Review | Turandot by Opera Hong Kong review: authentic or not, sets frame Puccini opera effectively
Jia Ding’s ‘authentic’ Chinese production of Puccini work sets the stage for some fine singing and acting, notably by soprano Bing Bing Wang
Opera Hong Kong’s new production of Turandot may have been billed as a memorial to composer Giacomo Puccini on the 100th anniversary of his death, but that was only part of the picture.
The performances from October 10-13 also laid to rest any lingering traces of the company’s previous production from 2018, a misguided effort by Michael Capasso in collaboration with the New York City Opera that not only muddied its Chinese images but also fumbled its references to Italian commedia dell’arte.
With the only words to go on in Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni’s original libretto being “Ancient China” and “Imperial City of Peking”, a more pertinent objective would be to create a mythical setting where no members of an international cast, crew or audience would find themselves cringing.
On that front, Jia’s production broadly succeeds. As with his large-scale events like the televised Spring Festival galas in mainland China, he has a distinctive way with a big image, as seen in the giant imperial seal hovering above the stage in this show.
