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Opera Holland Park Dazzles with Puccini's Turandot
24 Jun
Summary
- Orchestral reduction skillfully captured Puccini's grand score.
- José de Eça delivered a compelling performance as Calaf.
- Fflur Wyn shone as a sweet-toned Liù in her poignant scenes.
Opera Holland Park celebrated Puccini's 'Turandot' with a concert performance, marking the opera's centenary year. Conductor Naomi Woo masterfully led the City of London Sinfonia, utilizing Tony Burke's orchestral reduction to capture the score's sonic grandeur. Despite minor sound issues with percussion and organ, the orchestra delivered a punchy and stylish interpretation.
José de Eça starred as Calaf, offering supple phrasing and an ideally Italianate tone, delivering a thrilling 'Nessun dorma.' Welsh soprano Fflur Wyn provided a sweet-toned and radiant Liù, particularly moving in her death scene. French soprano Anne Sophie Duprels possessed the vocal power for Turandot's challenging high notes, though stability elsewhere was noted.
The supporting roles of Ping, Pang, and Pong were charismatically portrayed by Josef Jeongmeen Ahn, Joseph Buckmaster, and Zwakele Tshabalala, highlighting the music's lyricism and bite. Jihoon Kim was a resonant Timur, and the Opera Holland Park Chorus, joined by the youth chorus, demonstrated their prowess.
