Puccini: Turandot Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Puccini: Turandot Blu-ray Movie Review

They call it "grand" opera for a reason.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 3, 2011

Mention the name of Franco Zeffirelli to any film lover and chances are nine out of ten of them will talk about the 1968 version of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, a film adaptation which made history (as well as a lot of money) back in its day for casting two age appropriate actors, Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey, to play the “star-crossed” pair of lovers. However, mention Zeffirelli’s name to lovers of classical music, and probably not one of them will care even one whit about Zeffirelli’s accomplishments in the art of film. While many film lovers are probably largely unaware of the fact, Zeffirelli actually has a much longer and in some ways more storied career in the operatic world than he has ever had in film, despite the enormous success of Romeo and Juliet and at least a couple of other of his movie outings. But for well over a half century now, Zeffirelli’s name has been associated with some of the most grandiose productions in the usually grandiose world of Italian opera. Zeffirelli actually developed his theatrical chops under the aegis of another iconic Italian film director, Luchino Visconti, but Zeffirelli found his niche more in the world of sung theater than he ever did in mounting straight plays. Zeffirelli’s productions are almost always gargantuan affairs, ones which meld absolutely sumptuous production design values with usually very astute directorial choices that help to illuminate various characters, allowing them not to be totally subsumed by those selfsame humongous sets, set pieces and overpowering costumes. Zeffirelli’s Turandot is a case in point. One of the director’s most esteemed productions for the New York Metropolitan Opera, it’s been resurrected at least a few times through the years, with such iconic conductors as James Levine providing baton work for various iterations of the piece. This particular production stars Maria Guleghina, Marina Poplavskaya, Marcello Giordani and Samuel Ramey and is conducted by Andris Nelsons, but as is usual with a Zeffirelli production, it’s Zeffirelli’s own contributions which may be of most interest and which will probably be most memorable after the story of the Chinese “Ice Princess” has wended its way through its various machinations.

When Zeffirelli’s Turandot premiered at the Met a couple of decades ago, it was met with the same withering critical response that many of his other gargantuan productions had been. But much like those other productions, audiences seemed not to care one whit about what hoity-toity critics might think and they flocked to the show in droves. It in fact became one of the hottest tickets of that operatic season and a cause célèbre that probably drove those selfsame hoity-toity critics slightly crazy. But the fact is Turandot is by its very nature a gargantuan piece and one which is therefore ideally suited to Zeffirelli’s larger than life (much larger than life) approach. Puccini’s last opera took the “grand” in grand opera to new heights and a suitably monolithic production design and overall approach doesn’t undercut Puccini in the slightest, and in fact helps to magnify the opera’s own inherent grandeur. This is perhaps more than any other Puccini an opera of pomp and pageantry, and in that regard, this Zeffirelli incarnation captures that spirit perfectly.

Zeffirelli made absolutely no bones about the spectacle he was attempting to achieve in his Turandot, which was originally staged (in what was evidently even a larger spectacle, if that’s even possible) at Italy’s iconic La Scala before Zeffirelli brought it stateside some months later for its New York premiere. The Met wanted opulence, and opulence it certainly got in droves. At the time the Met was on record as stating they wanted a Turandot for the next quarter century, and judging by this November 2009 production (originally shown live in HD theatrically) they’ve gotten their money’s worth.

As with some other recent Decca opera releases, while the production is gorgeous and the performances mostly outstanding, what may bother some consumers of the Blu-ray is the straight over porting of the original broadcast material which includes some backstage interstitials. We therefore are privy to the absolutely gigantic opening set being trundled into the wings after the act closes, and, later, we get interviews with Guleghina and Giordani. While it’s perhaps not financially feasible to recut a release like this for the home video market, it logically makes more sense to include elements like these as supplements rather than part of the performance itself, especially when repeated viewings are taken into consideration.

As Guleghina herself admits in her backstage interview, it’s hard to feel much empathy for Turandot and audiences routinely “fall” more for Liù, the tragic slave girl. That’s going to perhaps be the situation more than usual in this production, for as fine as Guleghina is, it’s Poplavskaya that steals this Turandot heart and soul with an achingly beautiful singing voice and some precise and nuanced acting as well. It’s in Liù’s heartbreaking solos that Turandot manages to actually connect with the audience, reaching out beyond the pomp and pageantry to touch the human heart, something that Puccini’s music is so often able to do with considerable élan.

While this is certainly a musically solid undertaking, it’s perhaps a trifle on the underwhelming side simply because the visuals are so overwhelming. Stage director David Kneuss and broadcast director Gary Halvorson manage the huge amount of people on the Met’s enormous stage with surprising facility, but in the long run it’s going to be Zeffirelli’s completely hyperbolic production design (along with the frankly jaw droppingly gorgeous costumes by Anna Anni and Dada Saligeri) which will be remembered about this Turandot well after the pleasingly plump woman has sung.

Puccini: Turandot Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The incomparable opulence of this Turandot is extremely well presented on this AVC encoded 1080i transfer in 1.78:1. Colors are absolutely mind boggling at times, with the gorgeous jewels sewn into several costumes glittering and glinting in the stage lighting with some very deeply saturated hues. The costumes run the gamut from deep reds and purples to Turandot's beautifully rendered pastel turquoise gown. Fine detail is excellent throughout this enterprise, with close-ups revealing makeup and the occasional bead of perspiration trickling down performers' brows. Wide shots are nicely sharp and detailed, very important for being able to see the mammoth sets Zeffirelli contributed to the production. There is some occasional minor crush which is evident because a lot of this opera (especially the first act) plays out in extremely dim lighting. Otherwise, though, the interlaced presentation offers few if any artifacts to be concerned about and visually this is about as sumptuous a production as could be hoped for.

Puccini: Turandot Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Both of the lossless audio options included on this Blu-ray, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and an LPCM 2.0, offer sterling fidelity, lyrical sonorities and really superb dynamic range. Despite this being such a humongous production, there are few if any balance issues to report, even with the absolutely gargantuan ensemble singing with individual soloists. The surround mix doesn't really separate individual singers to a widely splayed degree, but everyone is heard clearly and cleanly, and the balance between the orchestra and singers is very good indeed. The playing here may not be as vigorous as some would hope for, but Guleghina and Poplavskaya are both in incredible voice, as is Ramey. Giordani can sound a little brittle and harsh in his upper register, but his chest voice sounds magnificent. All in all this is a very well sung production that is very well reproduced via both of these lossless audio options.

Puccini: Turandot Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No supplements per se are included on the Blu-ray, though it should be noted the insert in the keepcase advertises the backstage interviews with Guleghina, Giordani and Charles Anthony (who plays Emperor Altoum) as a supplement. As discussed above in the main body of the review, these interviews actually play as part of the evening's performance, in between acts.

Puccini: Turandot Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Yes, this Turandot is completely, inarguably over the top, stuffed to the gills with pomp and pageantry and seeming to burst the Met's already huge stage. So what's not to like? Turandot is not the most intimate of operas to begin with, especially with its remote and hard to love "heroine," so something this hyperbolic actually plays to the opera's strengths. Puccini's gorgeous music, filled with quasi-Orientalism, is very well represented here and the visual spectacle simply must be seen to be believed. This is the very definition of "grand" opera, and it comes Recommended.