91. Turandot
TIME OF ORIGIN
July 1920 – October 1924.
PERFORMANCES
First performance: 25 April 1926 at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan.
Cast: Rosa Raisa (Turandot), Francesco Dominici (Altoum), Carlo Walter (Timur), Michele Fleta (Calaf), Maria Zamboni (Liù), Giacomo Rimini (Ping), Emilio Venturini (Pang), Giuseppe Nessi (Pong), Aristide Baracchi (Mandarino); conductor: Arturo Toscanini.
LIST OF CHARACTERS
La Principessa Turandot (Soprano)
L’Imperatore Altoum (Tenor)
Timur, re barbaro spodestato (Bass)
Calaf, suo figlio (Tenor)
Liù, giovane schiava (Soprano)
Ping, gran cancelliere (Baritone)
Pang, gran provveditore (Tenor)
Pong, gran cuciniere (Tenor)
Un Mandarino (Baritone)
Chorus: Children (“Ragazzi”), Soprano I, II, III (also Contralto), Tenor I, II, Bass I, II.
INSTRUMENTATION
Piccolo, 3 Flutes, 2 Oboes, English horn, 2 Clarinets, Bass clarinet, 2 Bassoons, Contra-bassoon, 4 Horns, 3 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, Contrabass trombone, Timpani, Triangle, Drum, Bass drum, Cymbals, Tam-tam, Chinese gongs, Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Bass xylophone, Tubular bells, Celesta, 2 Harps, Organ, Strings; Backstage: 2 Contralto saxophones, 6 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, Bass Trombone, Wood-block [Tamburo di legno], Low gong or Tam-tam.
LITERATURE
Turandot alla Scala 1926; Celli 1985a; Celli 1985b; Candida 1958; Hopkinson 1968, 52-54; Barblan 1972, 216; Smith 1973; Sachs 1978, 177-79; Cherubini 1974; Maehder 1984; Maehder 1985, 143-70; Schickling 1989, 338-86 and 391-94; Maguire 1990; Atlas 1991a; Ashbrook and Powers 1991; Girardi 1995, 435-87; Lo 1996; Budden 2002, 423-73.