Dates

2-30 Dec 2022

Location

Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Main stage

Running time

2:00, no interval

Tickets

n.a.

Lorenzo Viotti

A portrayal of obsessive love

  • From 3 to 19 May 2024, Puccini's Il trittico will be staged at Dutch National Opera. The three short operas form the final programme in the Puccini cyclus with conductor Lorenzo Viotti and director Barrie Kosky

Princess Turandot’s suitors are set three impossible riddles. Anyone who fails to solve all three of them, will be sentenced to a gruesome public execution. Prince Calaf, overcome by love, decides to take up the challenge in this popular opera by Puccini.

Photo: Marta Syrko

A portrayal of obsessive love

In spite of the cruelty of its plot, Turandot has won a firm place in the hearts of audiences all around the world. Its portrayal of the cold-hearted, ruthless princess and the man who is determined to win her at all costs, presents a fascinating story – especially when coupled with Puccini’s unparalleled and brilliant score. Even those unfamiliar with the opera will undoubtedly have heard its memorable and famous aria ‘Nessun dorma’, ending as it does on the triumphant ‘vincero!’.

 

Exhilarating opera

Turandot is the second Puccini opera chief-conductor Lorenzo Viotti and stage director Barrie Kosky will be collaborating on as part of their Puccini cycle. Viotti is extremely fond of Puccini, and therefore welcomes this opportunity to delve into this challenging and rich score, together with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and the full Chorus of Dutch National Opera. This opera, with a double cast of expressive and charismatic singers, promises to serve up a thrilling experience.

For his new production, Kosky has decided to steer clear of orientalism, choosing instead to stage the work in a hallucinatory, dystopian dreamscape that is characterised by lust, desire and obsession. Kosky is exceptionally talented at directing large groups of people while maintaining meticulous attention to detail. This means the Chorus of Dutch National Opera will play a key role in this production, not only from a musical but also from a scenic perspective.

Performance information

Lyric drama in three acts

Sung in Italian

Libretto  Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni

Musical direction  Lorenzo Viotti
Stage direction  Barrie Kosky
Set design  Michael Levine
Costume design  Victoria Behr
Lighting design  Alessandro Carletti
Choreography  Otto Pichler

La principessa Turandot  Tamara Wilson 
L’imperatore Altoum  Marcel Reijans
Timur  
Liang Li (2, 4, 6, 9, 17, 21, 23, 28 and 30 Dec)
Aleksei Kulagin (12, 14 and 25 Dec)
Il principe ignoto (Calaf)  
Najmiddin Mavlyanov (2, 6, 9, 17, 21 and 28 Dec)
Martin Muehle (4, 12, 14, 23, 25 and 30 Dec)
Liù  
Kristina Mkhitaryan (2, 6, 9, 17, 21 and 28 Dec)
Juliana Grigoryan (4, 12, 14, 23, 25 and 30 Dec)
Ping / Un mandarino  Germán Olvera
Pang  Ya-Chung Huang
Pong  Lucas van Lierop

Orchestra  Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra

Chorus
Chorus of Dutch National Opera
Chorus master Edward Ananian-Cooper

Nieuw Amsterdams Kinderkoor (part of Nieuw Vocaal Amsterdam)
Children's chorus master  Anaïs de la Morandais

Online programme

Along with the printed programme book, we also offer online programme information for this performance. The online programme will take you behind the scenes with in-depth stories, articles, and interviews with the creators and cast.

Trailer - Turandot

Turandot - Trailer

Puccini’s last opera returns to Amsterdam with Lorenzo Viotti and Barrie Kosky at the helm

Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Scene Turandot | Photo: Monika Rittershaus
Tamara Wilson

‘Of course what she does is cruel, but she keeps her freedom’

Sopraan Tamara Wilson - La principessa Turandot  about Turandot

Photo: Tamara Wilson | © Claire McAdams

Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra

Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra

Dutch National Opera has a long-standing and proud history with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra | the Nether­lands Chamber Orchestra, which has been its main orchestra partner for the past 30 years. It is widely considered to be one of the best opera orchestras in the world.

Photo: Melle Meivogel

Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra

Naturally, it also performs in concerts of its own and then its go-to venue is the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In addition to its collabo­ration with chief conductor Lorenzo Viotti and music director of the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra Gordan Nikolić, the orchestra regularly works with internationally renowned guest conductors and soloists, as well as a whole new generation of excellent musicians. It has played on countless stages, using music to connect people by giving exceptional performances that inspire both connoisseurs and novices alike. The orches­tra's base is in the warm and welcoming NedPhO-Dome in the ‘lndische Buurt’ in Amsterdam, ensuring it is at the heart of the community. In this way, the orchestra hopes to make classical music more approachable to a wider audience.

Season 2022/23 will see the Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra join us for our season-opener Carmenas well as for Königs­kinder, Turandot and Der RosenkavalierThe Netherlands Chamber Orchestra will provide the orchestral accompani­ment for Animal Farm and Maria Stuarda.

Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Milagro Elstak
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Milagro Elstak
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Milagro Elstak
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Milagro Elstak
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Milagro Elstak
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Milagro Elstak
Rehearsal Turandot, stage director Barrie Kosky | Photo: Milagro Elstak
Rehearsal Turandot, stage director Barrie Kosky | Photo: Milagro Elstak
Rehearsal Turandot, conductor Lorenzo Viotti and stage director Barrie Kosky | Photo: Milagro Elstak
Rehearsal Turandot, conductor Lorenzo Viotti and stage director Barrie Kosky | Photo: Milagro Elstak
Rehearsal Turandot, conductor Lorenzo Viotti and stage director Barrie Kosky | Photo: Milagro Elstak
Rehearsal Turandot, conductor Lorenzo Viotti and stage director Barrie Kosky | Photo: Milagro Elstak
Rehearsal Turandot, stage director Barrie Kosky | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot, stage director Barrie Kosky | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot, chorus master Edward Ananian-Cooper | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot, chorus master Edward Ananian-Cooper | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Melle Meivogel
Rehearsal Turandot | Photo: Melle Meivogel

'The choir is at the emotional centre of this performance'


chorus master Edward Ananian-Cooper

Podcast

5 reasons to look forward to Turandot

in the media
Reviews

An excess of powerful and beautiful images numbs your sense of time.(...) The wow factor of this performance is never to be forgotten.

4 December

[About Tamara Wilson] We could only hear her - what a voice! - from the ridge above the orchestra pit. (...) Rehearsals must have been meticulous, because everything was in perfect sync with the pit.

4 December

Terrifying choruses in compact drama that concerns everyone 

4 December

The China-less staging allows conductor Lorenzo Viotti to cast a fresh light on the score. Suddenly they do not sound folkloric but experimental, the Chinese gongs and the xylophone Puccini used to add oriental colour in the 1920s.

4 December

Opera & ballet online

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  • interviews & articles
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