production of Giacomo Puccini's "Turandot" has premiered at Heydar Aliyev Palace in Baku.

Report informs that the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre presented the celebrated opera to sustained applause. World-renowned tenor and People's Artist of Azerbaijan Yusif Eyvazov performed in the production.

Leyla Aliyeva, vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, attended the premiere.

The new "Turandot," the first staging of the opera in Azerbaijan in 98 years, was created specifically for the Baku stage.

The production's stage director is Mikayil Mikayilov, its production designer is Mustafa Mustafayev, its executive designer is Honoured Cultural Worker Tehran Babayev, and its director is Elnur Ismayilov. Choirmaster and Honoured Artist Sevil Hajiyeva prepared the choral sections. The choreographers are People's Artist Madina Aliyeva and Honoured Artist Anar Mikayilov.

The production features three different casts. Each of the three premiere evenings will feature different soloists as Turandot and Calaf, as well as a different conductor.

On October 24, the celebrated role of Calaf was performed by Yusif Eyvazov, director of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre and one of Azerbaijan's most internationally recognised opera singers. The role has become one of his signature parts, but this was his first time performing it in Azerbaijan. That evening, Italian soprano Carmen Giannattasio sang Turandot, with Italian conductor Beatrice Venezi on the podium.

At a press conference before the performance, Eyvazov described the premiere as a historic event. He noted that "Turandot" was returning to the Azerbaijani stage after 98 years and praised the high standard of the new production by director Mikayil Mikayilov and production designer Mustafa Mustafayev. International opera soloists will also join the Azerbaijani performers.

Stage director Mikayil Mikayilov added that the theatre company had put considerable work into the production.

"We hope audiences will appreciate our efforts and enjoy the performance. This is a very significant event of great value to our theatre culture," he said.

"Turandot" is one of Puccini's most famous operas. The three-act work is based on Carlo Gozzi's play of the same name, with a libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Its world premiere took place at La Scala in Milan on April 25, 1926, conducted by Arturo Toscanini.

Baku audiences first saw the opera in 1928, just two years after its world premiere. The Baku premiere was the first production of "Turandot" in the Soviet Union.

Puccini worked on "Turandot" from the summer of 1920 until his death in 1924 but did not live to complete it. Franco Alfano finished the final section using Puccini's notes.

The opera centres on the love story of the ruthless Princess Turandot and Prince Calaf. As in Gozzi's tale, Turandot tests her suitors with three riddles, declaring that she will marry whoever answers correctly, while those who fail will be executed. After a series of trials, Calaf solves the riddles and eventually marries Turandot, who yields to the power of his love.