Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
Turandot
Puccini
To The Teacher
Welcome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Using the Study Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Performance Information
What to Expect at the Opera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
About Southam Hall, National Arts Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
About Opera Lyra Ottawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Spotlight on Mariateresa Magisano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Giacomo Puccini
Puccini’s Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Puccini’s Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Puccini’s Times: A World of War and Turmoil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Lessons
Lesson One The Plot: Magnificent Obsessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Lesson Two Jasmine Flowers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Lesson Three Soprano-land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Lesson Four Puccini : Master Dramatist – Master Composer. . . . . . . . . . . 35
Lesson Five World’s Best Tenor Aria! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Lesson Six The Role of the Chorus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Opera Lyra Ottawa would like to gratefully acknowledge the generous gift by Michael
Potter which has permitted the development of the Young People’s Opera Matinee program.
Through this program youth in Ottawa/Gatineau will have the opportunity to experience
grand-scale opera within Southam Hall of the NAC.
Authors
Alison Kenny-Gardhouse, Connexionarts, Inc.
Catherine West, Connexionarts, Inc.
Britta Obern, Connexionarts, Inc.
Illustrator
Richard Peachey, Goodness Graphics, Inc.
Graphic Design
Paul Kelly, gecko graphics inc.
Opera elegantly blends the artistry of theatre, singing and music, forging a dramatic and unforgettable
experience. We are certain your students will be transported by Puccini’s tale of transformative love.
Elizabeth Howarth
General Director
Opera Lyra Ottawa
»» Start a word wall with opera-specific vocabulary. Keep adding to it each day before and after the
opera. Use the vocabulary as part of a follow-up assessment.
»» Play selections from the CD frequently – during transitions as well as in lessons.
»» Give each student a copy of Turandot At-A-Glance. A picture is worth a thousand words!
»» Ask students to listen to their Excerpts from Turandot CD at home as part of their homework
assignments.
The Chorus
It’s not just the main characters that count in an opera! No opera is complete without a chorus of singers to
transform into a mob scene or swell the sound when needed. By the time you visit the National Arts Centre
to see the student matinee, the chorus of Opera Lyra Ottawa will have been busy at work for several months.
What kind of people sing in the chorus? Think of them as men and women who lead double lives - they
have regular jobs during the day and turn into opera singers at night. All are trained singers. Some are voice
majors at university, a few are singing teachers but many work in jobs that aren’t music related. The chorus
of Opera Lyra Ottawa boasts a core of skilled musicians who give generously of their time and talents. They
surely do it for the love of it because none of them are paid – it’s entirely voluntary.
To get into the chorus you must audition (men are auditioned one year and women the next). For the
audition you must arrive prepared to sing two arias (usually you are asked to sing one of the two but you
must be prepared to sing both) and possibly answer a few questions. Everyone has to re-audition every two
years, no matter what. Being accepted back into the chorus is based not just on your voice, but on how well
you work with other people and your overall level of professionalism (things like being on time, arriving with
your music organized and being ready to work hard).
Three months before the opera opens, the chorus meets for weekly rehearsals at the University of Ottawa.
These rehearsals are led by the chorus master. Three weeks before opening night, when staging rehearsals
begin, they rehearse at a church hall. At this point the Maestro takes over and works with the chorus right
through the move into the National Arts Centre. The Maestro is the person who conducts the onstage
performances with the cast and orchestra.
The Principals
The people who have the major roles in an opera are called the principals. They are singers who work
professionally and are paid. Principals usually arrive about three weeks before the first performance and
live in a hotel while they are here. It is generally expected that they arrive with all of their music learned and
memorized and have a good sense of their character in the opera. In rehearsal each day they work with the
director who helps them block each of the scenes. The director works with the principals on understanding
their characters so that they are convincing in their acting as well as their singing. For the first two weeks
they are accompanied by a répétiteur (rehearsal pianist). A week before the show opens they move into the
space at the NAC and begin work rehearsing on stage with the orchestra in the pit.
Principals rehearse up to a maximum of six hours a day for no more than six days in a row. These are rules
set by Equity, the union they belong to. These rules protect the singers from overusing their voices. The stage
manager handles all the rehearsal schedules and has to have a clear picture of who is in each scene and how
much rehearsal time will be needed. Some scenes take longer to stage than others and he/she has to use the
six hours per day per singer wisely.
During this time Puccini met and fell in love with Elvira, the wife
Celebrity Watch! of a friend. A huge scandal ensued when she took her two sons
and left her husband to live with Puccini. They had a son together
Puccini was one of the first composers
the following year and Elvira remained Puccini’s mistress until she
to become a major celebrity, and photos was able to marry him when her husband died nineteen years later.
of him were often published in the
Puccini had many hobbies and was an avid outdoorsman. His
Italian newspapers. Anything he did was
guaranteed to draw the attention of thelove of hunting, hiking, motoring and boating is thought by
some to have distracted him from getting more operas written.
press. When Puccini got into a major car
Elvira turned out to be an intense and demanding girlfriend as
accident with his wife and was seriously
well, and Puccini began to travel a lot. This lead Elvira to believe
injured, photographers raced to the that Puccini was cheating on her and she soon became
scene. The next day he convinced he was having an affair with their servant girl,
was headline news and Doria. Elvira made the girl’s life miserable, and Doria
the papers were filled eventually committed suicide. A coroner’s report revealed
that Doria was a virgin and had never had a physical
with multiple pictures of relationship with anybody. Doria’s grieving family sued
Puccini being carried out Elvira for defamation of character. They held Elvira
on a stretcher. responsible for the suicide and it was only Puccini’s intervention
that saved her from going to prison. But Elvira had been right
about one thing: Puccini’s life of luxury not only included several
homes, yachts and fast cars, but several other women as well.
Living a life of excess took its toll on Puccini and he developed throat cancer due to his heavy smoking.
He died of a heart attack during throat surgery on November 29, 1924, leaving his last opera, Turandot,
unfinished. It was completed by Franco Alfano and debuted in Milan two years after Puccini’s death.
Q: What is opera? Q: What about all those voices? They all sound so
different.
A: A story that is told through singing, acting,
and staging. A: They are different. No two voices are ever the
same. The most we can generalize by is their
range and colour. Check out this handy chart
Q: What kind of story? for the voice categories.
A: One music critic suggests that most opera plots Female Voices
Coloratura Soprano highest
boil down to a soprano and tenor wanting to
hook up but being prevented from doing so by Soprano high
the baritone! While that’s not always the case, Mezzo-Soprano medium-high
the theme of unrequited love does turn up in Contralto low
opera frequently. Most of all though, the stories
Male Voices
of opera are the human stories of love, loss,
triumph and hope. Countertenor highest
Tenor high
A: Not in a Puccini opera they don’t. This opera Q: What does it take to be a great opera singer?
is through-composed. You will notice that the
music continues non-stop. This is different
from a Mozart opera for instance, where there A: You need a big voice that is distinctive, an
is something called recitative that sounds understanding of at least four different
more like people talking, followed by an aria, languages, incredible musical skills, deep
followed by an end to the aria and some space artistry, a healthy body, and a strong work
for the audience to applaud. Puccini likes to ethic. Most important…you have to love opera
keep the drama flowing and does away with and being on stage.
recitatives and spaces for applause. The big
songs are still called ARIAS, but they ebb and
flow within the larger musical work.
Turandot is Giacomo
tradition of grand
opera.
Puccini’s interest
in writing an opera
was sparked after The task fell to a younger composer, Franco Alfano
reading the play of the same name by Carlo Gozzi. to complete the opera based on Puccini’s last
Puccini first began composing Turandot in 1919 with sketches and under the watchful eye of the famous
librettists Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni and and influential conductor Arturo Toscanini. Both the
was almost done five years later, except for the final publishing company and Toscanini forced Alfano to
Puccini loved wearing hats, and it is rumored that he could not compose if he was
not wearing one.
revise the ending numerous times so that it followed Turandot continues to be performed around
Puccini’s sketches more closely. However, on opening the world with Alfano’s ending, although other
night, April 25, 1926 the orchestra rested in the composers have attempted rewrites. Despite the
middle of Act III, two measures after the words, “Liù, initial controversy surrounding the ending, Turandot
poesia!” Toscanini put down his baton, turned to is still considered to contain one of opera’s most
the audience and announced, “Here the opera ends, sophisticated orchestral scores and one of the most
because at this point the maestro died.” He never lavish, colorful and elaborate of its time.
It’s not hard to believe that this dashing Puccini enjoyed smoking, drinking, cards
Poster advertising the debut of Turandot at Teatro Scala. and women!
Act II
Three officials, called Ping, Pang and Pong consider all
the executions they have seen and hope that Turandot’s
icy heart will melt (“Olà, Pang” & “O China, che or
sussulti!”). The Emperor, Turandot’s father, begs Calaf
to withdraw his challenge – he is tired of the needless
executions. Meanwhile Turandot sings for the first time,
declaring that she hates all men because her ancestor
was murdered by a prince (“In questa reggia”). Calaf
takes the test of the three riddles, and answers all
three correctly. (“Il terzo enigma & La terza riposta”)
Turandot is horrified that she has to marry Calaf, so
Calaf offers her a different bargain: if she can guess his
name by dawn, she does not have to marry him and can
execute him instead. Turandot accepts this challenge.
Act 3
Everyone in the kingdom stays awake all
night frantically searching for the name
of the mysterious stranger, while Calaf
confidently thinks about his own future
happiness with the princess (“Nessun
dorma!”). Ping, Pang and Pong try to
convince Calaf to leave the city but he
refuses. Soldiers capture Liù and Timur, and
torture the servant girl. To avoid betraying
Calaf, whom she loves dearly, Liù commits
suicide (“Tu che di gel sei cinta”). Turandot
is finally changed by the example of Liù’s
selfless love, and declares that the stranger’s
name is “Love” (“Padre augusto”). She
joyfully accepts him as her husband.
Scene 1:
A crowd gathers as Turandot’s latest
suitor is led to his death. As the throng
jostles about, Liù, a young slave girl, cries
out that her frail, blind master has fallen.
Calaf comes to help and realizes the
blind man is his father, Timur. There is an
emotional reunion, both having thought
the other was dead.
Scene 2:
Ping, Pang and Pong, the king’s
officials, try to persuade Calaf not
to strike the gong and risk his life
for the princess’ hand.
Scene 3:
A frantic Turandot orders her kingdom
to discover the stranger’s real name. It
is her only chance at not being forced
to marry Calaf.
Scene 4:
Liù and Timur are captured and tor-
tured in an attempt to discover Calaf’s
name. Liù refuses to reveal his identity
and commits suicide.
Scene 5:
Turandot is changed by the example of Liù’s selfless
love, and declares that the stranger’s name is
“Love”. She joyfully accepts Calaf as her husband.
2 “Gira la cote!”
(Turn the grindstone!)
The crowd calls for the grindstone to sharpen the executioner’s blade. Their
lust for blood builds. The executioner‘s men note that there is no shortage of
work where Turandot reigns.
People, Liù Executioner’s Men
Boys
4 “Signore, ascolta!”
(My Lord! Hear me!)
Liù begs Calef not to accept the challenge of the riddles. She cannot bear the
thought of him dying, leaving her to die in exile with his grieving father.
Liù
The conversation goes back and forth. Several thematic melodies emerge. Listen: The voices frequently return to a short melodic theme on the words
One theme is rhythmically driving and is followed by staggered entries “dove regna Turandot”. This continually reminds us that Turandot is the
of descending voices. Accompanied by glockenspiel, it has a fragmenting character driving all the action.
effect and contributes to the feeling of chaos. The ending jabs of chords See Lesson Six: The Role of the Chorus
are hard hitting.
Listen for the boy’s chorus first heard from off stage. The effect is ethereal. Ask: Who is singing? (boys).
The score calls for the melody to be doubled by two alto saxophones Discuss: Describe how the voices of boy sopranos are different from the
played off stage. adult sopranos.
The melody sung by the children is a traditional Chinese folk tune. Identify: Listen for “principessa” chanted by the crowd. Turnadot is arriving.
See Lesson Two: Jasmine Flowers
The melody is pentatonic, suggesting a gentle simplicity. Puccini uses a Ask: What feeling do you think the composer wants you to have towards
harp towards the end of the aria to underscore Liù’s words that she can Liù?
bear no more. Listen: Towards the end of the aria you will hear the harp. What effect does
The aria ends with a show of determined strength on a high B flat. it have?
See Lesson Three: Soprano-land
The scene starts with the voices of the principles (singing back and forth in Listen: This is Calaf’s big moment of decision. See if you can hear when he
a 9/4 metre) and later grows to include the chorus. sings “Turandot!” three times, and then strikes the gong three times. There
The trumpets, horns and trombones are very noticeable. Puccini has is no turning back for him now!
given score directions that they are to be playing from back centre stage See Lesson Four: Puccini – Master Dramatist - Master Composer
“behind a practical gauze painted like a veil.” After Calaf strikes the gong, See Lesson Six: The Role of the Chorus
the brass reprises the melody of the Chinese folk tune heard earlier
(Jasmine Flowers)
6 “Olà, Pang! “
(Hello Pang!)
Ping, Pang and Pong meet in the royal pavilion to make preparations for both
a wedding and a funeral. Either way, they intend to be prepared. They think
back to more peaceful times when they were respected ministers and didn’t
Ping, Pong, Pang spend their time attending executions.
Calaf
9 “Nessun dorma!”
(None shall sleep tonight)
The entire city is awake and faced with the threat of death if they fail to
discover the name of the stranger who has solved the three riddles. Only Calaf
is calm, believing without doubt that he will succeed in winning the heart of
Calaf Turandot.
11 “Padre augusto”
(Noble father)
Turandot is shaken and moved by the selflessness of Liù’s love for Calaf.
When she is kissed by Calaf, she is transformed and admits that she loves
him. Turandot announces to her father and the people that she knows the
Turandot, People stranger’s name, and “it is love!”.
The aria begins with a calm almost chant-like line. This quickly becomes Listen: Turandot is telling the story of her ancestress Pincess Lou-Ling. Note
more agitated and it is interesting to note the modulation that takes when the chorus comes in. They fill in the details of her story, saying that it
Turandot from D major, to F sharp minor, the key of the executioner. was in a time of war with the King of Tartary. Notice how the effect is one
of evoking distant memories in Turandot.
See Lesson Three: Soprano-land
Turandot’s vocal line is steely and chromatic as she reads the riddle. Notice Discuss: Describe how Puccini builds the tension as Turandot asks the riddle
the descending strings pacing under her outbursts. and then waits for the answer.
The melody of Jasmine Flowers returns this time with the victorious words Ask: What instruments carry the melody of Jasmine Flowers, just after
“Glory to the Conqueror”. Notice the prominence of the brass – once again Calaf’s answer has been declared correct? (trumpets and trombones)
Puccini has placed them onstage with the singers.
“Nessun dorma!” is centered in the key of G+. Beautifully lyrical, it is Ask: What makes this so beautiful?
definitely a challenge to sing. The tessitura is high throughout. Although See Lesson Five: World’s Greatest Tenor Aria
the off stage women’s chorus supports the climb towards the triumphant
ending, the high B is a very exposed note. Interestingly, Puccini wrote the
highest note as a quick sixteenth note, possibly anticipating its difficulty,
but of course audiences have come to expect a prolonged and triumphant
delivery of the top note, sung of course to the word, Vincerò!
This haunting aria uses the full soprano range and demands a voice that Describe: Describe Liù’s voice and how it conveys her sadness and love.
is both strong and warm. Puccini uses the darkness of the woodwinds and Listen: Notice the beating of the timpani as Liù reaches out to grab the
full strings to create a mood of deep sadness. dagger, and the horrific moment when the crowd cries out for her to
answer, not knowing that she is already dead.
With Turnandot’s moment of revelation, “Nessun dorma” comes back with Consider: At the very end, notice the pullout of the orchestra, leaving the
full orchestra and chorus. voices naked for a split second.
This is the music that was written after Puccini’s death. Franco Alfano had Why might Alfano have used this technique?
the task of being held to the musical outlines left by Puccini. While there Ask: Do you think that Franco Alfano did a good job in finishing Puccini’s
are differences in the style of Alfano’s orchestration, he manages to bring opera? Why or why not?
the opera to a spectacular close.
See Lesson One: The Pot: Magnificent Obsessions
See Lesson Six: The Role of the Chorus
Objectives
Students explore the plot of Turandot through listening, predicting, acting, and reflecting.
Materials
Track #1, “Popolo di Pechino”, CD Excerpts from Turandot
Track # 11, “Padre augusto”, CD Excerpts from Turandot
Character name cards on strings (to hang around neck)
Copy of the Synopsis of Turandot
Lesson Map
I. Predicting
»» Write on the board the following words: royalty, execution, riddles, love, and loyalty.
»» Play the first part of Track #1 “Popolo di Pechino” to 2:19, and ask students to predict what kind of
story this opera will have. Does it sound like a comic or tragic story? What unusual instrument sounds
can you hear – do they give you any clues about where this story takes place?
»» Listen to the final chorus of the opera, Track # 11, “Padre augusto”. Knowing this is how the opera
ends, do you think this is a happy or sad story?
»» Tell students: In opera the plot summary is referred to as a ‘synopsis’. We are going to act out the story of
Turandot while I read the Synopsis.
»» Read aloud; students say their key phrase whenever their character is mentioned by name; their
actions are guided by the developing story.
III. Consolidating
»» Compare the actual plot to the student predictions, first as a pair-share, then as a whole class.
»» As a wrap-up, discuss where Puccini might have seen the opportunities to explore normal human
emotions in this story. Which characters will be comic? Which will be serious? Over the next few
lessons, refer back to the predictions.
E flat Pentatonic
F Pentatonic
»» Try it out! One or two students play a steady beat on an F on a low instrument. Now another player
improvises a melody on the notes of the pentatonic scale above, using a higher pitched instrument.
Take turns improvising your own melody and playing the bass part. Add some gentle metal
percussion sounds such as triangle, finger cymbals, hanging cymbal, or wind chime to create a
magical atmosphere like Puccini’s.
»» Sing and listen to the recording again – Puccini makes one alteration and includes a note that does
not belong to the pentatonic scale. Can you hear where it is? (The Aflat in bar 21 on the word “mil-le/
thousand”.)
»» As we have seen, Puccini was inspired by, but did not limit himself to, the melodic language of the
original song. In fact he uses a completely different scale for most of the accompaniment – the
Mixolydian mode. (If you play all the white keys from G to G on the piano you are playing in the
Mixolydian mode.) Play the scales below for the students, asking them to identify the ‘funny-
sounding’ note (the D flat in E flat, or the E flat in F).
E flat Mixolydian
F Mixolydian
»» (Optional). Learn to play the outline of Puccini’s bass line in E flat (as in the opera) or F.
Combine with a performance of the song, which can be sung and played on instruments
available in your class.
»» As you listen to the music of Turandot, you will hear many examples of pentatonic melodies –
see how many you can spot!
Objectives
Students will compare the character traits and voice types of the two female protagonists in Turandot.
Materials
Track # 4, “Signore, ascolta!, CD Excerpts from Turandot
Track # 7, “In questa reggia”, CD Excerpts from Turandot
Student copies of the Synopsis
Student copies of Character Study of Liù and Turandot (see attached)
Student copies of First Arias Sung By Liù and Turnadot (see attached)
Lesson Map
I. Listening and Describing
»» Share with students:
ūū In Turandot there are two main female roles: Liù, a slave girl, and Turandot, a princess. Both are
sopranos. One is what we call a “lyric soprano” and the other is a “dramatic soprano”. Let’s listen to
the lyric soprano first – I won’t be mentioning just yet whether it is Liù or Turandot – but let’s see if
we can come up with a few words to describe what we hear.
»» Play Track # 4, “Signore, ascolta”. Ask students to describe the vocal qualities heard. Chart on the
board under the heading “Lyric Soprano”.
»» Repeat using Track # 7, “In questa reggia” and list the descriptive words under the heading “Dramatic
Soprano”.
»» Ask: what differences are there between the lyric and dramatic soprano sound? (Note: this isn’t always
easy to hear at first! Take some time to dig for the answers.)
»» Compare student answers with the following information:
»» Take a few suggestions about which role in Turandot is the lyric soprano (Liù) and which is the
dramatic (Turandot). Ask students to explain their reasoning and then confirm the roles with
voice types.
III. Synthesizing
»» Listen to the arias again. How are the two arias musically different? What was Puccini’s desired effect?
»» Ask: Do you think Puccini made the right choice in writing Liù as a lyric and Turandot as a dramatic
soprano?
Look at the images of the two women. What does their dress tell you? Note in the chart below.
Listen to the arias again. How are the two arias musically different? What was Puccini’s desired effect?
Objectives
Students explore the dramatic challenge faced by Puccini of presenting many points of view at once, and
building a fitting climax to the first act. They analyse a score excerpt for evidence of Puccini’s choices and
listen to the music.
Materials
Track #5, “Ah! Per l’ultima volta!” CD Excerpts from Turandot
Student copies of the score excerpt pp. 138-140 (see attached)
Lesson Map
I. Examining Point of View
»» Remind students of this part of the storyline:
ūū Prince Calaf has been reunited with his aged and feeble father, the deposed King Timur. His loyal
slave Liù has looked after Timur, and she is ecstatic to be with Calaf again, whom she loves from
afar. To the dismay of Timur, Liù, the government officials, and the crowd, Calaf is completely
bewitched by Turandot’s beauty, and declares his intention to win her hand. Everyone tries to
dissuade him, but he advances to the gong, and strikes it three times, thus issuing the challenge to
Turandot. She herself is a silent and icy presence.
»» Create an inner and outer circle of partners. The inner circle takes the role of Timur, and the outer
circle takes the role of Calaf. Timur tries to dissuade Calaf from attempting the riddles. After a couple
of minutes rotate the circle and switch roles. After a short time, switch roles, and change Timur into
Liù – how will her arguments be different? Continue rotating and switching roles, substituting Ping
for Liù.
»» Debrief. What were the main reasons Calaf offered in defence of his behaviour? What arguments
were brought forward by Timur, Liù and Ping?
IV. Reflecting
»» Students draw a quick sketch or create a tableau of how this scene might be staged at the moment
in the score excerpt. Compare these later on with what you actually see at the Opera Lyra Ottawa
production.
Objectives
Students learn the famous tenor aria “Nessun dorma!” and examine its presence in popular culture.
Materials
Track # 9, “Nessun dorma!”, CD Excerpts from Turandot
See-Feel-Hear Listening Template (see attached)
“Nessun dorma!” score (see attached)
(optional) DVD Bend it Like Beckham
(optional) DVD The Killing Fields
Lesson Map
I. Listening
»» Play the recording of “Nessun dorma!” asking students to notice what images the music brings to
mind, how the music makes them feel and what they are actually hearing. As they listen they should
jot down their thoughts on the See-Feel-Hear Listening Template.
»» Discuss, paying particular attention to the images students describe (they may have been influenced
by the use of the aria in media, which is pertinent to the conversation later in the lesson).
»» Ask students to guess at what the text of the aria might be about. What is the overall mood of the aria?
»» Did they pick up any of the Italian? (i.e. principessa/princess; vincerò/win).
»» Share with the students:
ūū This is the very famous tenor aria from Turandot. Called “Nessun dorma!”, it is sung by Calaf, the
prince who has come to win the hand of Turandot. He is the twenty-seventh suitor to accept the
challenge of answering the three riddles, and the first to win. At this point the entire city is awake
by Turandot’s command, and faced with the threat of death if they fail to discover the name of the
stranger who has solved the three riddles. Only Calaf is calm, believing without doubt that he will
succeed in winning the heart of Turandot.
II. Singing
»» Share the following:
ūū The role of Calaf is usually sung by a dramatic tenor. Dramatic tenors have powerful, ringing
voices that are capable of a wide emotional range. A dramatic tenor usually has a range from the
octave below middle C to the octave above.
»» Have students try singing the two octave range. Ask the males in class to notice when the top notes
start to feel more difficult.
IV. Interpreting
»» Ask students to do a net search to view how the aria has been interpreted by a variety of artists,
including the following:
ūū The Three Tenors (YouTube or DVD available at Ottawa Public Library)
ūū Jeff Beck, guitarist (YouTube or iTunes)
ūū Aretha Franklin at the 1998 Grammys (YouTube)
»» In class discuss the different performances heard. What
qualities did they share with the Plàcido Domingo version
you heard? How were they different?
Puccini at the movies
In Bend it Like Beckham, Jess Bhamra
V. Extension has been forbidden by her family to play
with her local girls’ soccer league, but her
»» After hearing the aria performed in a variety of
skill at the sport has caught the attention
genres, students may want to try their own unique of a recruiter who promises to show up at
interpretation of “Nessun dorma!”, either as a vocal solo, their final game. Jess sneaks out from her
duet, trio, or as an instrumental piece. sister’s wedding, makes it to the game and
scores the winning goal. The sounds of
“Nessun dorma!” play in the background
as she has flashbacks of missed shots
and the disapproving faces of her family.
She overcomes her doubt and sends the
winning goal soaring into the net as tenor
Tito Beltan hits the high B of the aria.
Vincerò! Vincerò!
(Scene 28, 1:28:45-1:30:09)
Objectives
Students examine Puccini’s use of the chorus in Turandot by developing a spoken performance from a short
chorus scene, and by listening to and analyzing several of the choruses from the opera.
Materials
Student copy of script excerpt from Act I (see attached)
Track # 2, “Gira la cote!”, CD Excerpts from Turandot
Track # 5, “Ah! Per l’ultima volta!”, CD Excerpts from Turandot
Lesson Map
I. Script Reading
»» Have a quick read through of the script excerpt from Act I. Where in the plot do you think we are?
(Near the beginning of the opera when the crowd has heard that the most recent suitor is going to be
executed.) What’s the mood of the crowd at this point? (bloodthirsty, agitated)
»» Divide the class into two groups. Within each of the two groups, students decide who will take on the
voices of the Executioner’s Assistants and who will be in the crowd.
»» Have the groups practice their lines, as they are written. Then, encourage students to experiment with
voicings, expression and tempo. For example:
ūū Feel free to experiment with how you use the voices of the crowd. You may want to have all the men’s
voices together once, then the women’s. You can also repeat words, have them echo, or stagger their
entries. What about the pace of what you are saying? Maybe you want to slow some parts down,
speed other parts up. And don’t forget about dynamics. Is there room for an amazing crescendo or
accent somewhere?
»» Allow sufficient time for students to rehearse.
»» Share the performances and discuss: What did you notice? Which performance strategies had the most
impact?
»» Turn the focus from the script to putting the words to music.
ūū If you were Puccini about to set this text to music, what would you be considering? How would you
use your high/low voices? What kind of tempo is going to work best? What about the orchestra – are
there any particular instruments that might help set the mood and support what the singers are
saying? etc.
»» Listen to Track # 2, Gira la cote!”. Listen the entire track, then listen specifically from 1:44 to 2:26.
This is the section that corresponds with the text that the students have just worked with.
»» Ask students to describe what they have heard, and discuss how Puccini used the elements of music
to create the mood of the bloodthirsty crowd.
»» Ask: Where any of the ideas that you came up with in your group performance, similar to those of
Puccini’s?
»» What is the role of the chorus here? (In addition to creating more tension, the chorus also sweeps into
the now familiar strains of the Chinese folk song “Là sui monti del’Est” and moves the conclusion of
Act I to an emotional finish.)
»» Listen to Track # 11, “Padre augusto”, the final scene of the opera where Turandot embraces Calaf and
declares her love. Notice that the famous “Nessun dorma!” melody returns. Can you imagine this last
number without the chorus??
»» Prompt: Write a letter in role as Puccini, describing to your producer what your plans for the chorus
are and justify the huge expense it will add to the production.
CROWD
Sharpen! Oh sharpen!
EXECUTIONER’S ASSISTANTS
Grind and sharpen! Grind and sharpen!
CROWD
Grind and sharpen! Sharpen!
EXECUTIONER’S ASSISTANTS
We are never slack or idol…
CROWD
Sharpen! Sharpen!
EXECUTIONER’S ASSISTANTS
….in the realm of Turandot!
We are never slack or idol…
CROWD
Sharpen! Sharpen!
EXECUTIONER’S ASSISTANTS
….in the realm of Turandot!
ALL
In the realm of Turandot, in the realm of Turandot!
We are never slack or idol, in the realm of Turandot!
ALL
Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!
Grade 7 and 8
Puccini’s Life
Puccini’s Music
Puccini’s Times
Lesson One: The Plot:
Magnificent Obsessions
Lesson Two:
Jasmine Flowers
Lesson Three :
Soprano-land
Lesson Four: Puccini:
Master Dramatist –
Master Composer
Lesson Five: World’s
Best Tenor Aria!
Lesson Six:
Role of the Chorus
Puccini’s Life
Puccini’s Music
Puccini’s Times
Lesson One: The Plot:
Magnificent Obsessions
Lesson Two:
Jasmine Flowers
Lesson Three :
Soprano-land
Lesson Four: Puccini:
Master Dramatist –
Master Composer
Lesson Five: World’s
Best Tenor Aria!
Lesson Six:
Role of the Chorus
Puccini’s Life
Puccini’s Music
Puccini’s Times
Lesson One: The Plot:
Magnificent Obsessions
Lesson Two:
Jasmine Flowers
Lesson Three :
Soprano-land
Lesson Four: Puccini:
Master Dramatist –
Master Composer
Lesson Five: World’s
Best Tenor Aria!
Lesson Six:
Role of the Chorus
Puccini’s Life
Puccini’s Music
Puccini’s Times
Lesson One: The Plot:
Magnificent Obsessions
Lesson Two:
Jasmine Flowers
Lesson Three :
Soprano-land
Lesson Four: Puccini:
Master Dramatist –
Master Composer
Lesson Five: World’s
Best Tenor Aria!
Lesson Six:
Role of the Chorus
Puccini’s Life
Puccini’s Music
Puccini’s Times
Lesson One: The Plot:
Magnificent Obsessions
Lesson Two:
Jasmine Flowers
Lesson Three :
Soprano-land
Lesson Four: Puccini:
Master Dramatist –
Master Composer
Lesson Five: World’s
Best Tenor Aria!
Lesson Six:
Role of the Chorus
Puccini’s Life
Puccini’s Music
Puccini’s Times
Lesson One: The Plot:
Magnificent Obsessions
Lesson Two:
Jasmine Flowers
Lesson Three :
Soprano-land
Lesson Four: Puccini:
Master Dramatist –
Master Composer
Lesson Five: World’s Best
Tenor Aria!
Lesson Six:
Role of the Chorus
General Director
Elizabeth Howarth
General Administrator
Isabelle Dubois
Development Manager
Tricia Johnson
Volunteer Coordinator
Patricia Blute
Intern
Justine Gratton
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